PBS hires Sara Schapiro, who most recently helped found Digital Promise, as vice president-education ... Joining National League of Cities: Irma Esparza Diggs, ex-Department of Education Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs, as senior executive and director-federal advocacy ... President Donald Trump adds to administration, at Department of Homeland Security Benjamin Cassidy, special counsel to the DHS secretary in Office of Legislative Affairs, as the department's assistant secretary-legislative affairs; and ex-DHS official Jonathan Rath Hoffman, ex-Americans for Peace Prosperity, and Security, as assistant secretary-public affairs ... Franklin Square Group adds Brian Worth, ex-Uber, as partner.
NCTA's Rita Lewis steps down as senior vice president-government relations, effective June 1, to spend more time with family, remaining as part-time senior adviser-government relations ... Comcast promotes to president-CEO, Comcast Cable Dave Watson; Neil Smit moves to the parent company's vice chairman, effective April 1 and working part time "to develop future technology-oriented business opportunities" ... Justin Cole, ex-FTC, joins CTIA as assistant vice president-public affairs ... Discovery Communications hires Joseph Ambeault, ex-Verizon, as senior vice president-product and technology.
Cohen & Grigsby hires Roberta Anderson, ex-K&L Gates, as director; practice includes cybersecurity and privacy ... At Time Warner, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Senior Vice President-Worldwide Marketing Russell Arons becomes general manager, Machinima, and works with the unit's CEO Chad Gutstein "on a multi-week transition plan, after which he’ll leave the company to pursue entrepreneurial projects" ... Nexstar Media promotes to vice president-general managers Gary Hackler at Illinois' WCIA Champaign, WCIX Springfield and illinoishomepage.net, and Coby Cooper for WATE-TV Knoxville and associated digital services.
MagicJack VocalTec names telecom executive and board nominee Don Carlos Bell CEO; Tom Fuller promoted to chief financial officer, effective in May, and Dvir Salomon to chief technology officer; Kristin Beischel named chief marketing officer and Kerrin Parker hired as chief operating officer-BroadSmart ... Arnold & Porter hires Lynn Fischer Fox, ex-International Trade Administration, as counsel ... Nexstar Media hires Fran McRae-Posey, ex-Raycom, as vice president-general manager, KLFY-TV Lafayette, Louisiana, and associated digital services ... Procera Networks hires Tom Carter, ex-F5 Networks, as senior vice president-global sales and services ... Mirror Image, content delivery, streaming media and edge computing provider, moves Mike Smith to vice president-customer experience.
Comcast promotes Kathy Zachem to executive vice president-regulatory and state legislative affairs ... Megan Pollock moves up to Samsung Electronics America vice president-strategic communications ... Rubicon Project hires Michael Barrett, ex-Millennial Media, acquired by Verizon's AOL, as CEO; Frank Addante continues with company as founder-chairman ... Information Technology Industry Council hires Naomi Wilson, ex-Department of Homeland Security, as director-global policy for China, with additional responsibilities on policy throughout Asia.
Stephanie Weiner, ex-FCC aide on issues including wireline and broadband, rejoins Harris Wiltshire, hired as partner, communications and energy practices ... Retiring from Morgan Lewis Telecommunications, Media and Technology practice: Eric Branfman ... Telecommunications Industry Association promotes Ashley Simmons to director-government and public affairs, leading public affairs and policy for the IoT, and all policy-related communications ... Hoge Fenton Intellectual Property and Privacy & Data Security groups add Lee Lueddemann, ex-Law Office of Leopold Lueddemann, and Marianna Khoury, ex-Twitter.
In Intel's $15.3 billion buy of Mobileye (see 1703130015), the two companies said the global autonomous driving organization of Mobileye and Intel Automated Driving Group will be led by Mobileye founder-Chairman-Chief Technology Officer Amnon Shashua, and Intel Senior Vice President Doug Davis will oversee the combined organization’s engagement across Intel’s businesses, reporting to Shashua; Mobileye co-founder-President-CEO Ziv Aviram and Shashua write they will continue running that firm.
Viacom elevates Christa D’Alimonte to executive vice president-general counsel-secretary, effective April 15, succeeding Michael Fricklas, who previously announced he's leaving the company; and moves up Keyes Hill-Edgar to executive vice president-global business affairs and general counsel, Viacom Media Networks ... Booz Allen adds ex-Target Chief Information Security Officer Brad Maiorino as executive vice president in its commercial business, working on cybersecurity ... Massachusetts Institute of Technology hires David Edelman, ex-White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, to direct new Project on Technology, the Economy and National Security.
Boies Schiller hires Travis LeBlanc, ex-FCC Enforcement Bureau, as partner ... LiveSafe announces Noelle Topetzes, business consultant and lawyer who had advised the company, as general counsel/vice president-corporate services ... Katz Media Group advances Mark Gray to CEO, succeeding Mark Rosenthal, stepping down later this month and continuing as adviser to parent company iHeartMedia Chief Operating Officer-Chief Financial Officer Rich Bressler and CEO Bob Pittman ... New to telecom-media-entertainment IoT firm n.io: Sven Gerjets, ex-Time Warner Cable, chief product officer, and Christopher Ratcliffe, ex-Dell EMC, chief marketing officer.
Free State Foundation hires Theodore Bolema, ex-George Mason University Mercatus Center, full time as senior fellow ... New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) designates Public Service Commissioner Gregg Sayre, also NARUC Telecom Committee co-vice chair, as interim PSC chairman and interim CEO of the Department of Public Service, filling vacancy of Chair Audrey Zibelman, leaving to become CEO of the Australian Energy Market Operator ... Facebook board hires Susan Taylor, leaving LinkedIn, which Microsoft recently bought, to be chief accounting officer, effective April 17, succeeding Jas Athwal, resigned ... Fitbit promotes Samir Kapoor to senior vice president-device engineering; leaving this month are Chief Business Officer Woody Scal and Executive Vice President-Interactive Tim Roberts.