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ITI Negotiates For A Trade Lobbyist
by Heather Greenfield
John Neuffer is trading his job at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative for the private sector. He has joined the Information Technology Industry Council as vice president for technology and trade.
Neuffer will direct ITI's global government relations, including building relationships with foreign governments and industry associations, and advancing the group's trade agenda in Washington.
"The high-tech industry faces unprecedented opportunities and challenges in the global innovation economy, and John Neuffer's deep experience in developing and implementing U.S. trade policy at USTR will be a great asset," ITI president Rhett Dawson said.
Dawson said the trade issues ITI will be monitoring include enforcement of the World Trade Organization's Information Technology Agreement, aimed at increasing market access globally for IT products. He said trade issues are vital to the industry's future growth.
Neuffer served as deputy assistant U.S. trade representative for issues involving the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. He was responsible for developing U.S. trade policy with APEC, a constellation of 21 economies, and led U.S. government teams in negotiations to improve the business environment and open markets in the Asia-Pacific region.
Neuffer also served as deputy assistant U.S. trade representative for Japan, where he was responsible for setting and implementing trade policy with Japan. He led U.S. government delegations in trade talks and worked with U.S. corporations and industry associations on trade issues with Japan.
Before working at USTR, Neuffer was a senior research fellow and political analyst with the Mitsui Kaijyo Research Institute in Japan. As a leading commentator on Japanese politics and policy at the institute, he published a widely read newsletter and wrote regular commentary for the Asian Wall Street Journal, TheStreet.com and Newsweek Japan.
Qwest Hires Senior Hill Staffer
Chris Huckleberry, the legislative director for Rep. Darlene Hooley, D-Ore., is headed to Quest Communications International to become its voice on Capitol Hill.
Huckleberry started his congressional career in 1998 as a legislative assistant for Hooley, who serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Hooley represents Oregon's 5th District, including Huckleberry's hometown of Newport.
Huckleberry at one time moved over to work for Rep. Michael Capuano, D-Mass, as the senior legislative assistant. Last year, he returned to Hooley's office as legislative director.
"We are pleased Chris is bringing his years of policy experience and [his] network of Capitol Hill contacts to Qwest," said Shirley Bloomfield, senior vice president of Qwest's federal relations office. "The relationships he developed over the years and his firsthand knowledge on policy matters are valuable additions to the experiences of other Hill veterans who work at Qwest."
Comcast Promotes Democratic Lobbyist
Comcast is upgrading Melissa Maxfield. She has been promoted to vice president of federal affairs and will oversee the company's congressional lobbying.
Maxfield joined Comcast in July 2003 as senior director of federal affairs. Before that, she held several senior political positions, including director of Dedicated Americans for the Senate and the House PAC. There she handled political outreach on behalf of Senate Democratic leaders to senators and Senate candidates. Before that, she served with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee as political liaison and held several senior fundraising positions.
Kerry Knott, Comcast's vice president of government affairs, said Maxfield's leadership has been a "key element in the success of our government affairs operation," and that's why she's being promoted. "Melissa has done a remarkable job of articulating Comcast's public policy positions and organizing our congressional lobbying team," added Comcast Executive Vice President David Cohen. "I look forward to continuing to rely on her counsel and expertise in Washington."
Nanotech Project Hires Spokesman
Colin Finan will be explaining nanotechnology to a whole new audience. The Washington environmental editor and reporter is the new public affairs and policy associate at the Woodrow Wilson Center's Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies.
Finan is the former managing editor of "Environmental Policy Alert" and associate editor of InsideEPA.com. As a journalist covering environmental and energy issues, he regularly reported on nanotechnology regulatory and research topics for Inside Washington Publishers. The publisher features behind-the-scenes coverage of federal policy in environment, defense, health care, trade and energy matters.
Nanotechnology is the ability to measure, see, manipulate and manufacture tiny materials that are between 1 and 100 nanometers. A human hair is roughly 100,000 nanometers wide.
Ballmer To Speak At AeA Dinner
The 2008 AeA Technology for Government dinner is more than half a year away, but Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has agreed to deliver the keynote address. AeA President and CEO Chris Hansen said the tech group is "thrilled" that Ballmer has agreed to speak.
During the past 20 years, Ballmer has headed several Microsoft divisions, including operations, operating systems development, and sales and support. In July 1998, he was promoted to president, which gave him day-to-day responsibility for running Microsoft. He officially became CEO in January 2000.
"We consider Steve's keynote address to be a great opportunity for both the company and AeA to jointly address how information technology continues to innovate, rapidly enabling businesses, government leaders and policymakers to solve the mission-critical, real-time situations they face, serving the citizens of the United States and our overseas partners," said Teresa Carlson, general manager of civilian government and international global organizations at Microsoft.
The annual networking dinner, which will take place June 3, brings together hundreds of industry, congressional and government leaders.
U.S. Innovators Earn Global Recognition
More than half the awards at the World Economic Forum's Technology Pioneer Awards for 2008 will go to American innovators.
The awards will be presented at the WEF annual conference in Davos, Switzerland. Each spring 30 to 50 companies are selected as technology pioneers. Past Silicon Valley winners include Google, Mozilla and Napster.
Of the 39 winners this year, 23 are U.S. companies, 11 of which are from Silicon Valley. The others come from Canada, France, Germany, India, Israel, the Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
The criteria is for the pioneers to develop life-changing technology that has the potential for a long-term impact on business and society, and to have visionary leadership, proven technology and a good chance of becoming a market leader.
Peter Torreele, managing director of the WEF, said the group received a record number of applications this year.
Quote Of The Week
"Whether it's the medical technologies that saved many of our lives or the lives or our families, it's the direct result of the space program, and we need to put more money into science and technology and exploration."
-- Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, answering a question at last week's CNN/YouTube debate about whether he would support a mission to Mars.
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