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Nevada Is No High-Tech Desert
Although the Bush administration has its differences with Democrats, there are areas of agreement. Last week, Phil Bond, Commerce undersecretary for Technology Administration, traveled to Reno to speak at a high-tech forum organized by Senate Majority Whip Harry Reid, D-Nev., to discuss what the city can do to become more attractive to high-tech businesses. "This was something that Sen. Reid raised with me long before I was confirmed, and I agreed to attend the event," said Bond in an interview before boarding a plane to Reno last week. Executives from Amazon.com, Cisco Systems, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Microsoft and Yahoo were expected to attend the event, which was organized by the TechAlliance, a non-profit group that works with educational institutions and businesses to foster high-tech jobs in Nevada. Bond said he planned to encourage event attendees to consider recommendations for expanding high-speed data services outlined by the Computer Systems Policy Project last winter and to highlight efforts Commerce is making to help businesses and communities capitalize on the information age. "I'll be mentioning that at Commerce, we are trying to redirect the economic development agency to be more 21st century," he said. Bond and other members of the Commerce technology policy team are traveling around the country. He is scheduled to travel to Raleigh, N.C., on Aug. 15 to talk with community leaders about bioscience, while Bruce Mehlman, assistant secretary for technology, recently returned from Detroit where he focused on getting inner-city youth online.
Also traveling around the country this week is Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, who is scheduled to fly to Portland, Ore., Seattle and Denver to meet with employers and workers and discuss local economic conditions, following President Bush's economic forum Tuesday in Waco, Texas. O'Neill also is scheduled to address Bush's efforts to strengthen the economic recovery during his tri-state swing.
High-Tech Hirings
Doug Farry, senior policy analyst with House Majority Leader Richard Armey, R-Texas, is leaving Capitol Hill to join Intuit's lobbying shop downtown, where he will be manager of public policy. Farry, who has worked for Armey for four years, graduated from Rice University with a bachelor's degree in 1992. Replacing Farry is Thad Bingel, legislative counsel and legislative director for Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah. Bingel joined Cannon's office in 2000 after working for Rep. Dan Miller, R-Fla., the National Republican Congressional Committee and Janus-Merritt Strategies. After receiving a bachelor's in history from Holy Cross in Worchester, Mass., he earned a law degree from Georgetown University. Bingel is from Plattsburgh, N.Y. Cannon has been involved in a number of high-tech issues, including digital rights management policy.
Bush's Latest Tech Advisers
William LaFuze and Albert Jacobs were appointed to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's (USPTO) Patent Public Advisory Committee. LaFuze is a partner in the law firm of Vinson & Elkins and co-chair of the firm's intellectual property and technical litigation practice. He is a past president of the American Intellectual Property Law Association. Jacobs is a shareholder in the New York City office of the law firm of Greenberg Traurig, and chair of its national intellectual property practice. The patent adviser committee was created by the 1999 American Inventors Protection Act to advise the director of the USPTO on the agency's operations, and it serves at the pleasure of the Commerce secretary.
President Bush announced his intent to designate Vance Coffman to be chairman of the President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC). He also announced his intent to designate Duane Ackerman to be vice chairman of NSTAC. Coffman is chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin. Ackerman is chairman and CEO of BellSouth. The NSTAC, created in September 1982, provides industry-based advice and expertise to the president regarding national security and emergency preparedness communications policy and plays a role in the development of a national cyber-security strategy.
Business Transitions
John Collingwood, longtime head of FBI congressional and public affairs, is retiring after 27 years as a special agent to go to the private sector. Collingwood worked under four directors in 22 years and began at the agency in legal research. He headed to the civil litigation program and in 1987 became a special assistant to the director where he worked on a variety of issues, including the class-action litigation involving FBI hiring and promotion policies. In 1997, he was designated assistant director in charge of the new congressional division, which includes the Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts program. Collingwood's departure is the latest in a wave of departures under FBI Director Robert Mueller, who has replaced nearly all of the bureau's top executives since taking the helm last September, the Washington Post reported.
Former Attorney General Dick Thornburgh has been named the examiner in WorldCom's bankruptcy proceeding. The Justice Department, through the U.S. Trustee in New York made the appointment on Aug. 1. Under the court's order, Thornburgh is authorized to investigate any allegations of fraud, dishonesty, incompetence, misconduct, mismanagement or irregularity in the arrangement of the affairs of any of the debtors by current or former management. Thornburgh was attorney general under President George H.W. Bush from 1998 to 1991.
Tech Gathers at the Homestead
Congressional staff and officials from defense contractors and consumer electronics companies were scheduled to attend the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) 20th annual legislative roundtable at the Homestead resort in Virginia this week. EIA's president and head of the Internet Security Alliance, David McCurdy, was scheduled to lead a panel on cyber security, while Gary Shapiro, president of the Consumer Electronics Association, was to discuss digital and home recording rights. Other policy-issue panels included improving math and science education, the November elections, high-speed data services and defense budget trends. Among the firms expected to send executives are: Boeing, Ceridian, CSC, General Dynamics, General Electric, Harris, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Mitsubishi, Northrop Grumman, Orbital, Panasonic, Philips, Raytheon, Sharp, TRW, United Technologies and WAMNet.
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