National Regulatory Research Institute Executive Director Scott Hempling to leave in September, returning to private practice; Group of staff, PUC commissioners and NARUC officials to help NRRI become more closely affiliated with NARUC … David Wisnia, ex-News Corp.’s Star TV, hired by CBS as executive vice president of affiliate relations for the TV network … Media Access Project hires Mera Szendro Bok, ex-New Media Rights, as communications and development director, effective Aug. 1 … Lobbyist Registrations: GSM Integrated Controls, Tauzin Consultants, effective June 15.
NARUC nominates Sara Kyle, Tennessee Regulatory Authority, to state seat on North American Numbering Council, replacing Elia Germani, Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission, resigned … Time Warner Cable promotes Jeffrey Hirsch to executive vice president and chief marketing officer of residential services … Lobbyist Registrations: LightSquared, Nethercutt Consulting, effective June 21 … NAB, Advantage Political Affairs, effective June 6 … Google, Bingham McCutchen, effective June 21, and Prime Policy Group, effective June 1 … Comcast, Greenberg Traurig, effective April 1 … Alcatel-Lucent USA, Wiley Rein, effective June 24.
Time Warner Cable names Matthew Zelesko, ex-Joost and Comcast, senior vice president-Web services and technology … Christopher Cylke leaving U.S. Chamber of Commerce to work for MPAA as director of federal affairs, effective Monday … Herb Congdon, ex-TE Connectivity, becomes TIA associate vice president-technology and standards, effective July 25.
Geoffrey Why, Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable, named to FCC’s Federal-State Joint Conference on Advanced Services … Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., hires Mike Reynard, formerly with office of ex-Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., as communications director, replacing Claude Chafin, who moves to House Armed Services Committee … Shang Bing resigns as China Telecom president to become Chinese deputy minister-industry and technology … Changes at OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network: Oprah Winfrey becomes CEO and chief creative officer; Erik Logan and Sheri Salata move from Harpo Studios to become OWN presidents … Nickelodeon promotes Sergio Cuan to senior vice president-creative director … Arbitron board adds Ronald Garriques, ex-Dell … Jeff Simmons promoted to CTIA assistant vice president-Wireless Internet Development team … Turner Broadcasting System promotes Christina Miller to NBA Digital general manager, replacing Bryan Perez, who recently left to join a sports and entertainment company … NBCUniversal promotes Jodi Kahn to president of iVillage, new position … Chyron hires Joe Foxton, ex-NBCUniversal, as vice president of strategic product architecture, new position.
Canoe Ventures CEO David Verklin leaves at the end of the summer, to be replaced by Kathy Timko, promoted to interim CEO … Qualcomm promotes Matt Grob to chief technology officer, replacing Roberto Padovani, who remains executive vice president … GlobeCast hires Philippe Rouxel, ex-France 24, as chief marketing officer.
Michael Schwartz, ex-Communications Daily, steps down from CableLabs senior vice president-communications, to become consultant … Brent Rosenthal, W.R. Huff Asset Management, becomes Rentrack non-executive chairman, succeeding Paul Rosenbaum, retiring; CEO Bill Livek becomes vice chairman … Owen DeLong, Hurricane Electric, joins advisory board for Infoblox IPv6 Center of Excellence … Informa Telecoms & Media hires Nick Thomas, ex-Forrester Research, as principal analyst, covering TV and digital media … Amy Storey promoted to assistant vice-president, public affairs, CTIA.
Lobbyist registrations: Google hires Crossroads Strategies, effective June 1; Gephardt Group, effective June 8; Ingram Group, effective June 1; Normandy Group, effective June 24; Raben Group, effective June 1 … Ipsos promotes Audra Priluck to vice president-business development.
National Rural Telecom Cooperative names Tim Bryan, ex-ICO Global Communications, CEO; Jack Harvey remains president … ICO appointments: Robert Mechaley, Clearwire co-founder, hired as chief scientist; Timothy Dozois promoted to corporate counsel and corporate secretary; Mark Fanning, ex-Clearwire, named chief people officer … Sesame Workshop promotes Daryl Mintz to chief financial officer … Among the members of new Healthy MEdia Commission: Co-chair Deborah Tate, ex-FCC; Maria Brennan, Women in Cable Telecom; Alice Cahn, Cartoon Network; Danielle Carrig, A&E Networks; Salaam Smith, Style Network; Sean Cunningham, Cable Ad Bureau; Ivelisse Estrada, Univision; Erin Fuller, Alliance for Women in Media; Marie Dyak, Entertainment Industries Council; David Honig, Minority Media Telecom Council; Myung Kang-Huneke, Sesame Workshop; Linda Kinney, MPAA; Jeanine Liburd, BET; Vicki Lins, Canoe Ventures; April McClain-Delaney, Common Sense Media; Cindy McConkey, Scripps; Lesli Rotenberg, PBS; Nancy Snyderman, NBC; Alexa Verveer, Discovery.
Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney resigns from Department of Justice, where she leads Antitrust Division, effective Aug. 5 … Rupert Pearce promoted to Inmarsat CEO, effective Jan. 1, replacing Andrew Sukawaty, who becomes executive chairman … Mark Shockley, ex-Motorola, becomes Brightstar North America president, effective Monday … FCC International Bureau Chief Mindel De La Torre named by Chairman Julius Genachowski to FCC Performance Review Board … Comcast’s thePlatform hires Simon McGrath, ex-SeaChange, as general manager for Europe.
NTT America changes: Jun Nojima promoted to chief administrative officer, new position; Michael DeVito, ex-BT Global, becomes vice president-enterprise solutions; Bryan Tam promoted to vice president-enterprise sales … Michael Wack, ex-NextWave, named Franklin Fellow and counselor to the U.S. Coordinator for Communications and Information Policy in the State Department.