Telecom Industry Veteran Named to Head FTTH Council

Telecom Industry Veteran Named to Head FTTH Council 

(WASHINGTON) – The Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Council, an organization dedicated to expanding the deployment of ultra high speed all-fiber networks, has named telecommunications executive Heather Burnett Gold to serve as its new full-time President.

Gold, who has worked for more than 27 years in the telecom industry, was until recently Senior Vice President of External Affairs for XO Communications, where for seven years she guided the $1.5 billion company’s regulatory and public policy strategy in Washington and in state capitals.   She was also responsible for the development and implementation of the company’s Cost of Service strategy, including vendor selection and management for an approximately $600 million annual budget.

Her previous experience includes five years as President for the Association for Local Telecommunications Services (ALTS) during the period surrounding the passage and implementation of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.  She has also served as a founding principal of The KDW Group, a telecom consulting firm, and as Vice President of Industry Affairs for Intermedia Communications.  She was recently honored by the Washington Business Journal as one of its 2010 Women Who Mean Business.

“We are delighted that an accomplished telecom pro will be leading the FTTH Council into its next phase of growth and success, and helping us guide America toward its all-fiber future,” said J. Michael Hill, President and CEO of On Trac, Inc. and Chairman of the Council’s Board of Directors.  “Heather Gold’s impressive business skills and policy experience will be an enormous asset to our organization.”

Gold succeeds Dan O’Connell, who resigned last month to take a senior vice president position at Comcast.

“I am thrilled to step into this role and have the opportunity to build on the Council’s success in unifying all elements of the fiber to the home industry, from equipment makers to network builders and FTTH service providers,” said Gold.  “The Council has become a leading voice for bringing broadband consumers the super-fast connectivity they want, and I intend to work hard to help the FTTH industry deliver on that promise.”

“So many things are happening in the FTTH world today, with new fiber-access technologies being introduced, new gigabit networks coming online and communities across North America clamoring for high-speed networks because they know how important bandwidth is to their economic survival.  I am excited to be a part of this dynamic industry,” she said.

Gold can be reached at heather.b.gold@ftthcouncil.org.

About the Fiber-to-the-Home Council
Now in its tenth year, the Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Council is a non-profit association consisting of companies and organizations that deliver video, Internet and/or voice services over high-bandwidth, next-generation, direct fiber optic connections – as well as those involved in planning and building FTTH networks.  The Council works to create a cohesive group to share knowledge and build industry consensus on key issues surrounding fiber to the home. Its mission is to educate the public and government officials about FTTH solutions and to promote and accelerate deployment of fiber to the home and the resulting quality of life enhancements such networks make possible.  The Council organizes North America’s largest annual FTTH event, the FTTH Conference & Expo, which will be held September 23 – 27, 2012 in Dallas, Texas.   More information about the Council can be found at www.ftthcouncil.org.