WASHINGTON-The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association Aug. 18 officially announced that former Rep. Steve Largent (R-Okla.) will replace Thomas Wheeler as president and chief executive officer effective Nov. 1.
“After an exhaustive search, it became clear that Steve Largent was the right person for the job. As a result of his past House Commerce Committee experience, he has an appreciation for the complexity of telecommunications and the unique competitive nature of wireless,” said Scott Ford, CEO of Alltel Communications Inc. and CTIA chairman. “Steve has also demonstrated the ability to lead and build consensus in an environment that is rife with differing opinions. Steve clearly possesses the skills, energy and enthusiasm to be the wireless industry’s chief advocate.”
RCR Wireless News broke the story that Largent was the leading candidate to replace Wheeler Aug. 13.
“Tom Wheeler is the gold standard when it comes to leading a trade association,” said Largent in a statement released by CTIA. “He leaves a large pair of shoes to fill.”
Largent left Congress in early 2002 to run for governor of Oklahoma. He eventually lost to Democratic candidate Brad Henry. Largent now works as senior public policy consultant in the government affairs practice group of the Washington, D.C., law firm of Wiley Rein & Fielding and as Midwest Chapter executive director of the Wheelchair Foundation. He is also a motivational speaker commanding between $10,000 and $20,000 per speech, according to the Christian Speakers & Artists Web site.
Wheeler’s salary stood at more than $1 million, but Largent told the Washington Post that his initial salary would not reach seven figures.
Largent said the lag time until he officially joins CTIA will be frustrating because he wants to jump right in but has previous contractual obligations.
Largent will be 49 when he takes the CTIA helm in November. He was a bit coy about whether he would attend CTIA’s Wireless IT & Entertainment 2003 in Las Vegas in late October. He said he would come to Washington in early September to sit down with Wheeler to discuss the transition.
CTIA said Largent “is certainly welcome at Wireless IT. It is too early to address what kind of role he would have if he is able to attend.”
Notwithstanding Largent’s membership on the House telecommunications subcommittee, he has a lot to learn about the details of wireless policy, an area he admits he did not focus on while on Capitol Hill. Instead, Largent said he worked to get the Telecommunications Act of 1996 passed and then moved to other House Commerce Committee issues. “Telecom was obviously under my purview, but in terms of being proactive, we did that work in the telecom act,” he said.
Little in the telecom act was specific to wireless, but the Federal Communications Commission has looked to its pro-competition provisions to impose some mandates like wireless local number portability. Largent said he is pro-competition. “The whole purpose was to bring competition to all sectors of the telecommunications industry.”
Ironically, Largent will begin working at CTIA just as the clock ticks down to the WLNP Nov. 24 deadline, perhaps industry’s most contentious federal regulatory battle of the year.
When Largent did engage in telecommunications policy, it was against the leadership of the House Commerce Committee. Reps. Billy Tauzin (R-La.) and John Dingell (D-Mich.), chairman and ranking member of the House Commerce Committee, authored legislation in the 107th Congress to relax obligations for incumbent local telephone companies regarding broadband and data services. The Tauzin-Dingell bill, as it was known, passed the House, but did not pass the Senate.
Largent’s objections to the bill so favored by Tauzin could be an obstacle for CTIA in the days to come, some sources have told RCR Wireless News.
Largent scoffed at this notion. “Billy and I have been friends for a long time,” he said. “I think he understands it was an honest difference of opinion.”
While on the House Commerce Committee, Largent was a strong advocate of electricity deregulation-an idea that has lost favor in the wake of the collapse of Enron Inc. and this month’s power outage.
His lack of a wireless portfolio seemed to indicate to industry sources that the issues of importance to CTIA-more spectrum, less regulation-will move smoothly from Wheeler to Largent.
The staff will remain in place, Largent said. “Regime changes always create anxiety. I want to alleviate that,” he said. “This is not a team that needs a complete overhaul.”
In Congress, Largent was a member of the 1994 freshman class that gave the Republicans control of the House. It is these Republican ties that make him an attractive candidate to House Republican leaders, who have said they would like Republicans leading trade associations.
Wheeler is a well-known Democrat. CTIA is the second major trade association this summer to switch its leadership from Democratic to Republican hands. The Recording Industry Association of America recently hired Mitch Bainwol, a former chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) to replace Hilary Rosen.
Largent’s ties to the Republican leadership-two units of what is now known as SBC Communications Inc. gave money to his first run for Congress, but he received more money that year from Rep. Tom Delay (R-Texas) now the House majority leader-are strengthened by his conservative views. He joined the board of directors of the Focus on the Family in May and the Young America’s Foundation lauds him on its Web site.
“His seven-year voting record reflects Steve’s consistent fight to lower taxes, less regulation, personal accountability, individual freedoms and his belief in free markets,” said the Young America’s Foundation.
During the 104th Congress, he never voted with the American Civil Liberties Union, according to information from the ACLU online archives.
Even those not familiar with politics have probably heard of Largent. He was a star NFL wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks. Largent was elected to the NFL Hall of Fame in 1995 after being selected as NFL Man of the Year in 1988 and was a member of seven Pro Bowl teams.
Largent graduated from the University of Tulsa. He is married and has four children. The biographical information released by CTIA said he resides in Tulsa, but Largent said his family will be transitioning back to the Washington area and expects to move to D.C. after his youngest son graduates from high school.
