The USTTI Board of Directors is pleased to announce that USTTI President James J. O’Connor has been elevated to Chairman and CEO of the USTTI. USTTI Founder Ambassador Michael R. Gardner will now serve as Chairman Emeritus of the USTTI.

Upon announcement of the decision O’Connor stated “I am incredibly grateful for the support and confidence expressed by the USTTI Board of Directors. It will be an honor to serve as Chairman and CEO of the USTTI and I am thrilled that Ambassador Gardner will continue as Chairman Emeritus.”

The USTTI was founded by Ambassador Gardner in 1982 when he served as Head of the US Delegation to the ITU Plenipotentiary conference in Nairobi, Kenya. Over the next 38 years, with Ambassador Gardner as Chairman, the USTTI trained 10,052 officials from 177 developing countries. According to James O’Connor “Ambassador Gardner is a role model, confidant and friend. In working side by side with him since 2007 I have witnessed his devotion to the USTTI and the developing world. I am committed to honoring his vision and building on the tremendous foundation he established for the USTTI.”

O’Connor joined the USTTI in 2007 and in 2016 he was named the first ever President of the USTTI. During his time with the USTTI he has been responsible for overseeing USTTI’s finances, advocacy and innovating programs that have enhanced the USTTI’s public-private partnership.

In 2020 the USTTI will offer courses in the areas of Spectrum Management, Regulatory Best Practices, Broadband Deployment and Emergency Communications while featuring expanded training addressing 5G, Artificial Intelligence and Telehealth.