Posted: 05/2002
Combat Duty: CompTel Elects The Few, The Proud
They knew the job was dangerous, but they took it. During CompTel's annual spring conference and exposition, members elected a new Board of Directors and officers. Considering a tough economy and potentially disruptive legislative, regulatory and judicial agendas in Washington, D.C., and around the country, the winners may merit combat pay for lobbying the powers that be in 2002.
In addition to the Tauzin-Dingell bill, which passed the U.S. House and is awaiting action in the Senate, this board will find itself in battles on at least four major agenda items at the FCC. These include the tri-annual review of the 1996 Telecommunications Act and broadband proceeding, involvement in rights of way, Internet and international issues. Then there's defining and executing agendas in CompTel's Regulatory, International and Internet committees.
Despite that daunting litany, "In 21 years, I don't think we've ever had a challenge-free year, so in some ways it will be more of the same," says association president Russell Frisby. "It's a time-consuming assignment, and we deeply appreciate their energy and sacrifices of the past, present and future."
Winning seats on the board were:
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Small Company (annual revenue less than $25 million): Paul Split, vice president of marketing development for EPIK Communications; Sean Minter, president and COO for IP Communications Corp.; Dan Moffat, president and CEO for New Edge Networks Inc.; Richard E. Burk, president and CEO for nii Communications Ltd.; David Malfara, president and CEO for Remi Communications; and Bob Collett, CTO for Velocita.
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Medium Company (annual revenue between $25 million and $250 million): Dhruv Khanna, executive vice president, general counsel external affairs for Covad Communications Co.; Neil Flynn, president for FPL FiberNet; Jerry James, president for Grande Communications; Jerry Easom, vice president policy and industry relations for Illuminet; Joe Ambersley, executive vice president of business development for Paetec Inc. and Rob Curtis, president, for Z-Tel Network Services.
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Large Company Elections (annual revenue more than $250 million): Jim Falvey, senior vice president regulatory affairs for e-spire Communications Inc.; Drew Walker, CEO for ITC^Delta Com; Tricia Breckenridge, COO for KMC Telecomm; Randall Rings, group vice president and general counsel for McLeodUSA Telecommunications; Frank Semple, COO for Williams Communications Inc. and Richard Fruchterman III, director and senior legislative counsel government relations for WorldCom Inc.
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The elected board members then chose new officers. Burk was chosen chairman to succeed Doug Hanson, former president, CEO and chairman for Internet Commerce and Communications.
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The other officers elected were James as vice chairman and Ambersley as vice chairman/treasurer. Elected to the executive committee were Walker, Breckenridge and Malfara.
