Vice President, Policy & Advocacy, USTelecom
Diana Eisner joined USTelecom from Frontier Communications where she served as Director, Federal Regulatory Affairs and helped develop the communications company’s regulatory strategy on broadband deployment, robocalls and cybersecurity, among others. Previously Eisner worked as an associate attorney at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP. She is a graduate of Rutgers University and earned her JD from Temple University Beasley School of Law.
General Manager / CEO, Golden West Telecommunications
Denny served as General Manager of Sioux Valley Telephone and Hills Telephone Company in 1997 until he became the Eastern Region Manager at Golden West. In 2008 he became the General Manager and CEO of Golden West Telecommunications.
Denny graduated from South Dakota State University and went on to obtain his Master of Science from the University of South Dakota. Denny and his wife, Bonnie, have two sons and live in Wall, SD.
Senior Counsel, Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission
Danielle rejoins Commissioner Carr’s office following a year in the private sector where she led on state and local government relations matters for a nationwide telecommunications infrastructure provider. Before her first stint with Commissioner Carr’s office in 2021, Danielle was an Associate Attorney in the Washington, D.C., office of Wilkinson Barker Knauer. After attending the University of Virginia for her undergraduate degree, Danielle earned her J.D. cum laude from the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law where she was Associate Editor of the Catholic University Law Review. She also earned a certificate from the Columbus School of Law’s Law & Technology Institute.
Broadband Policy Director, Public Knowledge
Alisa Valentin, Ph.D., is the Broadband Policy Director at Public Knowledge where she focuses on ensuring all consumers have access to affordable, reliable broadband. Before joining Public Knowledge, Alisa was the Senior Director of Technology and Telecommunications Policy at the National Urban League where she advocated for policies that empower Black communities and other communities of color as consumers, workers, and business owners. Alisa previously worked as the Special Advisor to FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks and as the Communications Justice Fellow at Public Knowledge.
She is also an adjunct professor at Norfolk State University where she teaches media law and public policy courses. In 2023, she received the 2023 Donald H. McGannon Award presented by the UCC Media Justice Ministry for her expertise and consistent work to bring more diverse perspectives into policy-making on technology, media, and telecommunications.
Alisa received her Ph.D. in Communications from Howard University, her M.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, and her B.S. in Telecommunications from the University of Florida.
Alisa is from Tifton, Georgia and considers herself a semi-professional holiday decorator and travel content creator.
Vice President, Policy & Advocacy, USTelecom
Diana Eisner joined USTelecom from Frontier Communications where she served as Director, Federal Regulatory Affairs and helped develop the communications company’s regulatory strategy on broadband deployment, robocalls and cybersecurity, among others. Previously Eisner worked as an associate attorney at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP. She is a graduate of Rutgers University and earned her JD from Temple University Beasley School of Law.
General Manager / CEO, Golden West Telecommunications
Denny served as General Manager of Sioux Valley Telephone and Hills Telephone Company in 1997 until he became the Eastern Region Manager at Golden West. In 2008 he became the General Manager and CEO of Golden West Telecommunications.
Denny graduated from South Dakota State University and went on to obtain his Master of Science from the University of South Dakota. Denny and his wife, Bonnie, have two sons and live in Wall, SD.
Senior Counsel, Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission
Danielle rejoins Commissioner Carr’s office following a year in the private sector where she led on state and local government relations matters for a nationwide telecommunications infrastructure provider. Before her first stint with Commissioner Carr’s office in 2021, Danielle was an Associate Attorney in the Washington, D.C., office of Wilkinson Barker Knauer. After attending the University of Virginia for her undergraduate degree, Danielle earned her J.D. cum laude from the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law where she was Associate Editor of the Catholic University Law Review. She also earned a certificate from the Columbus School of Law’s Law & Technology Institute.
Broadband Policy Director, Public Knowledge
Alisa Valentin, Ph.D., is the Broadband Policy Director at Public Knowledge where she focuses on ensuring all consumers have access to affordable, reliable broadband. Before joining Public Knowledge, Alisa was the Senior Director of Technology and Telecommunications Policy at the National Urban League where she advocated for policies that empower Black communities and other communities of color as consumers, workers, and business owners. Alisa previously worked as the Special Advisor to FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks and as the Communications Justice Fellow at Public Knowledge.
She is also an adjunct professor at Norfolk State University where she teaches media law and public policy courses. In 2023, she received the 2023 Donald H. McGannon Award presented by the UCC Media Justice Ministry for her expertise and consistent work to bring more diverse perspectives into policy-making on technology, media, and telecommunications.
Alisa received her Ph.D. in Communications from Howard University, her M.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, and her B.S. in Telecommunications from the University of Florida.
Alisa is from Tifton, Georgia and considers herself a semi-professional holiday decorator and travel content creator.
Managing Director & Head of Global Policy and Public Investment, DigitalBridge Investment Management
Jonathan S. Adelstein is a Managing Director and Head of Global Policy and Public Investment at DigitalBridge Investment Management. In this role, Mr. Adelstein works with all DigitalBridge portfolio companies on public policy and strategic regulatory matters and reviews policy impacts on potential investments.
Prior to joining DigitalBridge, Mr. Adelstein was President and CEO of the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA), where he represented over 200 businesses that build, own, and operate wireless infrastructure, including infrastructure owners, developers, carriers, and professional service firms.
Prior to WIA, Mr. Adelstein was nominated to positions by both President Barack Obama and President George W. Bush and confirmed unanimously for each by the U.S. Senate. Under President Obama, Mr. Adelstein headed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service as Administrator. There, he led the investment of nearly $7 billion under the Recovery Act in rural broadband and water infrastructure and oversaw a $60 billion loan portfolio in rural electric, telecommunications, and water infrastructure. Under President Obama, Mr. Adelstein was appointed to the White House National Science and Technology Council, which coordinates science and technology policy across the Federal government, and the White House Business Council, leading Council meetings with business leaders across America.
Mr. Adelstein was nominated by President Bush and served as Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from 2002 to 2009. At the FCC, he worked to achieve bipartisan progress on issues including spectrum auctions, broadband expansion, widening access to the Internet and media diversity.
Before the FCC, Mr. Adelstein served at the U.S. Senate, in a number of legislative staff positions, culminating as a senior policy advisor to the Senate Majority Leader.
Mr. Adelstein received an M.A. in History and a B.A., with Distinction, in Political Science from Stanford University. He instructed undergraduates in history as a Teaching Fellow at Harvard University and a Teaching Assistant at Stanford University. He is a graduate of Phillips Academy, Andover.
Vice President, Policy & Advocacy, USTelecom
Diana Eisner joined USTelecom from Frontier Communications where she served as Director, Federal Regulatory Affairs and helped develop the communications company’s regulatory strategy on broadband deployment, robocalls and cybersecurity, among others. Previously Eisner worked as an associate attorney at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP. She is a graduate of Rutgers University and earned her JD from Temple University Beasley School of Law.
General Manager / CEO, Golden West Telecommunications
Denny served as General Manager of Sioux Valley Telephone and Hills Telephone Company in 1997 until he became the Eastern Region Manager at Golden West. In 2008 he became the General Manager and CEO of Golden West Telecommunications.
Denny graduated from South Dakota State University and went on to obtain his Master of Science from the University of South Dakota. Denny and his wife, Bonnie, have two sons and live in Wall, SD.
Senior Counsel, Chairman Brendan Carr, Federal Communications Commission
Danielle rejoins Commissioner Carr’s office following a year in the private sector where she led on state and local government relations matters for a nationwide telecommunications infrastructure provider. Before her first stint with Commissioner Carr’s office in 2021, Danielle was an Associate Attorney in the Washington, D.C., office of Wilkinson Barker Knauer. After attending the University of Virginia for her undergraduate degree, Danielle earned her J.D. cum laude from the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law where she was Associate Editor of the Catholic University Law Review. She also earned a certificate from the Columbus School of Law’s Law & Technology Institute.
Broadband Policy Director, Public Knowledge
Alisa Valentin, Ph.D., is the Broadband Policy Director at Public Knowledge where she focuses on ensuring all consumers have access to affordable, reliable broadband. Before joining Public Knowledge, Alisa was the Senior Director of Technology and Telecommunications Policy at the National Urban League where she advocated for policies that empower Black communities and other communities of color as consumers, workers, and business owners. Alisa previously worked as the Special Advisor to FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks and as the Communications Justice Fellow at Public Knowledge.
She is also an adjunct professor at Norfolk State University where she teaches media law and public policy courses. In 2023, she received the 2023 Donald H. McGannon Award presented by the UCC Media Justice Ministry for her expertise and consistent work to bring more diverse perspectives into policy-making on technology, media, and telecommunications.
Alisa received her Ph.D. in Communications from Howard University, her M.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, and her B.S. in Telecommunications from the University of Florida.
Alisa is from Tifton, Georgia and considers herself a semi-professional holiday decorator and travel content creator.
Navigating the FCC’s Digital Discrimination Rules
Diana Eisner, Denny Law, Danielle Thumann, Alisa Valentin
At the Federal Communications Commission’s November 2023 meeting, the agency approved rules aimed at preventing...
Navigating the FCC’s Digital Discrimination Rules
Diana Eisner, Denny Law, Danielle Thumann, Alisa Valentin
At the Federal Communications Commission’s November 2023 meeting, the agency approved rules aimed at preventing...
Navigating the FCC’s Digital Discrimination Rules
Modernizing the Tribal Consultation Process for Wireless Infrastructure Siting
Jonathan Adelstein, Wade Lindsay
Note from the Editor: This article discusses barriers to establishing wireless infrastructure, particularly with respect...