[SatNews] The Satellite Industry Association (SIA) has announced the election of its 2014 Executive Committee.

The SIA Board of Directors elected Bill Weller of Space Systems/Loral (SSL) to serve as Chairman for the coming year, joined by Stacy Fuller of DIRECTV, as Vice Chairman, and Jennifer Manner of EchoStar, as Treasurer.

“SIA is privileged to announce such experienced industry executives to lead its Board. The incoming Executive Committee reflects the diversity of the satellite industry businesses that SIA represents and demonstrates the strong commitment our members have made to the Association,” said Patricia Cooper, President of SIA. “I would like to thank SIA’s outgoing board for their service during the past year and we look forward to 2014, poised to continue our role as the voice of the U.S. satellite industry.”

Bill Weller is Vice President, Marketing and Sales at SSL, where he leads technical and business teams that work with U.S. and international satellite operators to design and procure customized new geostationary communications satellites. He also leads space policy efforts with the U.S. Government for SSL. Mr. Weller was named to this position in 2001 after serving as Director of Americas Marketing and Sales, and previously for the Asia-Pacific region. Prior to these positions he served as project manager for satellite ground-systems development and satellite operations programs and led new business development in these areas.

Stacy Fuller is Vice President, Regulatory Affairs at DIRECTV. In this position, she is responsible for overseeing DIRECTV’s federal regulatory issues impacting DIRECTV. Prior to joining DIRECTV in 2005, Stacy was Media Legal Advisor to former FCC Commissioner Abernathy. Before serving in the government, Stacy worked at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP, Discovery Communications, Inc., Alston & Bird, and Wiley, Rein & Fielding. Stacy is a graduate of Emory University School of Law and the University of Michigan.

Jennifer Manner is Vice President, Regulatory Affairs at EchoStar. Prior to joining EchoStar, Ms. Manner served as Deputy Chief of the Office of Engineering and Technology and before that Deputy Chief of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau of the FCC. Before that, Ms. Manner was Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at MSV. Previously she served as senior counsel to FCC Commissioner Kathleen Q. Abernathy, where she focused on international, satellite, wireless, new technologies and consumer issues. She has also served respectively as Director of International Alliances and Associate Counsel for Foreign Market Entry and International Wireless Services at MCI WorldCom, Inc. Ms. Manner is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center. She has published numerous articles as well as books, including International Market Access (Artech House, 1999) and Spectrum Wars (Artech House, 2000).

SIA is a U.S.-based trade association providing worldwide representation of the leading satellite operators, service providers, manufacturers, launch services providers, and ground equipment suppliers. Since its creation more than eighteen years ago, SIA has advocated for the unified voice of the U.S. satellite industry on policy, regulatory, and legislative issues affecting the satellite business. For more information, visit http://www.sia.org/