Tim Donovan, Lucy Hodas will take new CCA leadership positions in January 2023
The Competitive Carriers Association is seeing a shift in leadership: Longtime President and CEO Steve Berry is retiring from his role, with deputies Tim Donovan and Lucy Hodas stepping into new leadership positions.
Donovan, CCA’s SVP of legislative affairs, will take over as president and CEO of the advocacy organization for small and rural wireless operators. Hodas, who serves as SVP of media and communication at CCA, will move into the newly created role of COO.
“I couldn’t be more pleased and proud of not only the work they’re doing, but I know they’re going to do a phenomenal job and going to take it to the next level,” said Berry on a call this week.
Berry is retiring due to recent health issues. He will continue to serve through the end of the calendar year, but will not travel to the upcoming CCA conference in Portland, Oregon on the advice of his doctors, he said.
“The Board and I cannot thank Steve enough for 13-plus years of dedication to CCA and the membership. Steve transformed the association into the strong, leading advocacy organization that it is today, and CCA has benefitted tremendously from his leadership, passion for the issues, and forward-thinking mentality,” said CCA Chairman of the Board Mark Nazé. “Steve also built an incredible team, so when he informed the Board about his intention to retire at the end of the year, it made good sense to look internally for the next president and CEO. Tim is one of the most knowledgeable advocates for competitive wireless carriers and certainly is an expert on the policy issues. Tim is a solid voice for CCA members and is known and well-respected throughout the industry, and the Board and I are excited about the future of CCA under his leadership.”
Donovan retraced some of the changes in Berry’s tenure: When he was hired as leader of the Rural Cellular Association in fall 2009, the BlackBerry Curve was the top-selling smartphone. “The wireless industry certainly looks different now than it did 13 years ago, and in many ways, Steve’s leadership is directly responsible for outcomes that have enhanced competition and benefited consumers,” Donovan said, adding, “Through Steve’s work, we have truly shaped the wireless industry in ways that have provided all carriers— rural, regional and nationwide—with a meaningful opportunity to compete.” He cited examples of federal policies passed by various agencies and administrations that CCA helped to influence under Berry’s leadership, including ending device exclusivity, establishing data roaming rules, new geographic Partial Economic Area designations in federal spectrum auctions that are friendlier to smaller operators, requirements around Universal Service Fund decisions using updated and reliable network coverage data and the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act and related funding, to help defray small carriers’ costs for replacing equipment and services from some Chinese vendors.
“The survival of competitive carriers over the last decade can be linked directly to Steve’s work in Washington,” Donovan said.
Asked about his most significant accomplishment, Berry responded that it wasn’t a specific policy win, but rather taking RCA (and subsequently, CCA) from an organization that was best known for its annual golf outing, to an organization with real, sustained advocacy capability and credibility as a voice for small service providers. “We punch above our weight limit … and we have since day one,” he said, adding, “There’s tons of [policy] wins that I think we’ve had over the years, but the building to sustain this and ensure that we have this voice for competitive carriers is probably the most encouraging.”
Looking forward, Donovan said that as 5G and related services continue to evolve, “There’s never been a more important time for CCA to make sure that competitive carriers’ voices are heard in Washington, D.C. As 5G services hit their stride, we look ahead to future wireless innovations. Rural areas and places served by competitive carriers stand to gain the most, and they will suffer the most if efforts to close the digital divide fail to provide mobile and wireless connectivity. … I’m deeply excited for the next chapter of CCA and thankful for … all of Steve’s work.”
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