Baker to Replace Largent as President of CTIA
CTIA Wednesday named former FCC Commissioner Meredith Baker its new president, effective June 2. Baker beat out her former colleague at the FCC, Robert McDowell, among others who had interviewed for the job (CD Jan 22 p1), industry officials say. Baker replaces Steve Largent, who has held the job since November 2003.
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Baker left the FCC in 2011 under a cloud since she immediately took a job at Comcast in the cable company’s Washington office. Critics at the time said the departure pointed to a revolving door between government officials and industry. Industry officials say Baker had hoped to be appointed head of Comcast’s Washington office when Kyle McSlarrow moved elsewhere in the company in 2012, but no one was appointed as his direct successor. Baker was an FCC commissioner 2009-2011. Prior to that, she was acting NTIA administrator, where she oversaw the DTV converter box program as part of the DTV transition.
Baker was also part of the lobbying team at CTIA from 1998 to 2000 while FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler was president of that trade group. At the time, she reported to Steve Berry, CTIA’s former top lobbyist and current president of the Competitive Carriers Association, a rival trade association.
"I plan to bring new ideas and new initiatives to the association that will take it from good to great,” Baker said in a written statement (http://bit.ly/1tE4g6Y). “We will recruit and keep the best and brightest experts in spectrum and wireless communications. ... CTIA must be the ‘go to’ organization on wireless issues for both industry and government.” Baker said she would put additional emphasis on “technical and engineering expertise related to spectrum and wireless technologies” as president of CTIA.
The CTIA board appointed a search committee chaired by Dan Mead, CEO of Verizon Wireless, to choose a replacement for Largent. Baker was thought to be one of the candidates for the job.
McDowell tweeted his congratulations. “She is a good person and has a terrific reputation in this town,” said PCIA President Jonathan Adelstein, who also served with Baker on the commission.