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Boston Tech Lobbyist Keeps DC Roots
Bruce Holbein was a high-tech lobbyist in Massachusetts before anyone dreamed of today's Internet. In 1979, Holbein started Digital Equipment's government affairs division, making him one of the few in the industry that had a presence in Washington. He stayed until 1998, when Compaq Computer bought Digital Equipment, and left to become vice president of public policy for the Massachusetts Software and Internet Council. Holbein now visits Congress once a month to keep up his relationships with the Massachusetts delegation and promote the "DotCommonwealth" as state representatives refer to Massachusetts. In Boston, Holbein said there is a real political awakening among technology executives to the importance of weighing in on issues affecting the industry. After Labor Day, the Council is working to launch a new branch of TechNet, the Silicon Valley lobbying group, and use their expertise and infrastructure to help galvanize the political activities of Boston's high tech industry. "I think nationally, high-tech companies are coming together to coordinate political and policy work," he said in between meetings with Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-MA, and Rep. Ed Markey, D-MA last week.
On the New York Senate campaign trail, first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton said she would support legislation that would prohibit companies from sharing personal information without consumer consent, when it comes to credit history, account balances, online information and details of shopping and spending habits. Such legislation "would put consumers in control of their most precious information and put an end to "information traders" who look to profit from selling information about some of the most personal and private decisions we make," the Clinton campaign said in a statement. She also said in a speech to the New York Broadcasters that more needs to be done to combat identity theft.
Those accustomed to seeing Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-VA, running around the halls of Congress, won't be seeing him on his feet for the next weeks. Over the Memorial Day weekend, he slipped after giving a speech and broke his leg, confining him to a wheelchair. "It's the first time he's ever broken anything," said a former Goodlatte staff member. Despite his injury, Goodlatte introduced Disney CEO Michael Eisner at a recent Internet Caucus luncheon and led the questioning of Eisner's pitch for stronger intellectual property regulations.
The high-tech community in DC needs more parking. That was the message a number of high-tech CEOs gave DC Mayor Anthony Williams last Thursday when he hopped onto a morning boat trip with high-tech CEOs. Washington Techway and the Washington DC Tech Council sponsored the boat trip as a way to get the high-tech community together. Guest speakers included Scott McGloughin, CEO of Adrenaline Group and Reggie Aggarwal founder of Cvent, who discussed the challenges of starting and growing a high-tech company. Attendees also told Williams that one of their biggest challenges to growing their businesses in DC was finding parking for their employees. "We need parking facilities," said a spokeswoman for Adrenaline, whose company is moving to bigger digs on New York Avenue, from its current office space in Georgetown. The DC Tech Council is headed up by Jay Young, former director of public policy for WorldCom and aims to promote the growth of high tech in the District.
Steven Jacques has jumped from handling communications in the Commerce Department's Technology Administration unit to the department's Bureau of Export Administration. Prior to Commerce, Jacques spent a year heading up communications at the State Department, where he worked closely with Jamie Rubin. Before the government, Jacques ran his own communications company. "It was a great opportunity to work with a good group of people," Jacques said of his move to BXA, where he plans to ride out the end of the Clinton administration. He is confident Vice President Al Gore will be elected president, and says he'll go "where ever the administration wants me to go."
Malcolm Lee has left his post as the special assistant to the president and senior director of international trade and economic policy at the White House to become U.S. Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy at the State Department. At the White House, he handled a number of international e-commerce issues. Prior to the White House, Lee was director of international economic affairs for both the National Security Council and the National Economic Council from 1996 to 1998. Prior to his time in government, Lee was an international trade lawyer for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld.
Former Netscape Communications Director of Government and Defense Sales John Menkart has been named general manager of WEGO, an Internet portal services company that plans to hire about 40 people in the DC area to market its services to DC associations. WEGO builds a customized portal site for clients and can do it in "45 minutes," according to Menkart, if a client needs the portal to "stand up" that quickly. "We are really focusing on businesses and associations that want to establish an online community around their brand…and you use our technology to create that online presence," Menkart said of his company's "portal platform." WEGO is based in Redwood City, CA, and just opened its offices in Bethesda, MD.
Oron Strauss, the founder of Net Capitol, a provider of Internet political tools that was recently sold to Netivation, has resigned from the company. According to Yahoo message boards, Strauss decided to take money he made in the merger and leave the company. A perusal of Netivation's Securities and Exchange Commission filings shows that Netivation is been struggling to eke out a profit.
Senate Minority Whip Harry Reid, D-NV, unveiled his new Web site Monday, beginning with a live Internet chat from Washington with students at elementary schools around Nevada. The event marked the second in a series of an interactive "Capitol to Classroom" programs designed by Reid to link the nation's Capitol to students across Nevada on a regular basis. "My new Web site and 'Capitol to Classroom' program will ensure that Nevada students have a voice on Capitol Hill and are able to participate in the legislative process," Reid said in a statement.
Meanwhile Senate Democrats headed to Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, WA, this past weekend before traveling down the coast to Silicon Valley for several events planned with high-tech CEOs. The senators toured Microsoft's "virtual home," which represents the potential for a wired home in the future.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-CA, has hired Ronald Eckstein as her new communications director, replacing Michelle Heller, who left to become a reporter for American Banker. Eckstein himself comes from the press. He is leaving his job as the lobbying reporter for Legal Times for Capital Hill because "I've always loved politics," National Journal magazine reported. Eckstein said he looks forward to working with Lofgren on high-tech issues, a subject he's covered extensively. Eckstein has also worked at The Hotline, the Manassas (VA) Journal Messenger and States News Service.
The European-American Business Council has hired Valerie Ploumpis as its new senior vice president for government relations. Prior to the Council, Ploumpis was at French & Co. where she handled government affairs for the International Electronics Manufacturers and Consumers of America. She also spent six years as a business development officer for six years at the U.S. unit of Nissho Iwai, a Japanese trading company. Before that, she was a senior economist at the South Korea embassy. At her new job at the council, which seeks to further U.S. and European business interests, she'll concentrate mostly on recruiting new members, National Journal magazine reported.
Television plays a more dominant role in children's lives than does the Internet despite all the attention the Web has been getting, said Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Gloria Tristani. On average, children watch two hours and 46 minutes of TV each day compared with the eight minutes per day they spend using the Internet, Tristani said, pointing to a study from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Tristani said these statistics show that children are in need of protection from harmful influences and images in the media. She was speaking at the Annenberg Public Policy Center's 5th annual conference on children and media Monday.
 | - by Bara Vaida |
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