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-- WITH PHOTO -- TO BUSINESS, NATIONAL, AND TECHNOLOGY EDITORS:
Meredith Attwell Baker Named Chief Executive Officer of CTIA-The
Wireless Association@
WASHINGTON, April 23, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Meredith Attwell
Baker, a veteran telecommunications executive and former commissioner
of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has been named
President and Chief Executive Officer of CTIA-The Wireless
Association@, effective June 2, the association announced today.
Baker, who worked at CTIA early in her career, will replace Steve
Largent, 59, who announced his retirement last October. Largent has
served as President and CEO since November 2003.
"I am thrilled to have this opportunity to use my experience in both
the public and private sectors to help the vital and fast-growing
wireless communications industry," Baker said. "The wireless industry
has grown significantly over the past decade and now permeates every
part of our lives from education, and health care to energy and
business. CTIA should be in the center of discussions about how
wireless is reshaping our economy, our society and our culture. I look
forward to continuing CTIA's long tradition of finding bipartisan
solutions to ensure adequate spectrum availability and opportunities
to unlock the next generation of investment and innovation."
"I plan to bring new ideas and new initiatives to the association that
will take it from good to great. We will recruit and keep the best and
brightest experts in spectrum and wireless communications," Baker
added. "CTIA must be the 'go to' organization on wireless issues for
both industry and government."
Among the innovations that Baker said she plans to pursue:
-- Place more emphasis on technical and engineering expertise related
to spectrum and wireless technologies.
-- Work with commercial and government users to produce a viable
five-year plan for the future of spectrum usage.
-- Begin to regularly assess how efficiently spectrum is being used.
"Meredith is a perfect fit to lead CTIA going forward given her vast
experience with the telecommunications industry. She is also widely
respected on both sides of the political aisle," said Dan Mead,
chairman of CTIA and CEO of Verizon Wireless. "She is a proven leader
with boundless energy and fresh ideas that can take our industry to
the next level with both consumers and government officials, in the
U.S. and around the world."
He added: "We're excited to welcome her back to the association." From
1998-2000, Baker was a director of congressional affairs at CTIA.
"The industry has made significant progress over the last decade and I
have been proud to play a role," Largent said. "I wish Meredith the
very best in her new job. I know she'll be a great success."
Baker joins CTIA after serving for more than two years as senior vice
president of government affairs for Comcast-NBCUniversal in
Washington, D.C. Before that, as a nominee of President Obama, she was
an FCC commissioner from 2009-2011. Prior to the FCC, Baker was Acting
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information as
well as the Acting Administrator of the National Telecommunications
and Information Administration (NTIA). President George W. Bush named
her Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce in 2007.
Baker, 45, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington & Lee
University and a law degree from the University of Houston. She is a
member of the Texas State Bar. Baker and her family reside in McLean,
Virginia.
The executive search was conducted by Korn/Ferry International.
CTIA-The Wireless Association@ ( www.ctia.org ) is an international
organization representing the wireless communications industry.
Membership in the association includes wireless carriers and their
suppliers, as well as providers and manufacturers of wireless data
services and products. CTIA advocates on behalf of its members at all
levels of government. The association also coordinates the industry's
voluntary best practices and initiatives, and sponsors the industry's
leading wireless tradeshows. CTIA was founded in 1984 and is based in
Washington, D.C.
Twitter: @ctia | Blog: http://ctia.it/Na6erv| Facebook:
http://ctia.it/LCm4Nn| LinkedIn Group: http://ctia.it/Na6cA2| Google+:
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100629/DC28223LOGO-a
SOURCE CTIA-The Wireless Association
-0- 04/23/2014
/CONTACT: Amy Storey, astorey@ctia.org, 202-736-3207
/Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100629/DC28223LOGO-a
/Web Site: http://www.ctia.org
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