FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr announces that Joseph Calascione, who was his acting legal adviser-wireline and consumer issues, detailed as FCC counsel to Senate Commerce Committee ... Wiley adds ex-Department of Commerce International Trade Administration Assistant Secretary-Industry and Analysis Nazak Nikakhtar as partner in International Trade Practice and co-chair of National Security Practice; she worked on e-commerce, data privacy, cybersecurity and emerging technology ... Wilkinson Barker lawyer-trademark expert Ronnie Raju promoted to partner.
Acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel appoints Paloma Perez FCC press secretary, joining Office of Media Relations; she's formerly of the office of then-Rep. Xochitl Torres Small, D-N.M. ... Harris Wiltshire adds ex-MDC Partners General Counsel Jonathan Mirsky, returning as partner and advising telecom clients in mergers and acquisitions and commercial transactions ... Womble Bond hires attorney Alex Espinoza, ex-FCC Office of Economics and Analytics, as associate to work with wireless/ISP, media and technology firms.
Klein/Johnson Group hires Ian Rayder, ex-Colorado government staffer and formerly at Cisco, as a principal who will work on technology and other issues ... Blockchain Association hires Ron Hammond from office of Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, as director-government relations ... LightShed Ventures begins; it's a technology, media and telecom venture investment firm co-founded by General Partners Richard Greenfield, Walter Piecyk, Brandon Ross and private investment expert Jamie Roberts Seltzer; Greenfield, Piecyk and Ross worked together as research analysts and began LightShed Partners in 2019.
Engine's board promotes Kate Tummarello, ex-Communications Daily, to executive director ... Pamela Karlan of Stanford Law resigns from Facebook’s independent oversight board to join DOJ Civil Rights Division as principal deputy assistant attorney general ... Qumu hires Gigster’s Jennifer Pockell Dimas as chief marketing officer ... Payment tech company Blackhawk Network taps Nikhil Sathe from American Express, also ex-PayPal, as chief technology officer.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce advances President Suzanne Clark to also be CEO, effective March 11, when its board meets; she succeeds Thomas Donohue, continuing "in an advisory capacity" ... New America Open Technology Institute hires Maggie Farry, ex-adviser for Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., as policy analyst ... Instacart adds Sarah Fleisch Fink from National Partnership for Women & Families as director-policy research and development.
Hogan Lovells promotions to counsel include in U.S. those working on tech and communications James Denvil in Privacy and Cybersecurity practice and Cameron Robinson in Intellectual Property, Media and Technology practice ... Telecommunications Industry Association promotes Colin Andrews to senior director-government affairs ... Benton Institute for Broadband & Society names Colin Rhinesmith, an associate professor in Simmons University's School of Library and Information Science and editor-in-chief of The Journal of Community Informatics, as Benton senior faculty research fellow; during his 2021-22 fellowship, he examines U.S. "digital equity ecosystems."
American Enterprise Institute adds from Heritage Foundation Center for Technology Policy Klon Kitchen (see this section, Feb. 8 issue of this publication) as resident fellow, focusing on "national security and defense technology, defense innovation, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, quantum sciences, and robotics" ... Jenner & Block hires partners for Patent Litigation and Counseling Practice, who work on tech and other issues involving the International Trade Commission and become practice leaders of the law firm's new ITC Section 337 group: Mark Davis and Ronald Pabis, both from Goodwin Procter, and Alexander Hadjis from Oblon McClelland.
House Financial Services Committee hires as director-finance and technology policy Avy Mallik, ex-Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions Subcommittee ... IBM moves up Steve LaFleche to general manager, U.S. Public and Federal Market ... Faegre Drinker hires Dylan Carson, ex-DOJ Antitrust Division Media, Entertainment and Communications section, as partner, antitrust practice of the law firm's litigation group ... Heritage Foundation promotes Lora Ries to director, Center for Technology Policy, replacing Klon Kitchen, leaving Heritage ... Technology Coalition names Sean Litton, ex-International Justice Mission, executive director.
Department of Agriculture announces senior staff, including Deputy Assistant Secretary-Congressional Relations Anne Knapke, ex-Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Director Liz Archuleta, ex-Arizona county official; Office of Congressional Relations Legislative Director Jasmine Dickerson, ex-staffer for House Agriculture Committee; and Office of the Secretary Deputy White House Liaison Brandon Chaderton, ex-director of human resources, 2021 Presidential Inaugural Committee ... TechFreedom adds ex-FTC Office of Policy Planning Director Bilal Sayyed as senior adjunct fellow.
Sony Electronics North America promotes Neal Manowitz to president-chief operating officer, effective with the April 1 start of fiscal 2021, succeeding Mike Fasulo, retiring after 37 years with Sony ... Texas Public Utility Commission promotes Connie Corona to deputy executive director ... Cox Media Group moves up Rob Babin to senior vice president-radio and Executive Leadership Team member ... Meredith adds Diane Parker, ex-Associated Press, as vice president-diversity and inclusion, succeeding Shona Pinnock, who left the broadcaster in the fall "for a new opportunity."