Ellen Satterwhite joins ALA telecom policy team

The American Library Association has bolstered its telecommunications policy team with the addition of Ellen Satterwhite. As a new Fellow of ALA’s Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP), Ellen will provide leadership, counsel and representation on the full array of telecommunications issues that affect libraries and the general public, as well as those that intersect with information policy more broadly.

Ellen is a Director at the policy communications firm Glen Echo Group, where she helps clients formulate policy positions and tell their stories within the rubric of information policy. WifiForward is one of several coalitions managed by Ellen and Glen Echo, and ALA was a founding member of the group, which advocates for abundant Wi-fi and balanced spectrum policy. As a co-author of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) National Broadband Plan, Consumer Policy Advisor to the FCC and freelance consultant, Ellen’s work has been written about in the Huffington Post, AllThingsD, CNet, Geekwire, GigaOm, and CivSource. Previously, Ellen also served as Program Director for Gig.U, supporting communities seeking gigabit speeds. She earned a master’s degree in Public Affairs from University of Texas at Austin and completed her undergraduate degree at Grinnell College. OITP Deputy Director Larra Clark will continue to contribute to our telecommunications policy work, with OITP Associate Director Marijke Visser, OITP Senior Fellow Robert Bocher, and me, working in coordination on legislative matters with Kevin Maher of ALA’s Office of Government Relations, and telecommunications counsel John Windhausen.