Kevin Hart
CEO
Segra
Kevin Hart serves as CEO of Segra, one of the largest independent fiber infrastructure bandwidth companies in the Eastern U.S. With more than 30 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, Kevin was the CTO at Cox Communications leading multiple functions including Product Development and Management, Enterprise IT Development & Operations, Security, Network Operations, and more. Under his leadership, Cox successfully launched several innovative new products and services across its markets and a portfolio of other leading commercial products. He also served as CIO for Clearwire, the first national 4G wireless carrier in the U.S; CIO at Level 3, one of the world’s largest internet protocol communications providers; and as vice president and global practice leader at Capgemini Consulting, formerly Ernst & Young. Currently, at Segra, Kevin focuses on driving revenue growth for the company through innovation and strategic investment. In 2022, Segra staffed their entire executive team and hired more than 200 team members with new capabilities throughout the year. It was an exciting year for expanding Segra’s portfolio of products and services, growing their workforce, and elevating their customer service.
Angie Kronenberg
President
INCOMPAS
As President of INCOMPAS, Angie is responsible for managing the association’s policy team and its work before federal, state, and local governments, and she leads the association’s efforts on membership and business development. She joined the association in 2013 as its Chief Advocate & General Counsel and was promoted to President in 2023. Angie has successfully influenced and shaped some of the most complex, high-profile matters in the communications space, and she is an expert on technology and telecommunications policy, including broadband deployment, access, and availability, universal service, net neutrality, merger reviews, competition policy, and administrative law. She also has been integral to the association’s modernization and growth. FierceTelecom named Angie a "Rising Star in Wireline" in 2014 and one of the Top Women in Wireline in 2015 for her advocacy work on behalf of INCOMPAS and its members. Angie is a member of the Federal Communications Bar Association and has been involved in its leadership as a former Executive Committee and Nominations Committee member. Before joining INCOMPAS, Angie was legal advisor to FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, where she was primarily responsible for the Commissioner’s wireline and broadband agenda, including the Commissioner’s work as chair of three federal-state joint boards. Prior to that, Angie was a special counsel in the Spectrum and Competition Policy Division of the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. She also practiced telecommunications and media law in the Washington, D.C. office of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP for more than a decade. Angie earned a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from the Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America, where she also earned a certification from The Institute for Communications Law Studies, and she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, from Baylor University and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
David Lehman
Program Manager, ConnectLA
State of Louisiana
David specializes in economic, fiscal and policy issues. He has a master's in public administration from LSU where he served as a Governor's Fellow in Economic Development and supported his professors with their economic research. As an undergraduate, he earned Upper Division Honors while studying Economics from the Ogden Honors College. Before joining ConnectLA, David spent two years working for the Louisiana Legislature as a budget analyst creating data visualizations for lawmakers and focusing on the $500 million annual operating budgets for the workforce, economic development and tourism departments. Additionally, he oversaw the tracking of American Rescue Plan Act dollars and the $800 million replenishment of the unemployment insurance trust fund. This skill set proves valuable for ConnectLA as the state administers about $1 billion in broadband funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law over the next five years. David is excited to utilize broadband and increase economic, educational and telehealth opportunities for all Louisianians. In his spare time, David enjoys cycling, reading and rooting for Brazil's national soccer team.
Rick Lievano
Worldwide CTO, Telecommunications industry
Microsoft
Rick Lievano is the Worldwide CTO for the Microsoft Telecommunications industry. Rick works with customers and partners in developing telecommunications industry solutions and reference architectures to address the rapidly changing needs of service providers across the globe. He is an enthusiastic participant and speaker in many industry communities, an advocate of industry frameworks and open standards, and holds TM Forum Open Digital Architecture and Business Development Manager Career Certifications. At TM Forum, he is a member of the Collaboration Sub-Committee, overseeing the effective creation and adoption of pragmatic best practices and standards to deliver value to the membership. Rick currently leads initiatives to help operators achieve more by infusing Artificial Intelligence across their business.
Chip Pickering
CEO
INCOMPAS
Chip Pickering has been CEO of INCOMPAS since January 2014. During that time, INCOMPAS has achieved significant growth with leading internet, backbone, business broadband, wireless, and international companies. Under his leadership, INCOMPAS has led numerous public policy campaigns promoting competition through an open internet and in the business broadband market. Pickering was a six-term Congressman representing Mississippi’s Third District. During his time in the House, he served on the Energy & Commerce Committee, where he was vice chairman from 2002 to 2006 and a member of the Telecommunications Subcommittee. He also was co-chairman and founder of the Congressional Wireless Caucus and an assistant minority whip of the House. Previously, Chip worked for Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and served as a staff member on the Senate Commerce Committee, where he helped shape the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Because of his role in drafting the 1996 Act, he became well known as a Congressional leader on telecommunications issues. While in Congress, Chip served as chair of the subcommittee overseeing the transition to the commercial internet, the establishment of domain names, registries, and internet governance. He also successfully led a bipartisan legislative effort to codify net neutrality principles through the House in 2006. Prior to joining INCOMPAS, Chip was a partner with Capitol Resources LLC, a public affairs and government relations firm, where he represented an array of telecom clients, including wireless, cable and competitive broadband providers, as well as non-profits and companies specializing in education, energy, technology and defense.