Thursday, February 9, 2012

Tech Exec On Deck For Obama Speech

January 8, 2009

President-elect Barack Obama is expected to draw an impressive crowd for what is being touted as a major economic speech at George Mason University on Thursday -- and at least one Washington high-tech industry leader was among the guests invited by the transition team. Dean Garfield, the Information Technology Industry Council's recently named president, will be in the audience, sources told Tech Daily Dose. Garfield, who replaced longtime chief Rhett Dawson late last year, is best known for helping to sink illegal Internet file-sharing operations Grokster and Kazaa. Before joining ITI, which represents Apple, Dell Computer, Hewlett-Packard, IBM and other major high-tech companies, he was chief strategic officer for the Motion Picture Association of America.

During his speech, Obama will make the case for urgent action on an American recovery and reinvestment plan that will save or create over three million jobs while investing in priorities like healthcare, energy, and education -- all of which he believes are necessary to keep the country strong and competitive in the 21st century. Additionally, Obama will call for "an open and honest discussion" about the recovery plan and will urge Congress to move quickly, according to excerpts of his prepared remarks released by the transition team. Like many groups inside the Beltway, ITI submitted a handful of recommendations for the new administration. That document can be found here.

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Juliana Gruenwald

Tech Writer

E-Mail: jgruenwald@nationaljournal.com.


Juliana Gruenwald has been covering tech and telecom issues for more than a decade for National Journal, Interactive Week, BNA and Congressional Quarterly. This is her second stint with National Journal. She was recruited by NJ in 1998 to help launch its first tech policy publication, Technology Daily. She left in 2000 to cover international tech and telecom issues for Ziff Davis Media's Interactive Week magazine. She started her career at United Press International as the wire service's first Helen Thomas Intern. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota. A Minneapolis native, she misses the lakes but not the cold.


Josh Smith

Tech Reporter

E-Mail: joshsmith@nationaljournal.com.


Josh Smith covers technology policy as a staff reporter for National Journal. He previously interned at National Journal Daily, a Senate press office, and the Deseret News in Salt Lake City where he covered the state legislature, courts, and crime. In 2009 he graduated with honors from Southern Utah University after managing an award-winning student newspaper as editor-in-chief. Josh has received state, regional and national awards for his political and policy reporting, including first place in CapitolBeat’s 2009 Best of Statehouse Reporting college competition. A native of drop-dead-gorgeous Utah, Josh lives in Virginia with his wife, Amber.