Cecily Holiday Recipient of 2020 SIA Leadership Award

Washington, D.C., July 8, 2020 – The Satellite Industry Association (SIA) today announced Cecily Holiday as the recipient of the Association’s 2020 Satellite Leadership in Government Award.  Most recently, Ms. Holiday served as the Deputy Director, Office of Bilateral and Regional Affairs, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs for the United States Department of State (State Department).  The award recognizes the distinguished career of Ms. Holiday and her work with both the State Department and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).  Ms. Holiday will receive the Award at SIA’s 2021 Satellite Industry Leadership Dinner.  She was originally to be honored during this year’s Leadership Dinner that was scheduled to take place in Washington, DC in March, but the event was postponed due to concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic.

As Deputy Director, Ms. Holiday was responsible to the Director for the Office of Bilateral and Regional Affairs in the State Department’s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs.  The Office focuses on targeted bilateral-objectives divided by region and works directly with foreign governments to promote fair, market friendly digital economy policies for topics including 5G related events.  Prior to joining the Office of Bilateral and Regional Affairs, Ms. Holiday was Deputy Director, Multilateral Affairs, Office of International Communication and Information Policy, Cyber and International Communications and Information Policy (CIP).  She has been part of the U.S. delegation for several ITU World Radiocommunication Conferences (WRC) including last year’s WRC-19 where she served as a delegate. Prior to joining the State Department as a Foreign Affairs Officer in 2001, Ms. Holiday was Deputy Chief, Satellite and Radiocommunications Division for the International Bureau at the FCC.  From 1986-1994, she served as Chief of the Satellite Radio Branch for the FCC’s Common Carrier Bureau where she created a new regulatory environment for the commercial satellite industry.  In 1980, Ms. Holiday began her career with the FCC as a Staff Attorney for the Radio Branch of the Common Carrier Bureau.  Prior to joining the FCC, from 1972-1976 Ms. Holiday served with the U.S. Army in West Berlin as a Russian Linguist for the Army Security Agency where she helped advance U.S. intelligence objectives.

“SIA is very pleased to honor Cecily Holiday for her four decades of public service with both the U.S. State Department and Federal Communications Commission,” said Tom Stroup, President of SIA.  “Over her distinguished career, Ms. Holiday has helped reform the regulatory and licensing environment for satellites.  This helped lay the foundation that spawned what has become today’s robust domestic commercial satellite industry.  She accomplished this while also successfully advocating for America’s communications and global spectrum allocation goals both here at home before lawmakers and regulators and on the international stage in front of organizations such as the ITU.  On behalf of the Satellite Industry Association and its members, it is my great honor to announce Cecily Holiday as this year’s Satellite Industry Leadership Award recipient.”

SIA’s Satellite Leadership in Government Award is traditionally presented to a current or former government official or member of Congress who has demonstrated long-term leadership and dedication to public service on issues affecting the satellite industry and has served as an example to others in government.  The Award has been awarded to sixteen previous recipients, including Dr. Scott Pace (2019), the FCC’s Jose Albuquerque (2018), FCC OET Chief Julius Knapp (2017), General John W. Raymond (2016), Karl Nebbia for his work with the NTIA (2015), Richard Beaird of the State Department (2013), Brian Nilsson of the White House National Security Staff (2012), Rural Utilities Service Administrator Jonathan Adelstein (2011); Major General Ellen Pawlikowski (2010); General James Cartwright and Mr. Richard Russell, Ambassador to the 2007 World Radiocommunication Conference (2008); Representative Ellen Tauscher and Maj. Gen. James B. Armor Jr. (2007); Senator Ted Stevens (2006); and Admiral James O. Ellis Jr. and Tom Tycz, Federal Communications Commission (2005).

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About The Satellite Industry Association

SIA is a U.S.-based trade association providing representation of the leading satellite operators, service providers, manufacturers, launch services providers, and ground equipment suppliers. For more than two decades, SIA has advocated on behalf of the U.S. satellite industry on policy, regulatory, and legislative issues affecting the satellite business. For more information, visit www.sia.org.

SIA Executive Members include: Amazon; AT&T Services, Inc.; The Boeing Company; EchoStar Corporation; Intelsat S.A.; Iridium Communications Inc.; Kratos Defense & Security Solutions; Ligado Networks; Lockheed Martin Corporation; ; SES Americom, Inc.; Space Exploration Technologies Corp.; Spire Global Inc.; and Viasat Inc. SIA Associate Members include: ABS US Corp.;  ; Amazon Web Services; Analytical Graphics, Inc.; Artel, LLC; Astranis Space Technologies Corp.; Blue Origin; Eutelsat America Corp.; ExoAnalytic Solutions; HawkEye 360; Hughes; Inmarsat, Inc.; Kymeta Corporation; Leonardo DRS; Lynk; Omnispace; Satellites; Panasonic Avionics Corporation; Peraton; Planet; Telesat Canada; and XTAR, LLC. SIA Affiliate Members include: The Aerospace Corporation; AQYR Technologies; COMSAT; Envistacom, LLC; Integrasys LLC, Kaman Precision Products; Kencast; Media Broadcast Satellite; NB+C; ; Plexus Corp; Radeus Labs, Inc.; Sheppard Mullin; Skylo Technologies; and Wiley