North America Digital Communications and Media Forum, Washington D.C. 2026

Anna M. Gomez was sworn in as Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission in September 2023. She believes the FCC does best when its work honors the people it serves.

Commissioner Gomez brings over 30 years of public and private sector experience in domestic and international communications law and policy to her position. In 2023, she led U.S. preparations for the International Telecommunication Union World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23) for the Department of State and from 2009 to 2013 she served as the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Deputy Administrator. While at NTIA she oversaw the successful transition to digital television, as well as efforts that resulted in the establishment of a broadband network for first responders.

Commissioner Gomez also served for 12 years in various positions at the FCC, including as Deputy Chief of the International Bureau and as Senior Legal Advisor to then-Chairman William E. Kennard. She also served as Counsel to the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, and as Deputy Chief of Staff of the National Economic Council during the Clinton Administration. Prior to joining the State Department in 2023, Commissioner Gomez worked in private practice focusing on telecommunications law.

Commissioner Gomez is committed to a vibrant, strong, and competitive telecommunications and media marketplace that meets consumer needs and promotes U.S. economic prosperity and security. She believes every community — rural, Tribal, urban, and suburban — deserves reliable connectivity. Broadband is the main gateway to the tools people need to participate in the 21st century economy, and she supports making that access more affordable. She champions innovation through creative spectrum policies that put this finite resource to its best use for consumers and emerging technologies, along with continued leadership in the space economy. She is equally focused on serving consumers, from stopping spam calls and texts to ensuring accessible emergency alerts and secure networks for first responders. As the first Hispanic American to serve at the FCC in more than 20 years, she brings a unique perspective to the Commission’s work of reaching all communities, including the Latino community.

Arielle Roth was sworn in as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information on July 30, 2025. In this role, she serves as Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the Executive Branch agency principally responsible for advising the President on communications, broadband, and internet policy.

Prior to joining NTIA, Roth spent nearly a decade shaping federal communications and broadband policy, holding senior roles on Capitol Hill and at the Federal Communications Commission. She most recently served as Policy Director for Telecommunications on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation under Chairman Ted Cruz (R-TX), and previously as Legislative Counsel to former Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO).

At the FCC, Roth served as Wireline Legal Advisor to former Commissioner Michael O’Rielly and as Legal Advisor to the Chief of the Wireline Competition Bureau. Earlier in her career, she was a Legal Fellow with the Hudson Institute’s Center for the Economics of the Internet.

Roth holds degrees from the University of Toronto and McGill University Faculty of Law. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, Yaakov, and their six children.

Becky Tangren is Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, North America at Nokia, where she develops and advocates Nokia’s legal and policy positions. Prior to joining Nokia, Becky advocated on public policy issues of competitive importance to the cable industry, as Vice President & Associate General Counsel at NCTA – The Internet & Television Association and as Director, Technology Policy at CableLabs. Preceding her roles in the cable industry, Becky spent ten years in the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), holding the positions of Senior Policy Advisor, and Legal Advisor to the Office of the Bureau Chief, and Attorney Advisor in the Mobility Division.  Becky also worked as Director of Regulatory and Government Affairs at the Telecommunications Industry Association.  After earning degrees in Public Relations and Political Science from the Pennsylvania State University, Becky attended the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America, where she received a J.D. and a certificate in Communications Law.

Ambassador David Gross co-chairs Wiley’s Telecom, Media & Technology Practice. He is widely recognised as one of the world’s foremost experts on international telecommunications and Internet policies, having addressed the United Nations (UN) General Assembly and led more U.S. delegations to major international telecommunication conferences than anyone else in modern history.

Noted as bringing “innovation and vision to the rapidly changing TMT industry” by Who’s Who Legal and as one of the “Top 30 Telecommunications lawyers in the world” by Euromoney, Ambassador Gross draws on more than 30 years of experience as a lawyer, global policymaker, and corporate executive to assist US companies seeking to enter or expand international businesses.

He also advises non-US companies, and industry organizations seeking to invest in, monitor, and understand the US and international markets, as well as national governments. Ambassador Gross advises companies and others on international and domestic telecoms, Internet, and high-tech strategy focusing on both specific markets and international organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), as well as many regional organisations.

Ambassador Gross is also an Advisory Council member at the International Institute of Communications.

Giulia McHenry currently serves as Senior Vice President for Public Policy at AT&T where she is responsible for developing AT&T’s positions on federal and state legislation and regulations affecting the company.

Giulia previously served as Chief of the Office of Economics and Analytics (OEA) at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). She led an interdisciplinary team of professionals responsible for enhancing the use of economic analysis in Commission policy-making, developing and implementing FCC auctions, and ensuring consistent and effective agency-wide data practices and policies. In 2018, Giulia was appointed by former Chair Ajit Pai to stand up and lead the OEA and remained Chief under Chair Jessica Rosenworcel.

Prior to that she served as Chief Economist of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration under U.S. Department of Commerce Secretaries Penny Pritzker and Wilbur Ross.

Giulia received her Ph.D. in economics from the University of Maryland in 2009. She specialized in microeconomics, both applied and empirical methods, focusing on network theory and industrial organization.

She resides in Washington, DC with her husband former U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry and their three children.

Japhet Quitzon is an associate fellow with the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). His research interests include disinformation as it affects international democratic institutions, the intersection of trade and digital privacy, and the evolving role of the Philippines in Indo-Pacific security. His work has featured in The Diplomat, Asia Global Online, and Cambridge University Press, and he is a young leader with the Pacific Forum. Before joining CSIS, he was a research assistant with Dr. Sophal Ear at Occidental College. He received his bachelor’s degree in international relations with a minor in East Asian studies from Connecticut College.

Jeffrey Marks serves as Vice President, Government and Policy Advocacy at Ericsson, a global communications equipment manufacturer. In that role, Jeff leads Ericsson’s advocacy efforts before U.S. regulatory agencies and the Administration. He draws on his deep knowledge and experience on a wide range of key telecom policy issues, including broadband deployment, spectrum, net neutrality, open network architectures, and national security. Jeff joined Ericsson from Nokia, where he spent over 12 years leading regulatory policy development and advocacy. He also spent over 10 years at major law firms, including in the Communications Practice Group at Latham and Watkins. Jeff resides with his family in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, DC.

Kate Davies is Ofcom’s Group Director for Strategy and Research, leading its strategy and research work and engagement with domestic and international policymakers.

Kate joined Ofcom in 2016 working as both Strategy Director and Public Policy Director during that time. Prior to joining Ofcom Kate worked in the Treasury for six years in a range of Public Spending roles.

Lynn Robinson became Director General of the International Institute of Communications (IIC), in March 2020.

Lynn is an experienced senior director and trustee / non exec-director, having held key senior leadership positions in the technology, built environment, regulation, accreditation and dental industries. She has extensive experience of professional membership bodies working within the full spectrum including, Regulatory bodies, Industry associations and Chambers of Commerce. Lynn is a well-known and established ambassador in these areas having led on many strategic programmes to aid engagement, growth, retention, change management, stakeholder and political engagement.

Mauricio Vera Sánchez is Commissioner of the Audiovisual Content Session. He is a Social Communicator and Journalist with a PhD in Social Studies from Universidad Externado de Colombia, and holds specializations in Television from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and in Aesthetics from Universidad Nacional de Colombia. With more than 26 years of experience in academia and the audiovisual sector, he has served as professor and researcher at several universities, including Universidad Externado, UNAD, Universidad del Quindío, and Fundación Universitaria del Área Andina. He has also worked as a director and producer of content at Universidad de Antioquia, Telecafé, and the Caro y Cuervo Institute, and was a member of the Research Group of the Audiovisual Content Observatory of the ANTV. His productions have received national and international recognition, including the India Catalina Awards, Prix Jeunesse International, Japan Prize, the National Culture Award, and the National Scientific Merit Award.

For the past 30 years, Stephen Balkam has had a wide range of leadership roles in the nonprofit sector in both the US and UK. He is currently the Founder and CEO of the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI), an international, nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, DC. FOSI’s mission is to make the online world safer for kids and their families. FOSI convenes the top thinkers and practitioners in government, industry and the nonprofit sectors to collaborate and innovate and to create a “culture of responsibility” in the online world.

Prior to FOSI, Stephen was the Founder and CEO of the Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA) and led a team which developed the world’s leading content labeling system on the web. While with ICRA, Stephen served on the US Child Online Protection Commission (COPA) in 2000 and was named one of the Top 50 UK Movers and Shakers, Internet Magazine, 2001.

Steven was appointed Vice-President, Compliance and Enforcement at the CRTC in November 2016. He is responsible for the enforcement of the Unsolicited Telecommunication Rules, Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation, and the Voter Contact Registry.

As the Vice-President, Compliance and Enforcement, Steven’s leadership approach is to promote compliance with the applicable legislation and regulations through education and outreach and, when necessary, encourage and enforce compliance through both traditional and innovative approaches.

Steven joined Canada’s converged communications regulator in 2002 and has developed his expertise in both broadcasting and telecommunications through various positions of increasing responsibility. As Director General, Strategic Policy from 2012-2016, Steven led the development and implementation of key Commission policies, including the Wireless Code of Conduct, Video Relay Service, and Broadband Performance Measurement, through his leadership of the Social and Consumer Policy, Network Technology and Strategic Policy and International Affairs teams.

Steven began his federal public service career in 1999 with the Canada Revenue Agency, following several years in the private sector.

Education

• Bachelor of Business Administration Degree (accounting and management double major), Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Will Johnson leads Verizon’s federal regulatory and international public policy teams and has responsibility for representing Verizon on a wide range of regulatory and policy issues, including spectrum policy, broadband regulation, and network transformation. Before joining Verizon in 2004, Will was a litigator at Hogan & Hartson in Washington, DC, and before that at Long, Aldridge & Norman in Atlanta, GA. He also clerked for Chief Judge R. Lanier Anderson and for Judge Ed Carnes, each on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Will currently serves on several boards, including the Emory College Alumni Board, the International Institute of Communications, the Media Institute, and the National Exchange Carriers Association. He previously served as Chairman of the Board for Miriam’s Kitchen, a nonprofit aimed at ending chronic homelessness in Washington, D.C

Zach Manifold is the Deputy Executive Director at the Partnership for Large Election Jurisdictions (PLEJ) and brings more than 20 years of expertise in community engagement and election administration to his role. His career includes more than a decade of service in Gwinnett County, Georgia, and Franklin County, Ohio, where he was responsible for maintaining fair, accessible, and secure voting processes.

Throughout his career, Zach has earned a reputation for his nonpartisan and forward-thinking methods, prioritizing the modernization of election infrastructure and the enhancement of public trust within high-pressure environments. He joined the PLEJ team to leverage and expand the strong partnerships established by large jurisdictions, facilitating nationwide collaboration to share innovative strategies and professional best practices.

Manifold holds a political science degree from The Ohio State University. In 2013, he achieved the status of Certified Elections Registration Administrator through a joint program between Auburn University and the Election Center.