WASHINGTON—The Personal Communications Industry Association laid off five people on Wednesday, reducing its staff to 47 people after a similar reduction of nine people last October.
While PCIA is “extremely sound fiscally. It is important that we remain viable while the economy is so stressful. … We need to ensure we are here when things do get stronger,” said Betsy Stephenson, PCIA senior director of marketing communications.
The layoffs are the latest in a continuing series of staff reductions as PCIA has tried to react to the disappearance of the SMR, paging and PCS industries.
In 2000, PCIA announced it was changing the name of its trade show to Global Xchange. At that time it let go 10 percent of its staff.
Last year, the association said it was keeping the Global Xchange name for its tradeshow, but changing the direction to focus on the “m-user.” That Los Angeles-based trade show, slated to start Sept. 11, was canceled with the terrorist activities that occurred the same day.
Also on the association front, Daniel B. Phythyon has joined the United States Telecom Association as senior vice president for law and policy.
USTA recently went through a restructuring of its own and by bringing Phythyon, a former chief of the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, on board it seems to be going after the wireless sector more forcefully although that was not said in the announcement.
“With this kind of megawatt talent and experience in our leadership, the pieces are now in place to establish USTA as the powerful advocate that the telecom industry needs and deserves in Washington today,” said USTA President Walter B. McCormick, Jr.
USTA also hired two other senior vice presidents and promoted from within to create four senior vice presidents reporting to McCormick.
Finally, at the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association, Thomas E. Wheeler, president and chief executive officer, discounted rumors that he has announced his intention to leave within a year.
“I am challenged. I am fulilled and the board is crazy enough to want me. While I do not intend to die in the job, absent being offered the lead in the ‘Music Man’ I intend to be here,” said Wheeler through a spokesman.
