Telecom Association (USTelecom) |} In modern times, USTelecom also advocates on behalf of the telecommunications industry to Courts, the White House, and the media. Organization and leadership As an American not-for-profit corporation, USTelecom is governed by a 19-member Board of Directors and an 18-member Leadership Committee. The Board of Directors is composed of member company executives that have been nominated by members of the Leadership Committee. The Leadership Committee comprises executives from small-to-mid-sized telecom companies that are members of the association. As of October 2021, the Chair is Kathy Grillo, Senior Vice President, Public Policy and Government Affairs of Verizon, and the Chair of the Leadership Committee is Jeff England, Vice President and CFO of Silver Star Communications. Since January 2017, Jonathan Spalter has served as President & CEO of USTelecom. The association offers three different categories of paid membership: Carrier Members - Companies that provide local telecommunications exchange and access services to residential, business and other customers in the United States. Supplier Members - Companies that sell goods and services to the telecommunications industry. International Members - Companies providing telecommunications services outside the United States and U.S. territories. USTelecom serves as a forum in which member companies can coordinate advocacy of particular policy issues important to their companies and the telecommunications industry via the association's seven standing Committees and other ad hoc Committees. Standing Committees: Regulatory Affairs – Member companies develop policy and engage in advocacy before the FCC and other relevant American federal agencies. Governmental Affairs – Member companies collaborate in their advocacy to lawmakers on mutually-beneficial policy issues. External Affairs – These committee members develop and execute media and public relations strategies. Tax Policy – Members develop the association's positions on tax and financial policy relevant to the telecommunications industry. Engineering & Technology Policy – Members develop the association's position on a variety of technology issues and standards including numbering, IP services, open source software, network neutrality, DPI, and emerging technologies. Intellectual Property and Privacy – Members develop the association's position on issues surrounding the ownership and distribution of content and protection of consumer information. National Security and Public Safety – These committee members gather to inform and shape policies addressing cybersecurity, national security, emergency preparedness, and pandemic planning. Notable Ad Hoc Committees: Universal Service Intercarrier compensation Consumer protection Video competition Member education Beyond representing member companies' interests to legislators, the administration, the FCC, and in courts,