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.
New FCBA officers: President Yaron Dori, Covington & Burling; President-elect Laura Phillips, Drinker Biddle; Secretary Ryan Wallach, Willkie Farr; Assistant Secretary Robert Branson, Verizon Wireless; Treasurer Joseph Di Scipio, Fox TV Stations; Assistant Treasurer David Gross, Wiley Rein; Executive committee members Parul Desai, Consumers Union; Erin Dozier, NAB; Ari Fitzgerald, Hogan Lovells; Rosemary Harold, FCC; Julie Kearney, CEA; Janice Obuchowski, Freedom Technologies; Thomas Power, NTIA; Megan Stull, Google; Bryan Tramont, Wilkinson Barker; and Christopher Wright, Wiltshire & Grannis.
Herman & Whiteaker law firm opens, focusing on telecom and broadband, with founding principals Dee Herman and Gregory Whiteaker … Lobbyist Registrations: AT&T, Capitol Hill Strategies, effective May 15 … Public Knowledge hires as associates: Clarissa Ramon, ex-Congressional Hispanic Caucus, for outreach and government affairs; and Martyn Griffen, ex-office of former Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Ark., for government affairs … 9-1-1 Industry Alliance announces board for 2011-2013: Kevin Murray, Mission Critical Partners, chairman; George Heinrichs, Intrado, past chairman; Bill Campbell, Intergraph, vice chairman; Paul Fahey, Cassidian Communications, secretary; Allen Amis, 911 Inc., treasurer … Univision promotes Randy Falco to president and CEO and adds him to board.
T-Mobile promotions: Terry Hayes to vice president-general manager, New York; Marty Pisciotti to vice president-general manager, greater Philadelphia … Newspaper Association of America hires Caroline Little, ex-Guardian News and Media, as president and CEO, effective Sept. 6, succeeding John Sturm, retiring … Hanna Bolte, ex-BMI, becomes vice president-media and talent relations, Mun2/Telemundo.
Verizon Virginia President Robert Woltz to retire, effective July 15 … Univision promotes Carlos San Jose to vice president-general manager, Chicago TV stations … Society of Cable Telecom Engineers promotions to senior director: Derek DiGiacomo, information systems and energy management; Steve Harris, advanced network technologies; Tom Russell, standards … Oxygen Media promotes Jennifer Kavanagh to senior vice president-digital.
MPAA Chief Operating Officer Bob Pisano steps down, effective Sept. 30 … Promotions as Fox Networks combines business and legal affairs: Claudia Teran to executive vice president and deputy general counsel; and, to senior vice president, Adam Reiss for corporate transactions and distribution; Anna Tran Reyna for digital media; and Leanna Einbinder for business and legal affairs … Alfred Liggins, TV One, joins NCTA board, replacing TV One’s Johnathan Rodgers, retired; Other new board members: Pat McAdaragh, Midcontinent Communications, Brian Roberts, now for NBCUniversal; and Neil Smit now represents Comcast … Crown Media hires Michael Pierce, ex-Paramount Pictures, as vice president of financial planning and analysis.
Greg Orlando, ex-office of former Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., hired by Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., as counsel handling Commerce and Judiciary Committees’ issues … Lobbyist Registrations: NeuStar, Dutko Worldwide, effective June 21 … Google, Holland & Knight, effective June 1 … FreeConferenceCall.com, Mehlman Capital Strategies, effective May 1 … Facebook, TeleMedia Policy, effective April 1 … The late Dawson "Tack” Nail, longtime Communications Daily executive editor, will be inducted into the Giants of Broadcasting at an Oct. 14 ceremony at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York.
Neustar hires Scott Deutchman, Office of Science and Technology Policy, as vice president of legal and external affairs, effective July 5 … West Wireless Health Institute hires: Robert Matthews, ex-Archinoetics, as chief technology officer; and Michael Caponetto, ex-Business Records Management, as chief financial officer … Polar Wireless adds Fraser Wray as CFO and to board, which also adds Bruce Bent, MSW Developments, and David Subotic, DAS Capital … Texas Cable Association new directors: Jon Gary Herrera, Time Warner Cable, vice chairman; and Mike Rose, Comcast, treasurer.