WASHINGTON: NAB has added to its executive ranks with the hire of Christopher Ornelas as executive vice president and chief strategy officer, a new position.
Ornelas will join the trade association on May 10 and report to NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith.
Ornelas comes from the Washington offices of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, focusing his practice on telecommunications and technology policy. In this role, Ornelas lobbied on behalf of wireline, cable, wireless and satellite operators before the Federal Communications Commission, National Telecommunications and Information Administration and Congress.
Smith and Ornelas previously worked together; Before he joined BHFS, Ornelas was chief counsel on communications and technology policy in Smith's U.S. Senate office, overseeing matters relating to communications, media, entertainment and technology before the Senate Commerce Committee.
Ornelas's career also includes nearly a decade in the Washington offices of Wilkinson Barker Knauer, where he represented broadcast clients on policy, regulatory and transactional matters before the FCC. In this capacity Ornelas licensed some of the first HD Radio stations in United States and helped several broadcasters with regulatory matters surrounding the transition to digital and high-definition television. -- from Radio World
