USTelecom hires Meagan Foster, ex-NTCA, as vice president-government affairs, effective April 7 … EWTN Global Catholic Network promotes to vice presidents John Manos, overseeing legal and regulatory activities and remaining general counsel, Enrique Duprat for Spanish language production and marketing, new position, and Peter Gagnon for programming and production … Saffron Digital over-the-top services company hires Malachi Bierstein, ex-Rovi, as senior vice president-sales and marketing, Americas … Entravision hires Hilda Garcia, ex-impreMedia, as vice president-multimedia content and community development, new position, to be effective April 1 … David Smith, ITK Vector, joins International Datacasting Corp. board.

Disney promotes ABC News President Ben Sherwood, who continues in that role until successor named, to co-chairman, Disney Media Networks, and president, Disney/ABC Television Group, to be effective Feb. 1, after Anne Sweeney leaves; he’s now co-president, Disney/ABC Television Group … Adbrain real-time, multiscreen advertising platform hires Jesse Hurwitz, ex-Google, as vice president-Americas … EdgeConneX, which optimizes delivery of data for ISPs and others, hires Peter Neill, ex-Level 3, as senior vice president-global product strategy and customer experience … MRV Communications, provider of packet and optical products, hires Scott St. John, ex-Overture Networks, as senior vice president-sales, Optical Communications Systems division … AMC Networks hires Tracey Lentz, ex-3Ball Productions/Eyeworks USA, as vice president-unscripted programming … Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers adds to 2014-15 board Bill Warga, Liberty Global, to take effect in September, replacing Mike LaJoie, Time Warner Cable, whose term expires this year.

Discovery Communications Chairman John Hendricks retiring from board, effective May 16 … General Cable Executive Vice President Emmanuel Sabonnadiere, also president and CEO, Europe & Mediterranean, to “transition” from job for up to six months.

Proskauer hires Christopher Ondeck, ex-Crowell & Moring, as partner, Litigation Department, and vice chairman, Antitrust Group … Avotus telecom management firm promotes James Martino to CEO … American Enterprise Institute adds Shane Tews, 463 Communications, as visiting fellow, Center for Internet, Communications and Technology Policy, working primarily on cybersecurity and Internet governance … Canadian cable operator Videotron names Pierre Bonin, ex-Bell Canada, vice president-information technology.

Comcast promotes to senior vice presidents Rebecca Arbogast for global public policy and Karen Dougherty Buchholz for administration … AMC Networks promotes in legal department Cliff Bail, who remains senior vice president, to deputy general counsel, and Aileen Brophy to senior vice president-legal and business affairs … Confirmed as assistant State Department secretary for political and military affairs is Puneet Talwar, by Senate vote last week … Pete Vlastelica promoted to executive vice president-digital, Fox Sports …21st Century Fox promotes to senior vice presidents-distribution, Fox Networks Jessica Fang for national accounts and David Espinosa for strategic analysis … Lobbyist registrations: Comcast, Bloom Strategic Counsel, whose lobbyist Seth Bloom was general counsel to the Senate Antitrust Subcommittee, effective March 7 … Arent Fox on behalf of Qualcomm, Levick Strategic Communications, effective Feb. 18.

TechAmerica hires Sarah Matz, ex-Texas Department of Transportation, as director-state government affairs, southern region, effective March 25; TechAmerica public-sector board adds Peter Smith, American Systems … Tribune Co. hires Keith Bowen, ex-TV One and its part owner Radio One, as chief revenue officer, new position, effective April 1 … Discovery Communications promotes Doug Baker to chief operating officer, Discovery Networks International, where he also remains chief financial officer … Entercom promotes John Graefe to chief information officer, new post.

FCC names Special Counsel Diane Cornell to Performance Review Board which provides performance management for FCC employees who are part of the Senior Executive Service … New America Foundation hires Alan Davidson, ex-Google and who remains affiliated with MIT, as vice president-technology policy and strategy and director of Open Technology Institute, to be effective March 31; OTI founder Sascha Meinrath is no longer a vice president and is now director of the foundation’s X-Lab venture focused on technological innovation … Synchronoss Technologies, which activates connected devices, hires Chris Halbard, whose past employers include British Telecom Global Services, as executive vice president and president-international … Telecommunications Industry Association’s Fiber Optics Technology Consortium officers for 2014 include Rodney Casteel, CommScope, chairman, and Dave Cook, 3M, vice chairman.

House Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee hires Paul Nagle, ex-Van Scoyoc Associates, as chief counsel, succeeding Gib Mullan, leaving … House Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee promotes Sean Hayes to deputy chief counsel … House Commerce Committee elevates Charlotte Baker to deputy communications director … SMS/800, provider of database administration services to the telecom industry, promotes Gina Perini to president and CEO, after she held both jobs on acting basis … John Burke, ex-Arris, hired by Rovi as chief operating officer, to be effective Tuesday.

USTelecom hires Galen Roehl, leaving Senate Republican Policy Committee, as vice president-government affairs, effective March 21 … TNCI U.S. telecom provider hires Bill Farwell, ex-Total Call International, as chief financial officer … AMC Networks hires Peter Aronson, ex-Alloy Digital, as executive vice president-original programming and production, IFC … Discovery Communications promotes Jane Latman to general manager-Discovery Fit & Health, and she remains senior vice president-development, Investigation Discovery … Time Warner hires Puja Vohra, ex-Oxygen Media, as senior vice president-marketing and digital, truTV.

Disney Media Networks co-Chairwoman and Disney/ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney leaving Disney Co. to pursue a TV directing career, effective in January … Mason Morfit, president of ValueAct Capital, appointed to Microsoft board and to its audit committee … John Honeycutt promoted to chief technology officer at Discovery Communications from chief operating officer at Discovery Networks International … Telerik mobile app company hires Aaron Mahimainathan, ex-SAP, as chief product officer … National Foreign Trade Council Trade Committee names Brian Bieron, eBay, chairman … Chad Millman promoted to editor-in-chief for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com; Alison Overholt, ex-Hearst Magazines, joins ESPN as editor-in-chief of espnW, its brand targeted to women … Stateside Associates state and local government relations firm hires Dusty Brighton, ex-eBay, as vice president, effective in the spring … Graham Holdings promotes Andrew Rosen to executive vice president, overseeing units including SocialCode, and remains chairman, Kaplan Inc., effective April 1… Lobbyist registration: Google, Simmons and Russell Group, effective Jan. 27.