Washington-based nonprofit Public Knowledge has named Gene Kimmelman its new president and CEO, replacing former President and CEO Gigi Sohn, who has joined the FCC.
After almost 30 years as a public interest advocate, Kimmelman joined the Department of Justice’s antitrust division as chief counsel. After leaving the Department of Justice, Kimmelman served as the director of the Internet Freedom and Human Rights Project at the New America Foundation.
According to a release, one of Kimmelmanʼs primary goals as the new president of Public Knowledge will be to create a policy center geared towards training the next generation of thought leaders in technology and telecommunications policy. The release explained the policy strategy center would be implemented by NGOs “to decide on tactics, tools and strategies to promote human rights principles, fairness and access to technology in the digital economy.”
“I hope to extend the skillful and effective work of Public Knowledge to promote innovation, creativity, competition and protect peoples’ rights to meet their needs in the exploding digital marketplace,” said Kimmelman in the release. “Simultaneously, I am bringing together a wide array of public interest and human rights groups to coordinate policy and train the next generation of advocates.”
