WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--USTelecom announced today it has selected veteran technology leader Jonathan Spalter to be President and Chief Executive Officer, effective Jan. 1, 2017. Spalter brings a blend of public policy, entrepreneurial and executive experience to USTelecom’s helm. For the past eight years, he has served as chair of Mobile Future, the national wireless technology association. He has a long track record leading innovative technology companies in the U.S., Asia/Pacific, and Europe. He also held key positions in national security policy and technology management in the Clinton Administration. Spalter will replace Walter B. McCormick, Jr. who is retiring after 16 years of service.
“We are thrilled to bring Jonathan to USTelecom at this important time of technological change and advancement in the broadband industry. His broad public policy background and business experience in communications and technology make him a perfect fit for our association, and will serve to enhance USTelecom’s leadership role in the telecom sector,” said Robert Hunt, chairman of the USTelecom Board of Directors and Vice President of Texas-based GVTC Communications.
“It’s a tremendous honor to be given the opportunity to champion the business innovators who are delivering the full potential of broadband to our nation,” Spalter said. “Job #1 is making clear the extraordinary value world-leading wired broadband infrastructure brings – and the stake all Americans have in constructive, bipartisan policies that support its continued evolution. I look forward to supporting USTelecom’s members as we stand ready to work with the next President, Congress, FCC and beyond, engaging in innovative ways with forward-thinking leaders of both parties to light up the broadband future.”
Spalter is a veteran of President Bill Clinton’s Administration where he served as Associate Director of the United States Information Agency and also managed the agency’s global technology resources as Chief Information Officer. In the Clinton White House, he served on the staff of the National Security Council and as Vice President Al Gore’s chief international affairs spokesperson and speechwriter. He also was a policy aide to the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy at the Pentagon. In the private sector, Spalter’s executive roles include serving as CEO of Snocap, the digital content services company founded by the creators of Napster. He also was CEO of Atmedica Worldwide, the online healthcare affiliate of the Fortune 100 telecommunications and media company Vivendi Universal, where he also served as Executive Vice President for Business Development and Strategy at its Internet subsidiary VivendiNet; and as the group's Senior Vice President for global public policy. He has been an advisor to and board member of cutting-edge technology companies, financial institutions, and not-for-profit organizations in Silicon Valley and beyond.
A graduate of Harvard College and Cambridge University, he currently resides in the Bay Area of California with his wife Carrie Goux, the Vice President of Communications at GreatSchools, the Oakland-based non-profit, and their four children.
ABOUT USTELECOM
USTelecom is the nation’s leading trade association representing service providers and suppliers for the telecom industry. Its diverse member base ranges from large publicly traded communications corporations to small companies and cooperatives – all providing advanced communications services to markets both urban and rural.