Speaker Biographies
Full biographies for the speakers at this event can be found below.
Speakers
Speakers
Ajit Pai
Chairman, FCC
Ajit Pai is the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. He was designated Chairman by President Donald J. Trump in January 2017. He had previously served as Commissioner at the FCC, appointed by then-President Barack Obama and confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate in May 2012.
Michael O'Rielly
Commissioner, FCC
Michael O’Rielly was nominated for a seat on the Federal Communications Commission by President Barack Obama on August 1, 2013 and was confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate on October 29, 2013. He was sworn into office on November 4, 2013. On January 29, 2015, he was sworn into office for a new term, following his re-nomination by the President and confirmation by the United States Senate.
Prior to joining the agency Commissioner O’Rielly served as a Policy Advisor in the Office of the Senate Republican Whip, led by U.S. Senator John Cornyn, since January 2013. He worked in the Republican Whip’s Office since 2010, as an Advisor from 2010 to 2012 and Deputy Chief of Staff and Policy Director from 2012 to 2013 for U.S. Senator Jon Kyl.
He previously worked for the Republican Policy Committee in the U.S. Senate as a Policy Analyst for Banking, Technology, Transportation, Trade, and Commerce issues from 2009 to 2010. Prior to this, Commissioner O’Rielly worked in the Office of U.S. Senator John Sununu, as Legislative Director from 2007 to 2009, and Senior Legislative Assistant from 2003 to 2007. Before his tenure as a Senate staffer, he served as a Professional Staff Member on the Committee on Energy and Commerce in the United States House of Representatives from 1998 to 2003, and Telecommunications Policy Analyst from 1995 to 1998.
He began his career as a Legislative Assistant to U.S. Congressman Tom Bliley from 1994 to 1995.
Commissioner O’Rielly received his B.A. from the University of Rochester.
Brendan Carr
Commissioner, FCC
Brendan Carr was nominated to serve as a Commissioner of the FCC by President Donald J. Trump, and he was confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate in 2017. In 2019, after President Trump nominated him for a second term, the Senate confirmed Commissioner Carr for a term ending in 2023.
Commissioner Carr is focused on regulatory reforms that will help create jobs and grow the economy for the benefit of all Americans.
He is leading the FCC’s work to modernize the rules governing the buildout of next-generation infrastructure, including 5G. His reforms are predicted to cut billions of dollars in red tape and have already accelerated deployments—helping to bring more broadband to more Americans. By updating our country’s rules for building small cells, he’s helped extend U.S. leadership in 5G and ensured that rural America has a fair shot at next generation connectivity.
Commissioner Carr is also focused on expanding America’s skilled workforce—the tower climbers and construction crews needed to build next-gen networks. His workforce initiative promotes community colleges, technical schools, and apprenticeships as a pipeline for good-paying 5G jobs.
Commissioner Carr is also leading an FCC telehealth initiative. It is designed to drive down healthcare costs while improving outcomes for low-income Americans and veterans.
Time outside of Washington has informed Commissioner Carr’s regulatory approach. Nearly every month, he hits the road to hear directly from the construction crews and tower techs who are building our country’s infrastructure. He’s seen firsthand how connectivity is growing the economy—from small-town manufacturing plants to the farmers and ranchers that are using broadband for Smart Ag. Back at the FCC, Commissioner Carr has built on the ideas he’s heard from the community members, public safety officials, and local leaders he’s met at town halls and events in nearly 30 states over the past two years.
Commissioner Carr brings a dozen years of private and public sector experience in communications and tech policy to his role as Commissioner. Previously, he served as General Counsel of the FCC, representing the agency in court and serving as the chief legal advisor to the Commission. He first joined the FCC as a staffer in 2012 and worked on spectrum policy and competition matters for a number of FCC offices.
Prior to joining the agency, Commissioner Carr worked as an attorney at Wiley Rein LLP in the firm’s appellate, litigation, and telecom practices. He litigated cases involving the First Amendment and the Communications Act. A graduate of Georgetown University, Commissioner Carr clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit for Judge Dennis W. Shedd. He graduated magna cum laude from law school at the Catholic University of America where he served as an editor of the Catholic University Law Review.
Chantal Davies
Director, Spectrum Regulatory Best Practices,, ISED Canada
Chantal Davis is Director of Spectrum Regulatory Best Practices at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. In her current role, she is responsible for developing Canada’s long-term spectrum outlook plan, the economic analysis related to the design and implementation of spectrum auctions, and policies related to commercial mobile spectrum. In her over 20-year career at ISED, Chantal has been responsible for domestic and international spectrum planning, engineering and standards related to mobile communications including broadband, public safety, engineering practices for interference management and land mobile radio. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Ottawa.
Derek Khlopin
Senior Advisor, Office of the Assistant Secretary, NTIA, U.S. Department of Commerce
Derek Khlopin advises the Assistant Secretary and NTIA Administrator on spectrum policy, regulation and management, as well as wireless and emerging technologies. Khlopin has deep expertise in wireless communications policy in government and industry.
Prior to NTIA, Khlopin led the North America government affairs activities for Nokia Solutions and Networks (now Nokia), where he developed the company’s regulatory and policy strategy and represented the company in the U.S. before Congress, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Executive branch and other government agencies, and in industry forums. Khlopin also headed the regulatory and legal advocacy efforts of the Telecommunications Industry Association and its information and communications technology member companies, and served as attorney in the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau of the FCC. Khlopin is a graduate of the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America and its Institute for Communications Law Studies.
Julius Knapp
Chief of the Office of Engineering Technology, FCC
Julius Knapp is Chief of the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology (OET). Mr. Knapp has been with the FCC for nearly 36 years. Mr. Knapp became Chief of OET in 2006, having previously served as the Deputy Chief since 2002. Prior to that he was the Chief of the Policy & Rules Division where he was responsible for FCC frequency allocation proceedings and for proceedings amending the FCC rules for radio frequency devices. Mr. Knapp was Chief of the FCC Laboratory from 1994 – 1997 where he was responsible for the FCC’s equipment authorization program and technical analyses. Mr. Knapp received a Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the City College of New York in 1974. He is a member of the IEEE EMC Society and is a Fellow of the Radio Club of America. He was the 2001 recipient of the Eugene C. Bowler award for exceptional professionalism and dedication to public service and received the FCC’s Silver and Gold medal awards for distinguished service at the Commission
Veena Rawat
Senior Spectrum Adviser, GSMA
Dr. Rawat is President and CEO of Expert Strategies International, LLC, a consulting firm, advising GSMA as Senior Spectrum Advisor. In 2014 she became an Officer of the Order of Canada for her “contributions to telecommunications engineering and for leadership in establishing the global regulatory framework for radio spectrum management”
Between 2011-14, Dr. Rawat worked as Vice President and Ambassador to ITU for BlackBerry. During 2004-11, Dr. Rawat was President of Communications Research Centre, the only Canadian federal government research lab conducting R&D in all communications technologies. Before heading CRC, Dr. Rawat spent 28 years within the Canadian Government where she held executive positions in managing radio frequency spectrum.
Dr. Rawat ‘s many "firsts" in her career and her long list of national and international awards include being the first female (and first Canadian as well) ever to chair ITU's WRC (World Radio Conference) in 2003 for which she was awarded ITU’s gold medal by the Secretary Genera; IEEE award for Public Service in Communications – 2012; from the Govt of Canada the highest Public Service Award of Excellence – 2011; and from Canadian Women in Communications’ Canadian Woman of the Year – 2004.
Andrew Clegg
Spectrum Engineering Lead, Google
Andrew Clegg is the Spectrum Engineering Lead for Alphabet Access. He is presently focused primarily on identifying spectrum sharing opportunities for wireless broadband networks. Prior to joining Alphabet and Google, he served as the electromagnetic spectrum manager for the U.S. National Science Foundation. Prior to NSF, he was a Lead Member of Technical Staff at what is now AT&T Mobility, and senior engineer at Comsearch. Andy has over 25 years' experience in national and international spectrum management for both government and commercial applications. He was a member of the U.S. delegation to two World Radiocommunication Conferences (2007 and 2012). He holds a PhD in radio astronomy and electrical engineering from Cornell University.
Carmelo Rivera
Chair of WRC Working Group, CITEL
In 1973 Carmelo Rivera joined the United States Navy and served for 20 years as a Telecommunication Specialist. During this time Carmelo had the opportunity to experience the telecommunications field from several different aspects, locations and platforms. While in the service Carmelo completed courses in Information Systems Management and received degrees from Central Texas College and the University of Maryland. His last 3 years in the service were spent as the Assistant Communications Officer at the Naval Testing Facility on Andros Island, Bahamas. After his retirement from military service he returned to Andros and worked in the communications department as a civilian for several more years before accepting his current position as a Telecommunication Specialist for the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) Radio Frequency Management Division (RFMD). RFMD is responsible for spectrum management for all Dept. of Commerce agencies including, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration which encompasses the National Weather Service, National Marine Fisheries, National Ocean Service, and many others. Carmelo has been the DOC representative at ITU Plenipotentiary conferences, World Radiocommunication Conferences, various ITU-R Study Group 4, 5, and 7 Working Parties, CITEL Permanent Consultative Committee II (Radiocommunications) (PCC-II), and CITEL Executive Committee (COM/CITEL), as well as the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) representative to Asian-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) conference preparatory meetings. Carmelo was the vice-chairman of CITEL’s PCC-II (Radicommunication and Broadcasting) WRC Working group for WRC-15. Carmelo is the chairman of this group preparing for the next WRC scheduled for 2019
Philip Marnick
Group Director, Spectrum, Ofcom
Philip is Group Director, Spectrum at Ofcom, where he is responsible for setting and implementing the strategy for managing spectrum including clearing, awarding, licensing, monitoring and enforcement.
Philip is also Chairman of the EU’s Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG) bringing together all the EU’s national spectrum authorities and the Commission.
Philip has over 30 years’ experience within the wireless communications industry. He has held senior executive positions covering technology, operations and strategy in both. Philip has worked in both start-up (from initial concept to sale) and large corporates in companies ranging from UK Broadband, O2, Orange, BT, J-Phone in Japan (now Softbank Mobile), Extreme Mobile and SpinVox (now Nuance)
Tom Stroup
President, SIA - Satellite Industry Association
As President of SIA, Tom Stroup is the trade association’s lead advocate for regulatory and policy issues of critical importance to SIA’s membership, including spectrum and licensing issues, defense and public safety matters, and export control and international trade issues. He also manages the day-to-day operations of SIA, including member communications, staff leadership and organization of SIA sponsored events.
Prior to joining SIA, Mr. Stroup was with Shared Spectrum Company (SSC), a leading developer of spectrum intelligence technologies, where he served as CEO. For more than a decade, he served as the President of the Personal Communications Industry Association (PCIA). Previous to his position at SSC, he founded and ran several companies in the technology industry, including Columbia Spectrum Management, P-Com Network Services, CSM Wireless, and SquareLoop.
Mr. Stroup holds a BS, summa cum laude, in Public Administration from the University of North Dakota. He is also a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center where he served as Editor of the Georgetown Law Journal.
Will Johnson
Senior Vice President, Federal Regulatory & Legal Affairs, Verizon
Will Johnson serves as Verizon’s Senior Vice President of Federal Regulatory and Legal Affairs. In this role, he leads Verizon’s federal regulatory and legal team and has responsibility for representing Verizon on a wide range of issues, including Internet governance and spectrum policy, before the FCC and other federal agencies. He also represents Verizon in related federal appellate litigation.
Will had previously served as VP & Associate General Counsel in Verizon's federal regulatory legal group, which he joined in 2004. Will has spent much of his time with the company focusing on broadband, video, and Internet issues, as well as network transformation and other emerging issues.
Will is actively involved in pro bono and public service efforts. Will currently serves as Immediate Past Chairman of the Board for Miriam’s Kitchen, a nonprofit aimed at ending chronic homelessness in Washington, D.C. Will also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Media Institute, a nonprofit research foundation specializing in communications policy issues and focused on promoting freedom of speech, a competitive media and communications industry, and excellence in journalism. Will also serves on the Board of Directors for the National Exchange Carriers Association.
Prior to joining Verizon, Will was a litigator at Hogan & Hartson in Washington, DC, and before that at Long, Aldridge & Norman in Atlanta, GA. He also clerked for Chief Judge R. Lanier Anderson and Judge Ed Carnes, each on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Will received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School. He received a B.A., summa cum laude, in Political Science and German Studies from Emory University. Will grew up on a farm in Georgia.
Carl Povelites
Vice-President, Public Policy, AT&T
Carl Povelites is currently the Assistant Vice President, Public Policy, Mobility, for AT&T. He leads a group of professionals responsible for the development of public policy initiatives for AT&T’s wireless business to advance and facilitate AT&T Mobility’s business initiatives on a wide-range of issues, from spectrum policy to emerging devices and technologies to safe driving. In 2011 he was appointed by the U.S. Department of Commerce to serve on the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Council. With over 20 years of experience in the wireless industry, Carl has had the opportunity to participate in and actively shape its extraordinary growth.
Carl joined AT&T Mobility (f/k/a Cingular) as Executive Director of External Affairs in December 2000. Prior to joining Cingular, Carl was Vice President - Regulatory Affairs for Evolution Networks, a start-up fiber-optic networking company. He began his telecommunications career as a pricing analyst for Contel Telephone Operations in 1986, joining GTE Wireless in 1990 responsible for state regulatory and legislative activities. While at GTE Wireless, Carl’s responsibilities expanded to include state and federal regulatory and legislative activities as the Assistant Vice President – Government Relations. Carl has also held marketing positions in the home health care industry with Everest & Jennings and Inspiron as well as service engineer positions in the oil service industry with Dowell Schlumberger. He earned his Bachelor’s degree, a double major in economics and management, and an M.B.A. from New Mexico State University.
Dave Wright
President, CBRS Alliance
Dave played an instrumental role in the formation of the CBRS Alliance, collaborating with other founding members to create a robust multi-stakeholder organization focused on the optimization of LTE and 5G services in the CBRS band. He served as the Alliance’s first Secretary from its launch in August 2016 and was elected as the President of the Alliance in February 2018.
For his “day job”, Dave leads CommScope’s policy and standards initiatives, ensuring the intersection of CommScope’s technology and product innovations with suitable regulatory environments and technical specifications. Dave is a spectrum champion, advocating for unlicensed, licensed, and dynamic sharing frameworks - recognizing the vital role that all spectrum management regimes play in our increasingly wireless world.
Dave began his odyssey in networking/telecom/mobile/wireless in the early ‘90s while serving in the US Marine Corps. He then transitioned to the commercial sector as a systems engineer. In the intervening years he has spent much of his time in Technical Marketing, Standards Development, and Policy Advocacy. Dave is a Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert (CCIE) Emeritus (#2062) as well as a Certified Wireless Network Administrator (CWNA).
Peter Pitsch
Head of Advocacy and Government Affairs, C-Band Alliance
As Head of Advocacy & Government Relations for the CBA, Peter Pitsch is responsible for leading the CBA’s advocacy program, working with government agencies and Capitol Hill to ensure all stake holders understand the benefits of the CBA proposal to make mid-band spectrum available quickly to enable the deployment of 5G services in the U.S.
Prior to joining the CBA, Peter served as Executive Director of Communications Policy and Associate General Counsel for Intel Corporation, where he was responsible for coordination of Intel’s global telecommunications policies.
Pitsch was the president of Pitsch Communications from 1989 to 1998, which represented telecommunications clients before the FCC and Congress.
Earlier, Pitsch was the Chief of Staff to the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission from 1987 to 1989 and Chief of FCC’s Office of Plans and Policy from 1981 to 1987. His career also included roles at Montgomery Ward and the Federal Trade Commission.
Mr. Pitsch received a B.A. in Economics from the University of Chicago in 1973 and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 1976. He is a member of the District of Columbia Bar, the Virginia State Bar, and the Federal Communications Bar Association.
Richard Marsden
Managing Director, NERA Economic Consulting
With a team based in New York City and London, but working around the world, Mr. Marsden’s practice focuses on the design of allocation mechanisms, including:
· auctions and trading design;
· bidding strategy; and
· related competition, pricing, regulatory and public policy.
His work spans multiple industries, including broadcasting, energy, mobile telephony, procurement, radio spectrum and transport.
Many of Mr. Marsden’s recent projects have involved auction design, software implementation and/or bidder support related to the current wave of spectrum awards worldwide. Since 1999, he has provided strategy advice to leading incumbent operators and aspiring entrants in more than 35 spectrum auctions. He was also a lead member of the design team that developed and implemented the combinatorial clock auction, the first practical multi-round package bid format for awarding radio spectrum.
Prior to joining NERA, Mr. Marsden spent 10 years as Director and Managing Consultant at DotEcon, where he was responsible for business development for auctions, public policy, and strategy projects. He managed the project teams supporting the UK regulator Ofcom on digital dividend policy and UK spectrum auctions between 2005 and 2010. He also completed major studies for the European Commission on the allocation of the digital dividend and on spectrum trading and liberalization.
Mr. Marsden presents and publishes frequently on the topics of auctions, the communications industry, and spectrum management and allocation. He is the co-author of a book on broadband regulation (Springer, 2005). He is also an advisor to Forum Global on Spectrum Management conferences in the Americas, Asia and Europe.
Donald Stockdale
Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, FCC
Mr. Stockdale is the Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission. Prior to rejoining the Commission, Mr. Stockdale was a partner Bates White Economic Consulting and, before that, a partner at Mayer Brown LLP. Mr. Stockdale first joined the FCC’s Common Carrier Bureau (now the Wireline Competition Bureau) in 1994 as an attorney advisor and later as Deputy Division Chief and Associate Bureau Chief for Economics. He later served as Director of Research in the Office of Policy and Planning and finally as Deputy Bureau Chief and Chief Economist for the Wireline Competition Bureau. He earned his doctorate in economics and a law degree from Yale University and bachelor degrees from Yale and Cambridge University.
George Kizer
Technical Committee Chairman, Fixed Wireless Communications Coalition
George began his microwave radio career in the U. S. Air Force. He was a communications officer leading a Scope Creek team of senior Air Force technicians around the world evaluating Department of Defense (DoD) fixed point to point microwave radio communication links. After his service in the Air Force, he joined the DoD as a civil servant and became the microwave radio systems engineer for the Digital European Backbone, the first DoD digital microwave radio system. George later worked for Collins Radio Company, Collins Transmission Systems Division of Rockwell International, Alcatel USA, Alcatel-Lucent and Nokia. While at Rockwell and Alcatel, George served as Systems Engineer (primarily overseas microwave projects), Program Manager (various long haul and turnkey microwave projects), and Product Manager of network management and fixed point to point microwave radio products. George authored the books Digital Microwave Communication, Microwave Communication and the chapter “Microwave Radio Communication” in Handbook of Microwave Technology. He is currently a telecommunications consultant in Plano, Texas.
David Salant
Senior Managing Director, FTI Consulting
David Salant is a leading expert on auctions and game theory. Salant has advised government agencies in numerous countries on the design and implementation of spectrum auctions and allocation procedures. His consulting experience includes auction theory and strategic analysis for clients in spectrum auctions such as the US Federal Communications Commission for testing new package bidding procedures, Industry Canada and the Australian ACA for their first spectrum auctions. Salant has also led or helped guide bid strategy teams for numerous US FCC auctions, including virtually all the 2G, AWS and 700 MHz auctions, for the German and Austrian 3G auctions, the Netherlands 2G and 3G auctions, for the German 4G auction, for the Indian 3G auction, for a number of Mexican 2G and 3G auctions, for the Brazilian privatization of Telebras and the auctioning of mirror concessions, the Australian 2G and 3G auctions among others. He designed and implemented the first spectrum auction for paging licenses for the Mexican Ministry of Communications (SCT) and for trunk radio frequencies for the Guatemalan Superintendent of Telecommunications. Salant also led the team that developed auction software adopted by the Italian Ministero della Comunicazioni, Industry Canada, the Mexican Ministry of Communications and Transport, and the Guatemalan Superintendent of Telecommunications.
Salant experience in the energy sector includes serving as Auction Manager for Northwestern Energy default service procurement. Salant served as the Auction Monitor in the Illinois default service procurement auction. Salant has advised on design of capacity markets, transmission rights auctions and Renewable Energy Certificate auctions. Salant had primary responsibility for the design of the initial New Jersey BGS auction on behalf of the PSE&G, First Energy/JCP&L, Conectiv and RECO. He has also had a key role in the auction design of the Texas, ERCOT auction of capacity entitlements on behalf AEP, Reliant and TXU. Dr. Salant bid strategy experience in the energy sector includes advising a bidder in a MISO/PJM energy procurement. has advised EPCOR in the Alberta PPA auctions, the Alberta Balancing Pool for their MAP auctions and the DTe of the Netherlands on interconnector capacity auctions.
Salant teaches Auction Design, Strategy and Implementation course at the Toulouse School of Economics. He is also an Adjunct Senior Research Scholar at Columbia's Institute for Tele Information. Salant has an A.B. in Economics and and Mathematics from Washington University and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Rochester.
Brett Tarnutzer
Head of Spectrum, GSMA
Mr Brett Tarnutzer serves as the Head of Spectrum for the GSMA. In this role, in collaboration with the membership, he directs the Association’s full range of spectrum activities and represents it on critical spectrum policy issues with national governments and multilateral organizations.
Prior to joining the GSMA, Mr Tarnutzer worked at the US Federal Communications Commission. Most recently, he served as Assistant Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and a Senior Member of the Incentive Auction Task Force. In his role, Mr Tarnutzer focused on the technical and policy aspects of creating the first-ever incentive auction for spectrum in the 600 MHz band in the US. Previously, Mr Tarnutzer worked on domestic and international spectrum issues and spectrum auction design and implementation as a private consultant.
Mr Tarnutzer was educated in the United States, receiving a Masters Degree in Telecommunications Science Management and Policy from Northwestern University and his Bachelor of Arts in Telecommunications from the University of Wisconsin.
Alexander Kühn
Deputy Head, International Affairs and Utilization Concepts., BNetzA
After a state exam of law at the University of Osnabrück, Mr Kühn has been working since 1998 in the area of legal internship (e.g. at Regional Court) of the Federal Network Agency, Germany; changing to national and international spectrum regulation on different levels in 2005. Nowadays he is the deputy head of section for international affairs and utilization concepts. His responsibilities cover strategic frequency utilization concepts and the transposition of those to the international level of CEPT, EU and ITU. Doing this and having been active in the preparation of three WRC’s, national and on CEPT CPG level, Mr Kühn participated in a number of international Groups, also as Head of the German Delegation. He has also chaired several groups and subgroups in the ITU and CEPT. Since 2005 he is responsible for national preparation of the WRC’s and served as CPG Vice-Chairman from 2010 to 2013 and as CPG chairman from 2013 to 2015.
Mr Kühn has been appointed as Chairman of the CEPT CPG in March 2016.
Brian Regan
Vice President, Legal, Policy & Strategy, Starry
Brian is a seasoned communications and technology law and policy expert with more than a decade of experience in
government and the private sector. Brian is the Vice President for Legal, Policy, and Strategy at Starry, Inc. In this role, Brian develops and executes Starry’s spectrum strategy in the U.S. and abroad, leads Starry’s internal and external policy development, and provides strategic guidance to Starry’s senior leaders.
Prior to joining Starry, Brian held several senior positions in the Federal Communications Commission’s Wireless Bureau, including Associate Bureau Chief, and Chief of Staff and Senior Legal and Policy Advisor. During his tenure at the FCC, Brian managed the Wireless Bureau’s spectrum policy portfolio, and helped lead the FCC’s spectrum policy
coordination with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and other federal agencies. Brian played a significant role in major spectrum policy initiatives, including AWS-3, AWS-4, the Citizens Broadband Radio Service, and Spectrum Frontiers (5G). Prior to joining the FCC, Brian was the Director of Government Affairs for the Wireless Infrastructure Association.
Brian earned his B.S. in Economics from the University of Delaware, and his J.D. and a Certificate in Communications Law Studies from and the Columbus School of Law at The
Catholic University of America.
Jennifer McCarthy
VP, Legal Advocacy, Federated Wireless
Jennifer McCarthy is responsible for the company’s regulatory and government affairs agenda. Jennifer is a telecommunications regulatory attorney with over 25 years of experience in the wireless sector having held a variety of government affairs, business development, and operations positions for several of the industry’s leading technology innovators.
Most recently, Jennifer was with MVP Capital, working with wireless spectrum license holders, TV and radio station owners, and other online content service providers on a variety of M&A projects. Prior to that, Jennifer was Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Operations for NextWave Wireless Inc. and part of the executive management team of MediaFLO USA Inc., a subsidiary of QUALCOMM Incorporated, where she identified, purchased, and cleared the TV Channel 55 spectrum used to deploy the nation’s first network dedicated to the reception of mobile television programming and other multimedia services. She was also the head of QUALCOMM’s international government affairs team responsible for regulatory and international trade strategy at the International Telecommunications Union and related organizations. Early in her career, she worked with Freedom Technologies, Inc., a boutique Washington, D.C.-based telecommunications consulting firm and its associated law firm.
Ms. McCarthy has a B.A. in political science from Yale University and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. She is a member of both the California and Washington, DC Bars.
Jennifer Manner
Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Echostar
Jennifer A. Manner is Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at EchoStar Corporation/Hughes Network Systems LLC where she is responsible for the company’s domestic and international regulatory and policy issues, including spectrum allocation and market access. Prior to this, Ms. Manner was Deputy Chief of the Office and Engineering and Technology and before that Deputy Chief of the FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau where she has had a focus on broadband and other related issues. Ms. Manner previously worked as a Principal at ZComm Strategies LLC.
Before that, Ms. Manner was Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at SkyTerra Communications, LLC, where she handled the company's domestic and international regulatory and policy issues. Before joining SkyTerra, Ms. Manner served as Senior Counsel to FCC Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy with responsibility for wireless, international and new technology issues. Ms. Manner joined the Commissioner's office after working at MCI Communications Corporation, later WorldCom, Inc., as Associate Counsel for Foreign Market Access and then as International Wireless Services and Director of International Alliances.
Prior to this position, Ms. Manner was an associate in the Communications Group at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld, L.P. Before joining Akin, Gump, Ms. Manner was an Attorney-Advisor at the FCC.
Ms. Manner currently serves as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center and previously served as an adjunct professor of the Washington College of Law at American University. Ms. Manner has published several books on telecommunications issues including on spectrum and foreign market access, and has written numerous law review and magazine articles. Ms. Manner holds and has held key leadership roles including in Satellite Industry Association the US ITU Association, the EMEA Satellite Operators Association, in study groups at the International Telecommunications Union including ITU-R Task Group 5/1, as well as serving in leadership roles in federal advisory committees, including as Chair of Working Group 4B on Network Timing Alternative on the Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Committee and Chair of Working Group 4, Regulatory Issues of the World Radiocommunication Advisory Committee, as well as on the International Trade Advisory Committee and the International Telecommunications Advisory Committee. Ms. Manner also has served on numerous U.S. delegations to international treaty negotiations.
Ms. Manner received her B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany, from where she serves as Co-Chair of the Alumni Board of the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and was awarded the Outstanding Alumni in Political Science Award. She received her J.D. cum laude from New York Law School and LL.M. with distinction from Georgetown University Law Center. Ms. Manner is admitted to practice in Washington, D.C., New York and Connecticut.
Ms. Manner has also been named as one of the top 2017 100 broadband and media attorneys by CableFax, and was awarded the EchoStar 2013 Most Valuable Player Award, the 2012 FCC Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau’s Chief’s Meritorious Service Award, the 2012 Distinguished Alumni Award in Political Science from the Rockefeller College, State University of New York at Albany and the 2011 Wireless Communications Association International’s Government Service Award.
Giulia McHenry
Acting Chief, Office of Economics and Analytics, FCC
As Acting Chief of OEA, Giulia leads this Office which is responsible for expanding and deepening the use of economic analysis into Commission policy making, enhancing the development and use of auctions, and implementing consistent and effective agency-wide data practices and policies. Giulia joined OEA in 2018 after serving for three years as Chief Economist of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). She is an expert in the economics of the Internet, telecommunications, and media. She has advised and written reports on a range of issues including broadband policy, adoption and access; the digital economy; and the economics of spectrum and spectrum management.
Prior to joining NTIA, Giulia was a Senior Associate at The Brattle Group, where she focused on telecommunication matters, prepared expert reports and coauthored papers related to spectrum management and valuation, broadband deployment, regulatory proceedings, Universal Service Fund, and competition policy. Giulia received her Ph.D. in economics from the University of Maryland in 2009. She specialized in microeconomics, both applied and empirical methods, focusing on network theory and industrial organization. Her dissertation addressed issues related to social networking and entrepreneurship success.
Bob Weller
Vice President, Spectrum Policy, NAB
Robert Weller is Vice President for Spectrum Policy at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), a position he assumed in July 2014. In that role, Mr. Weller is responsible for developing and implementing spectrum policy for NAB.
Prior to joining NAB, Mr. Weller served in a number of technical and management roles at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and as an engineering consultant to the telecommunications industry. During his 15 years at the FCC, Mr. Weller was the Chief of Technical Analysis in the Office of Engineering and Technology, leading the development of mathematical models relating to electromagnetic wave propagation, frequency allotments, spectrum sharing, human exposure to radiofrequency energy, and other areas. He played key roles in the development of rules and policies pertaining spectrum sharing, such as the television white spaces and modernization of interference analysis software. Earlier in his FCC career, Mr. Weller was Director of Denver District Office where he was responsible for the agency’s enforcement, engineering, and public relations activities over a five-state area.
As a senior consulting engineer with the firm of Hammett & Edison, San Francisco, Mr. Weller advised telecommunications and technology clients on the regulated use of radio, assisting them to develop and implement business plans and providing expert assistance on technology, regulation, and management. He is a three-term president of the AFCCE and a two-term director of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society.
Mr. Weller earned his Master’s Degree in Electromagnetics from The George Washington University and his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of California at Berkeley. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in California and Colorado.
Allan Ingraham
Principal, Economists Incorporated
Allan T. Ingraham is an expert on auctions, corporate strategy, and econometrics. He has applied this expertise to auctions for radio spectrum and electricity, the detection of bid-rigging and market manipulation, the analysis of various issues of corporate finance, and collective bargaining.
Dr. Ingraham has provided strategic advice to participants in dozens of high stakes auctions worldwide. His auction clients achieve market positions similar to or superior to their primary rivals while typically paying less than those rivals. He has also studied competition and regulation in the markets for both wireline and wireless communications. Dr. Ingraham has testified on issues relating to radio spectrum licensing and auction competition and the accuracy of statistical predictors. He has also developed financial models that have been used for collective bargaining in professional sports.
Dr. Ingraham has written scholarly articles on the detection of bid-rigging, the taxation and regulation of telecommunications services, the determinants of broadband adoption both worldwide and in the United States, and the effects of different auction design components on market outcomes. He has published articles in Contributions to Economic Analysis and Policy, Review of Network Economics, Yale Journal on Regulation, Topics in Economic Analysis and Policy, Telecommunications Policy, Canadian Journal of Law and Technology, and Virginia Tax Review.
Dr. Ingraham earned M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in economics from the University of Maryland, College Park and a B.A., with honors in economics, from Colby College.
Craig Tedrow
Senior Product Manager, GE
Craig oversees GE's Industrial Communications wireless product line delivering connectivity solutions to the industrial sector. Craig has 20+ years of experience in wireless technology, products, and protocols for electric utilities, oil/gas producers, water / wastewater utilities, and railroads. In his role, Craig is responsible for understanding the spectrum and connectivity needs of industry and matching them with emerging spectrum policy and technology trends. Craig works with industrial companies as they select spectrum and deploy private networks. These private networks support industrial operations including Distributed Energy Resource adoption, wellhead automation, pipeline monitoring, and Positive Train Control. Craig holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from Geneva College.
Richard Womersley
Director of Spectrum Consulting, LS telcom
Richard is Director of Spectrum Services for LS telcom. He has 20 over years consulting and business experience working in the radio spectrum management, public telecommunications, digital broadcasting and satellite industries. He has worked for regulators, network operators, financiers, governments and end-users on issues covering national and international policy; regulation and its impact; pricing, auctions and licensing; cost modelling and tariff setting; planning and consultation; network specification and procurement; and digital switch-over. His work has been international in nature having taken him to every continent except Antarctica. Richard is also an experienced trainer having been running courses on spectrum management and policy for over 15 years.
In addition to providing consultancy advice and training, Richard’s career has embraced roles in a military communications company, as a transmission manager for BBC World Service and business manager for the UK’s largest broadcast infrastructure provider ntl: (now Arqiva) giving him a broad perspective on telecommunications and broadcast technologies and industries, their commercialisation and their regulation
Tim Harrington
Chairman, Ultra-Wideband Alliance (UWBA)
Tim is the Chairman and Executive Director for the Ultra Wide Band (UWB) Alliance. The Alliance is dedicated to developing interoperable specifications for UWB products and coexistence strategies for sharing spectrum with other RF devices and services. Tim is also the Chairman for the IEEE 802.15.4z Task Group as well as Vice Chairman of ETSI TGUWB. Tim is a long-standing advocate of standardization to expand markets.
Previously, Tim was Vice President of Hardware Product Strategy at Zebra Location Solutions Group, the leading developer and manufacturer of Real-Time Locating Systems, (RTLS). He directed hardware product management for the Zebra RTLS products including the WhereNet, Dart UWB, and GPS enabled product lines.
Tim served 16 years as VP of Product Strategy for WhereNet (acquired by Zebra) which introduced the first commercially available RTLS products. Prior to joining WhereNet, Tim directed Product Management for Symbol, where his team coauthored the first release of IEEE 802.11, and formed the Wi-Fi Alliance. An engineer with an EE degree from SUNY Stonybrook, Tim also spent several years developing software and hardware for Symbol.
A patent holder, Mr. Harrington is credited with developing new concepts in the areas of bar code scanning, wireless LANs, and RTLS technology. He has written many articles concerning RF and Auto ID technologies.
Jeff Stewart
Assistant Vice President, Global Public Policy,, AT&T
Jeff Stewart develops public policy positions and coordinates advocacy support for a wide range of issues affecting AT&T’s wireless businesses at federal, state, and local levels domestically, and internationally. He addresses all policy matters affecting AT&T’s Internet of Things Solutions organization, with a particular focus on the transportation
and connected vehicles sectors. Jeff represents AT&T in various industry groups and served as the Chairman of the Affiliate Advisory Board and on the Executive Committee
of the Automotive Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Auto-ISAC) for 2018. He also represents AT&T before many government entities and policymakers, including the U.S.
Department of Transportation and its agencies, other Federal agencies, and state and Federal legislators.
Jeff regularly advises AT&T’s business unit leadership on legislative and regulatory issues that impact product and strategy development. Prior to this role, he held positions in
product marketing and operations.
Jeff earned an MBA with a concentration in Technology Innovation and Strategy from
Georgia Tech’s College of Management and a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in History from the University of Chicago. An officer in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, he is also
currently earning a Master’s in Strategic Studies at the US Army War College.
Sheri Collins
Acting Executive Director, Governor's Office of Broadband Initiatives, Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development
Sheri Collins serves as the Acting Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Broadband Initiatives in Harrisburg Pennsylvania. Since January 2019, Sheri has been traveling the commonwealth, shining a bright light on the need for a robust, affordable and reliable broadband infrastructure for the people of Pennsylvania. Directly prior to assuming this position, Sheri served as the Deputy Secretary for the Office of Technology & Innovation at the Department of Community and Economic Development where she and her team were responsible for administering programs that support Pennsylvania’s growing tech and entrepreneurship community. A life-long public servant, Sheri serves on the board of Brethren Housing Association, the Conference for Women, Harrisburg University’s STEM Up Network and volunteers for several local non-profit organizations.
Nicholas Oros
Chief of the Spectrum Policy Branch, Office of Engineering and Technology, FCC
Nicholas Oros is the Chief of the Spectrum Policy Branch, Office of Engineering and Technology, at the Federal Communications Commission. OET is the Commission’s primary resource for engineering expertise and provides technical support to the Chairman, Commissioners, and FCC Bureaus and Offices. Since joining the Commission in 2005, Mr. Oros has been involved in various rulemaking proceedings including Spectrum Frontiers, which made mmW band spectrum available for 5G Services, and Spectrum Horizons, which focuses on spectrum above 95 GHz.
Prior to joining the Commission, Mr. Oros was an engineer at Motorola for eight years where he focused on the computer simulation of digital communication systems and radio based position determination. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law and has also earned a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Missouri at Rolla
Martha Suarez
President, Dynamic Spectrum Alliance
Martha Suarez was born in Bucaramanga, Colombia. She received her degree as Electronics Engineer from the Universidad Industrial de Santander in 2004. During her undergraduate studies she participated in an exchange program with the Ecole Superieure Chimie Physique Electronique de Lyon, France in 2001. She received her master degree in high frequency communication systems from the University of Marne-la-Vallee, France in 2006 and her Ph.D. degree from the University Paris-Est in 2009. She joined the department of Telecommunications and Signal Processing at the École Supérieure d’Ingénieurs en Électronique et Électrotechnique de Paris ESIEE and the Esycom Research Center where she worked on wireless transmitter architectures.
In 2011 she was awarded with a Marie Curie Fellowship and worked at the Instytut Technologii Elektronowej ITE in Poland for the Partnership for Cognitive Radio Par4CR European Project. Her research interests were in the areas of wireless system architectures and the design of high performance Radio Frequency RF transceivers.
Since 2013 she joined the National Spectrum Agency in Colombia, ANE, where she worked as Senior Adviser to the General Director and supported international activities of the Agency. Afterwards, in December 2015, she became the General Director of ANE and continued promoting the efficient use of the Spectrum and the mobile broadband connectivity in Colombia.
Since the 1st of May 2019, Martha Suarez is the President of the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance DSA, a global organization advocating for laws and regulations that will lead to more efficient and effective spectrum utilization, which is essential to addressing key worldwide social and economic challenges.
Michael Christensen
Director of Coordination and Terrestrial Engineering, ISED Canada
Michael Christensen is the Director of Coordination and Terrestrial Engineering in Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's Engineering Planning and Standards Branch, where he leads a team of engineers developing policies, public consultations and technical analyses related to the management of the radio spectrum. He is also the Canadian coordinator for Agenda Item 1.13 at the 2019 World Radio Conference, which seeks to identify worldwide spectrum in the millimetre-wave bands for use by IMT-2020 (5G) systems.
Michael's career at ISED has spanned many technology areas, including commercial mobile, white space, land mobile, amateur and microwave radio communication systems, as well as a side-trip into wireline telephone standards.
In his spare time, Michael is an active volunteer with (and currently President of) Sauvetage Bénévole Outaouais-Ottawa Volunteer Search and Rescue, where he has helped to locate people lost in the wilderness and to support his community during emergencies.
Charles Miller
CEO, Lynk
Charles Miller is co-founder and CEO of Lynk. He is a serial space entrepreneur with 30 years’ experience in the space industry. Charles has been the founder or co-founder of multiple private ventures and organizations. He is a national leader in the creation and development of public-private partnerships in commercial space to serve public needs.
One of Charles’ previous startups is NanoRacks, which has delivered more than 700 payloads to space and is the current world leader in nanosatellite launches. Charles served as NASA’s Senior Advisor for Commercial Space from 2009-2012 where he advised NASA leadership on commercial public private partnerships. At NASA, he managed USG teams that developed strategies for commercial development of reusable launch vehicles, on-orbit satellite servicing, orbital debris removal, microgravity applications, lunar development, space communications, and space solar power. Charles’ clients have included NASA, DARPA, the USAF, and many private commercial space firms.
Louis Peraertz
Vice President, Policy, WISPA
Louis Peraertz is Vice President of Policy for the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA). In this role, Louis will work to advance WISPA's successful track record before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), and other federal agencies.
Prior to WISPA, Louis worked in several capacities at the FCC. Notably, for more than seven years, Louis served as Senior Legal Advisor to former FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn in the areas of wireless, satellite, public safety, and international policies. In this position, Louis worked to achieve many of Commissioner’s top policy priorities to bridge the digital divide, such as: mobility fund auctions for subsidies; increased spectrum for unlicensed services; dynamic spectrum access management policies in CBRS and other spectrum bands; design of geographic area licenses and competitive bidding rules to help smaller companies in spectrum auctions. Before the FCC, Louis worked as a federal appellate court litigator for the U.S. Department of Justice.
Mike Hart
CEO, Vivint
Mike has spent the last 15 years building, inspiring, leading, and contributing to cross-functional teams in the world of wireless and networking. Prior to taking on the CEO role at Vivint Internet, Mike was pivotal in developing and launching numerous innovative wireless and IoT products, having successfully led several global multi-disciplinary engineering organizations from startup origins through leadership roles at Vivint Smart Home, Google Access and his DFJ backed startup, Alpental Technologies, as well as stints at Clearwire and PCCW. Armed with an in-depth understanding of end-to-end design and operation of wireless systems and connected devices, and in particular 5G mmWave mesh technologies, Mike has cut his teeth on leading entire product life-cycles through ideation, architecture, implementation, and mass production. Mike is based out of our CA office, holds a PhD in Engineering from the University of Bristol in the UK and in his spare time enjoys being either out on the water or on the snow.
Tom Navin
Global Policy Director, Connectivity/Access, Facebook
Tom is a Director in the Global Connectivity & Access policy group at Facebook, where he focuses on issues involving spectrum and fiber infrastructure. Prior to joining Facebook, he spent over eight years in senior positions at the Federal Communications Commission, including service as Chief of the Wireline Competition Bureau and a Deputy Chief in the Wireless Bureau. These Bureaus are principally responsible for spectrum and competition policy regulation with oversight over wireless and wireline companies provision of voice and broadband Internet access. Tom also was co-Chair of the working group that prepared the US delegation for WRC-11. He was previously a partner at the law firm of Wiley Rein, where his practice included counselling clients on Internet and telecom regulatory issues.
Tamara Preiss
Vice President, Federal Regulatory Affairs, Verizon
Tamara is Vice President, Federal Regulatory & Legal Affairs, at Verizon, where she is responsible for regulatory and policy matters before the FCC, including wireless, video, and universal service. She joined Verizon in 2008 after ten years at the FCC, where she served as Chief of the Pricing Policy Division in the Wireline Competition Bureau and Assistant General Counsel in the Office of General Counsel. Prior to the FCC, Tamara practiced law at Sidley & Austin and clerked in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. She received her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Virginia.
Oscar Leon
Executive Secretary, CITEL
Oscar has over 18 years experience in the ICT sector, has extensive experience in project management and implementation of new business and appropriation of new technologies. He is an Electronic Engineer Graduate Telecommunications Project Management and Master in Business Administration.
He was Director of Projects Solutions Providers of MICROSOFT, he worked in the Colombian telecoms regulator, was Manager Regulatory Claro (America Movil COLOMBIA) has advised three Ministers of Communications. He was Director General of the National Spectrum Agency of Colombia for nearly five years and was elected Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Telecommunications Commission since September 2015.
The engineer Oscar Leon has been an international speaker in the development of wireless broadband services. The areas covered include both electromagnetic fields and their relationship to human health, spectrum auctions, and strategy for developing countries
He has been awarded:
1. Medal of Merit First Class Communications gold for his contribution to the development of ICT in Colombia.
2. The Medal of Merit Communications - third class in bronze by the excellent results in the spectrum auction for the fourth mobile generation.
3. San Gabriel Military Medal for supporting the military communications service.
4. Appointed by the International Telecommunication Union for the Americas as Vice President of Group
5 - Environment and Climate Change, which studies the relationship between radio and health fields.
Jerry Fritz
Executive Vice President for Strategic & Legal Affairs, ONEMedia
Jerry is the Executive Vice President for Strategic and Legal Affairs for ONE Media 3.0, LLC, a subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group, the largest owner of television stations in the U.S. There he oversees long-term strategic planning and government relations for the company, supporting the adoption and deployment of the broadcast industry’s “Next Generation” (ATSC 3.0) transmission standard both domestically and internationally. Jerry plays a critical role in shaping ONE Media’s ideas for the new broadcast platform and Sinclair’s spectrum use positions along with the monetization of its patent portfolio.
Jerry’s over 50-year tenure in the communications industry includes stints as the long-time General Counsel and Strategic Planning head for a respected group-television station owner, as well as time on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Broadcasters, as an ABC Affiliate Governor, Chief of Staff to FCC Chairman Fowler during the Reagan Administration, private communications law practice and many years teaching communications law and policy at several universities and law schools.
Michael Ha
Chief of Policy and Rules Division, Office of Engineering and Technology, FCC
Michael Ha is the Deputy Chief of Policy and Rules Division, Office of Engineering and Technology at the Federal Communications Commission. Since joining the Commission in 2010, he has been engaged in various proceedings on spectrum allocations for wireless broadband services, mobile/fixed satellite services, public safety services and unlicensed services. Michael’s recent focus has been on Spectrum Frontiers where mmW band spectrum above 24GHz is being made available for 5G services. He is also focusing on the terahertz spectrum in the Spectrum Horizons’ proceeding, as well as the mid-band spectrum in 3-7GHz band. Michael serves as the FCC’s liaison to the Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC) where federal/non-federal spectrum sharing discussion takes place with federal agencies.
Michael held various technology and management leadership positions in R&D, Technology Development, Corporate Strategy and Product Management through his private wireless industry career. Prior to joining the Commission, he served as the Director of Device Management at Sprint-Nextel, where his team was responsible for the WiMAX device development and portfolio strategy.
Michael received a Sc.B degree in Electrical Engineering from University of California, San Diego and Masters of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University.
Scott Bergmann
SVP Regulatory Affairs, CTIA
Scott K. Bergmann is Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs for CTIA, where he is responsible for coordinating federal regulatory issues for the association affecting the wireless industry, including spectrum, broadband, infrastructure, and public safety policymaking.
Mr. Bergmann previously served for over 10 years at the Federal Communications Commission in a wide range of positions, including Senior Legal Advisor to FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, Legal Counsel to the Chief of the Wireline Competition Bureau, and Deputy Chief of the Competition Policy Division.
Mr. Bergmann received his B.A. from Duke University and his J.D. from the University of Southern California.
Tom Taylor
Senior Program Analyst, Department of Defense
Serves as the Deputy Director for Policy, Technology and EMS Operations for the Spectrum Policy and Programs Directorate within the Department of Defense (DoD)/Chief Information Officer (CIO). In this position, he is responsible for transforming DoD’s capabilities in electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) use in order to ensure technology development can meet the Department’s ever increasing demand for the EMS and improve DoD EMS operations. His responsibilities include oversight of the DoD EMS Strategy, development of the Strategy’s Roadmap and Action Plan, the development of a DoD EMS Technology Roadmap, directing the activities for DoD in the National Advanced Spectrum and Communications Test Network (NASCTN) inter-agency partnership, and overseeing the Spectrum Access R&D Program in coordination with the National Spectrum Consortium, as well as many other innovative programs.
Lead DoD electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) policy and management for over 17 years including 10 years at the DoD/CIO. EMS experience includes an assignment to NATO Headquarters, Belgium, where he helped develop policy for Spectrum Pricing, CJTF EMS requirements, managed NATO Satellite Communications (SATCOM) IV and V international coordination. Served as a Division Chief, J6 Directorate at United States European Command (USEUCOM), Stuttgart, GE, with responsibility for EMS management, international coordination and oversight of numerous operations. He also developed the prototype for the Coalition Joint Spectrum Management Planning Tool. In 2011 to 2012, as a civilian, he served in the NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan as the Deputy CIO (CJ6) and the Senior Advisor to the Afghanistan Ministry of Interior (Police) for Communications.
Prior to EMS work, served 22 years in the United States Navy in various leadership positions flying S-3B Vikings. Awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal and several other personal and unit awards.
Ira Keltz
Deputy Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology, FCC
Ira Keltz is Deputy Chief of the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology.
OET is the Commission’s primary resource for engineering expertise and provides technical support to the Chairman, Commissioners and FCC Bureaus and Offices. Mr. Keltz is responsible for developing national spectrum policies for the United States telecommunications industry. This includes allocating spectrum for licensed services, setting technical rules for unlicensed devices, and implementing procedures for equipment certification.
Mr. Keltz has totaled almost 24 years at the FCC spanning two separate stints. In addition to positions in OET, he has held various positions in the Commission’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. Mr. Keltz has also worked for the law firm DLA Piper as well as Loral Advanced Projects and LSA, Inc. He earned a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from the George Washington University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan.
Jayne Stancavage
Global Executive Director of Communications Policy, Intel
Jayne Stancavage is the Executive Director of Communications Policy for Intel Corporation. In this role, she leads Intel’s communication policy efforts globally, which includes regional and national levels worldwide as well as the International Telecommunications Union/World Radiocommunication Conferences.
Jayne joined Intel in 2000, focusing on communications policy. She has previously led Intel’s spectrum policy efforts supporting Wi-Fi and WiMAX technologies. In addition to her policy work, she has also worked within Intel business units where she coordinated Intel’s internal efforts to embed Wi-Fi capabilities into notebook platforms. Jayne served multiple terms on the Wi-Fi Alliance Board of Directors.
Jayne chaired the Terrestrial Services group (IWG-2) within the FCC’s WRC-19 Advisory Committee and serves on the US Telecom Training Institute Board of Directors. She has also been a voting member of the IEEE 802.18 Radio Regulations Technical Advisory Group, the Wi-Fi Alliance Regulatory Committee and Chair of the WiMAX Forum Regulatory Working Group.
Jayne received both her bachelor's and master's degrees in Political Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Moderators
Pierre-Yves Potelle
Principal Analyst, Cullen International
Pierre-Yves follows telecoms regulation in France, Switzerland and Canada. He is also an expert on the visualisation of data through the use of infographics. Pierre-Yves joined Cullen International in 2004, previously working as a researcher at the Centre de Recherche Informatique et Droit at the University of Namur, Belgium.
Amit Nagpal
Partner, Aetha Consulting
Amit Nagpal is a Partner at, and one of the co-founders of, Aetha Consulting. Amit has over 20 years of experience on spectrum management issues having started his career with the Radiocommunications Agency (now part of Ofcom) in the UK. Amit advises regulators/government bodies, fixed and mobile operators, broadcasters, financial institutions and industry associations on a wide range of issues including spectrum policy development and spectrum valuation and auction support. Amit’s experience includes leading studies for the European Commission on the introduction of spectrum trading and a harmonised approach to the digital dividend. Amit has undertaken projects for clients in Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia and North America and is therefore able to bring a global perspective to his work.
Johanne Lemay
Co-President, LYA
Ms. Lemay has more than 30 years of experience in the industry and is a recognized expert in telecommunications and broadcasting. Her expertise covers development of business plans, valuation, due diligence, spectrum matters and market research. Ms. Lemay has supported clients in the US, Europe, North Africa, Latin America and Canada.
Ms. Lemay is the lead consultant for Private Auctions conducted by LYA for clients disposing of spectrum licenses and other assets.
Ms. Lemay is actively involved in consultations for the development of public policy. She has acted as an Expert Witness in regulatory proceedings and litigations. Recent expert evidence mandates were focused on broadband subsidies in rural and remote areas, wireless siting, mid-band 5G spectrum, national roaming, television and over-the-top services, benchmarking investment in broadband and the regulatory framework for MVNOs.
She has supported clients in successfully acquiring subsidy funds for broadband deployment in rural areas.
She is co-leader of the development of the LYA Auction Platforms that support Combinatorial Clock Auctions (CCA), Simultaneous Multiple Round Ascending (SMRA) Auctions, Sealed Bid Auctions as well as Clock Auctions.
Prior to co-founding LYA, Ms. Lemay held a number of positions in marketing and product management with Nortel Networks. Ms. Lemay holds an Engineering Physics degree from Laval University and an MBA, Executive Option, from Concordia University in Montreal.
Robert Yates
Co-President, LYA
Mr. Yates has over 30 years of experience in the telecom industry and is an expert in spectrum auctions, 5G-spectrum and broadband strategy, licensing, financial modeling, telecom and licensing policy and regulation as well as wireless and network technologies. His consulting experience includes projects in the US, Canada, Europe, North Africa and Australia.
Mr. Yates has supported bidders through the entire spectrum auction process, from the initial public consultation, to bidder training, simulations and mock auctions, game analysis, bid tactics and in-bid room support. Mr. Yates is co-leader of the development of the LYA Auction Platforms that support Combinatorial Clock Auctions (CCA), Simultaneous Multiple Round Ascending (SMRA) Auctions, Sealed Bid Auctions as well as Clock Auctions. He has also developed the LYA Auction Management Tools used to manage round-by-round bidding and decision-making.
Mr. Yates has provided regulatory and business planning support to operators and government agencies with respect to broadband investment, regulatory and deployment issues in rural and remote areas.
Prior to co-founding LYA, Mr. Yates held positions with Nortel Networks and Bell Canada. Mr. Yates holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Operations Research/Management Science, both from the University of Toronto. He also has an MBA from Concordia University in Montreal.
Ruth Milkman
Parter, Quadra Partners LLC
Ruth Milkman served as the Chief of Staff of the FCC from 2013-2017 and Chief of the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau between 2009 and 2013. From 1998-2009 she worked as one of the leading telecommunications lawyers in Washington as co-founder of Lawler, Metzger, Milkman and Keeney, a firm serving clients ranging from start-ups to large established telecommunications companies and private-equity firms. Before joining Lawler, Metzger, Ruth held a variety of senior positions at the FCC, including Senior Legal Advisor to Chairman Reed Hundt and Deputy Chief of the International and Common Carrier Bureaus. Ruth has a B.A. from Harvard University and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. She served as a clerk for the Honorable J. Harvie Wilkinson III on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Armand Musey
Valuation and Financial Analysis Expert, Summit Ridge Group LLC , Summit Ridge Group LLC
Armand Musey founded Summit Ridge Group and has over 15 years of equity research, investment banking and consulting experience. Armand has completed dozens of financial valuation, strategic analysis, business development, corporate governance and business plan creation assignments in the communications industry and has experience working on numerous financing and M&A transactions. His involvement with a wide breadth of companies has allowed him to develop a deep understanding of a range of media and telecom issues and the complex web of relationships underlying the sector’s competitive dynamics and associated regulatory issues.
Prior to founding Summit Ridge Group, Armand led the satellite industry research teams for Banc of America Securities, and later Solomon Smith Barney where he also covered the wireless tower industry. He earned numerous honors as a research analyst including being named to the Institutional Investor “All American” team three times (2000-2002) and the Wall Street Journal “All Star” team. He was ranked the top satellite industry analyst by Greenwich Associates. He was previously president of a boutique investment bank specializing in the satellite, media and telecom industries.
Armand regularly speaks at major industry conferences and has been frequently quoted in leading trade publications and by national publications as an expert in communications finance and corporate governance. He authored the highly regarded publication The Spectrum Handbook 2013 and his recent industry research has been published in leading law journals. Armand is a member of the Federal Communications Bar Association (FCBA) and is a co-chair of its New York chapter for 2016-2017. He is also member of the New York Society of Securities Analysts where he chaired the Corporate Governance Committee from 2007-2009, the CFA Institute and the American Society of Appraisers.
Joe Sandri
Vice President, NSMA
In addition to his NSMA service, Mr. Sandri is CEO of Thought Delivery Systems, Inc., a technology company which owns Cardinal Communications, a broadband wireless operator and developer. Mr. Sandri has been an executive officer with multiple publicly traded corporations. He most recently was co-president of FiberTower Corporation which was sold to AT&T on February 9, 2018. He was president of IDT Spectrum prior to FiberTower. He serves on several boards in the technology and public service sectors. Prior to his executive experiences he served in private practice for a Washington, DC law firm, representing numerous Fortune 100 companies in telecommunications matters. Mr. Sandri has training and experience in communications law, journalism and radiofrequency engineering. He holds a Certification from the Institute for Communications Law Studies and a Juris Doctor from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, Washington, DC, and a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Maryland – College Park. He is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and a long-standing board member of the National Spectrum Management Association (NSMA). He is on the board of the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive. Prior to law school, he was Sports Director and Sports Anchor for CBS Television affiliate WRBL-TV.
Carolyn Brandon
Senior Industry and Innovation Fellow, Georgetown Center for Business and Public Policy, Georgetown University; & Founder, Whitworth Analytics LLC
Carolyn Brandon formed strategic consulting firm Whitworth Analytics LLC in 2011 to provide decision support and strategic policy counsel to companies in the high tech, broadband, and wireless sectors. She also is a senior industry and innovation fellow at the Georgetown Center for Business and Public Policy where she focuses on competition and regulatory policy as applied to networked industries and emerging markets.
Prior to forming Whitworth Analytics, Brandon served as vice president, policy for CTIA-The Wireless Association where she worked for five years with CTIA’s more than 200 members to develop strategic, national public policies for the U.S. commercial wireless industry. Brandon focused on policy matters impacting industry structure, competition, innovation, and technology development.
Before joining CTIA in 2004, Brandon was a partner in the Washington, D.C. boutique law firm Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP where for 12 years she represented wireless telecommunications providers in proceedings and transactions before the Federal Communications Commission, state public utility commissions, U.S. bankruptcy courts, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Voted one of the “Top Ten Women in Wireless” by the publishers of Wireless Week, Brandon has served on the advisory board of the TechPolicy Summit, and was selected to represent the wireless industry on the Federal Communications Commission’s consumer advisory committee, an official federal advisory committee. She has served two terms on the executive committee of the Federal Communications Bar Association and two terms on the steering committee of the District of Columbia Bar Association’s computer and telecommunications committee. Her pro bono activities include representing prospective adoptive parents before the D.C. Superior Court, Family Division. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Green Hedges School, a pre-K through 8 independent school located in Vienna, Va. Brandon also serves as an advisory board member to the Northern Virginia Children’s Science Museum.
Logistics
When
Tue September 24, 2019 09.00 to
Wed September 25, 2019 16.20
EST
Where
National Press Club
529 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20045, USA
Downloads
The Global Spectrum Series Sponsorship brochure
