Utilities Technology Council hires Teesa Banks, joining from a mental health services organization, as chief of staff; government IT consultant Menen Fantay as vice president-operations, rejoining UTC; PR professional Peter Wilson as communications director; and FCC licensing professional Dana Daberko as frequency coordinator; it promotes Christopher Brent to manager-membership and meetings.
Wireless ISP Association says CEO Claude Aiken is leaving association at the end of April and search committee is being formed … Samsung promotes Mark Benson to head-SmartThings U.S., newly created role ... Thunderbird Entertainment Group hires Lana Castleman from the Writers Guild of Canada as director-marketing and communications ... Visa promotes Jennifer Como to head-investor relations, succeeding Mike Milotich, departing to become Marqeta chief financial officer, effective Feb. 22; he replaces current Marqeta CFO Tripp Faix, stepping down but remaining advisor through March 31.
Wireless ISP Association hires Steve Schwerbel, ex-Wisconsin Senate Committee on Utilities, Technology and Telecommunications, as manager-state government affairs, new position … Brightcove taps ViacomCBS Chief Digital Officer Marc DeBevoise as CEO and adds him to the board, effective March 28, succeeding Jeff Ray, retiring.
Wilkinson Barker taps Matt Gerst, ex-CTIA, as partner focusing on telecommunications and state regulation … California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) appoints Office of Digital Innovation Director Amy Tong to be California Government Operations Agency secretary … NPR hires Will Lee, ex-Meredith, as chief operating officer.
USTelecom announces Executive Vice President Allison Remsen is now also the association’s first chief strategy officer … Michigan Public Service Commission moves Shatina Jones to equity and inclusion officer, new post.
Iridium promotes Kathy Morgan to chief legal officer, succeeding Tom Hickey ... TechNet names Ashley Sutton from Agile Public Affairs as executive director-Washington and the Northwest ... Latham & Watkins adds from Skadden Arps Rachel Blitzer as counsel, Intellectual Property Litigation Practice and as member, Litigation and Trial Department; she works "across a broad range of technologies, including software applications."
DLA Piper hires from SpaceX Matt Botwin to Telecom practice as a principal; his focus is satellite and space ... MPA hires from Comcast's NBCUniversal Kathy Banuelos as senior vice president-state government affairs, effective March 21; Vans Stevenson, who led the association's State Government Affairs Department, becomes senior adviser.
Lumos/NorthState adds from USTelecom Mike Saperstein as head-government affairs and general counsel; Nora Mitchell from Segra becomes corporate controller; Saperstein succeeds Mary McDermott, who retires ... NTIA names Common Sense Media Washington Director April McClain-Delaney deputy assistant secretary, Commerce-communications and information; and former Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke as special representative for broadband.
Morgan Lewis adds David Plotinsky, ex-DOJ’s Foreign Investment Review Section, as partner, working on national security, telecom and transactions subject to review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. ... Life360 appoints Kirsten Daru as general counsel-chief privacy officer; she was general counsel of Tile, which Life360 recently acquired.
Crypto Council for Innovation names Sheila Warren from World Economic Forum as CEO ... National Geographic Society hires Georgetown University’s Kristi Craig as chief investment officer, effective Feb. 15, and Tony Luckett, ex-Meta, as vice president-business development, both newly created roles.