Coalition Leadership
The Advisory Board
Jonathan Spalter
Chairman
Jonathan Spalter has a long track record building and leading innovative media, technology, and research companies in the U.S, Asia/Pacific, .and Europe. He founded the independent investment research company, Public Insight, and was CEO of Snocap, the digital music licensing and company founded by the creators of Napster. He has also held senior management roles at the Paris headquarters of Vivendi Universal, the global media, telecommunications, and entertainment group. He was senior vice president of the company's public policy team worldwide, and also served as executive vice president of business development and strategy for Vivendi Universal Net and CEO of company affiliate Atmedica Worldwide. Spalter has also been a principal at the Dewey Square Group, a Washington-based grassroots marketing firm. During the Clinton Administration, Spalter was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate for the position of associate director at the US Information Agency, where he was also appointed chief information officer. He also served in the White House as director of public affairs for the National Security Council, and chief international affairs spokesperson and speech writer for Vice President Al Gore. He also co-founded and chaired the non-profit animation studio Climate Cartoons, which produces media content about global warming. One of its productions, "Big Fun with Global Warming," recently won the Emmy Award for National Public Service Announcements/Broadband. Early in his career, Spalter held various productions and editorial roles in broadcast and cable - among them, foreign affairs reporter for PBS' MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour.
Allison Remsen
Executive Director
Allison Remsen is the Executive Director of Mobile Future. With nearly fifteen years experience working on communications issues, she joins Mobile Future after handling media relations for the United States Telecom Association. Prior to USTelecom, Remsen worked for House Democratic Whip David Bonior assisting Members of Congress on the House floor, helping to coordinate legislative and messaging efforts for House Democrats and advising Congressman Bonior on telecom issues. She began her career working in the government relations shop for the National Cable Television Association where she closely monitored the progress and passage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act.
Brian Fontes, Ph.D.
Advisor
Brian Fontes currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer for the National Emergency Number Association, a position he has held since June 2008. As CEO, he is responsible for all aspects of the Association. His primary objectives are to ensure that Americans have access to reliable 9-1-1 service, 9-1-1 centers have state-of the art technologies and well-trained professionals, and sufficient funding is available so that the 9-1-1 system can best serve those who call upon it as their first voice of hope. Prior to joining the Association, Fontes was Vice President, Federal Relations for Cingular Wireless and served in that capacity after its acquisition by AT&T. Prior to that, Fontes was Senior Vice President for Policy and Administration at the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA). Before joining CTIA, Fontes served as the Senior Advisor to Commissioner James H. Quello, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and as the FCC’s Chief of Staff. Fontes started his professional career as a Professor of Communications at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Ari Q. Fitzgerald
Advisor
Ari Fitzgerald is a partner at Hogan Lovells where his practice focuses on wireless, satellite, international communications, and Internet-related issues. Ari also provides strategic and legal advice on a wide range of telecommunications and spectrum-related issues. Ari joined Hogan Lovells from the FCC, where for nearly three years he served as Legal Advisor to the FCC's former Chairman, William Kennard. In this position, he advised the chairman on wireless, international, and spectrum policy issues. Ari later served as Deputy Chief of the FCC's International Bureau, overseeing the development of FCC policies on international telecommunications, foreign ownership, satellite services, spectrum allocation, and promotion of the Internet.
Bryan Tramont
Advisor
Bryan Tramont, Wilkinson, Barker, and Knauer LLP managing partner, offers strategic counsel to Fortune 100 companies and trade associations, as well as small and mid-sized telecommunications and media companies, on all aspects of communications law and regulation. Given the breadth of his work in the industry, he is regularly called on to advise companies as they develop and evaluate new business opportunities in the technology, media and telecommunications sectors. Prior to joining Wilkinson Barker Knauer, Mr. Tramont served as Chief of Staff of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under Chairman Michael Powell. As FCC Chief of Staff, Mr. Tramont managed all aspects of the agency’s operations and directed the FCC staff in implementing all components of the agency’s broad policy portfolio including media, broadband, mobility and traditional telephone services. Before being elevated to the Chief of Staff post, Mr. Tramont was Chairman Powell’s Senior Legal Advisor, advising him generally on strategic policy matters and specifically on wireless, international, technology, satellite, and consumer issues. Mr. Tramont also served as Senior Legal Advisor to Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy and, before that, to Commissioner Harold Furchtgott-Roth. Before joining the FCC in 1999, Mr. Tramont practiced communications law at Wiley Rein and Fielding in Washington, DC. He also served as a law clerk for the Honorable Duane Benton on the Supreme Court for his home state of Missouri.
Jim Kohlenberger
Advisor
Jim Kohlenberger is a former White House policy advisor to two U.S. Presidents and is President of JK Strategies – a public policy consulting practice. He serves as executive director of jobs4america and serves on the board of the Benton Foundation and the Advisory Board for Mobile Future. Most recently, Kohlenberger served as Chief of Staff for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) where he helped craft the President's innovation strategy, advanced policies to help spur a mobile broadband revolution through spectrum reform, worked to secure cyberspace, helped put the U.S. space program on a bold new course for the future and sought to harness innovation to advance economic growth and opportunity for all Americans. He also served 8 years in the Clinton White House as Senior Domestic Policy Advisor to the Vice President where he advanced pragmatic telecommunications, Internet and innovation policies, and helped connect every classroom to the Internet. He launched the “Voice on the Net” or VON Coalition and served as its executive director representing more than two dozen high tech companies and working to advance technologies that improve communications over the Internet.
