Arlington, Va. — The CEA today announced that Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.). will be recognized during the fourth annual Digital Patriots Dinner on April 2.
They will join Ivan Seidenberg, chairman and CEO of Verizon Communications, in receiving their award at the JW Marriott in Washington. For the first time in event history, the dinner will benefit the USO of Metropolitan Washington and its support of U.S. troops and their families.
“The Digital Patriots Awards honor the policy leaders and industry visionaries who are passionate about innovation and who fight for technology advancements in this digital age,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CEA. “The 2008 Digital Patriots have a vision for the future of the consumer technology industry and its impact on the global economy and citizens of the world. I look forward to recognizing their achievements at the Digital Patriots Dinner in April.”
Senator Leahy was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1974 and is the chairman of the Judiciary Committee and a senior member of the Agriculture and Appropriations Committees. A leader on Internet and technology issues, Senator Leahy has been a champion for open government, privacy and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Leahy has fought for the protection of privacy rights, copyright protections and freedom of speech on the Internet. He authored the Electronic Freedom of Information Act and was inducted into the FOIA Hall of Fame in 1996. He was a co-founder and remains Senate co-chair of the Congressional Internet Caucus. Sometimes called “the cybersenator” for his enthusiasm for and leadership on Internet and technology issues, he has been cited as the most “Net-friendly” member of Congress, and his award-winning website was the second to go online in the Senate.
Rep. Davis has led many important technology initiatives during his tenure as a United States Congressman. He has chaired both the Government Reform Committee’s Subcommittee on the District of Columbia and the Information Technology Working Group. Davis also served as Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee from 1998 to 2000. Prior to his election to Congress, Davis came from a high-tech firm in McLean, Va.
The Digital Patriots Dinner is co-sponsored by the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), Electronic Components, Assemblies & Materials Association (ECA), Government Business Executive Forum, JEDEC, Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA).
The dinner will be held in conjunction with CEA’s 2008 Washington Forum, April 2-3, at the JW Marriott in downtown Washington. The two-day event will focus on key policy issues affecting the consumer technology industry including free trade and the upcoming transition to digital television (DTV).
The Washington Forum will include conference sessions and panel discussions, as well as CEA membership division meetings and networking opportunities. Registration details and additional programming information is available online at www.CE.org/events.
