Commerce Department Undersecretary of International Trade Administration Francisco Sanchez resigns … Samsung Telecommunications America hires Steve Merlis, ex-Wiley Rein, as senior counsel-federal affairs … Catapult Consultants hires cybersecurity expert John Kimmins, ex-Applied Communication Sciences, as chief technology officer of consulting firm … Irving Azoff named chairman and CEO of Azoff MSG Entertainment, formed by Madison Square Garden Co. and Azoff Music Management … Cox Communications promotes Kristine Faulkner to lead home security and smart home products, as vice president and general manager, home security and smart home … National Hispanic Media Coalition hires Brian Pacheco, ex-GLAAD, as social media and communications strategist … Scripps Networks Interactive’s John Lansing retiring as president, Scripps Networks division; Burton Jablin promoted to succeed him, and advanced to succeed Jablin as president-home category is Kathleen Finch … Bryan Burns, ex-ESPN, starts The Forward Direction Group, a Guilford, Conn.-based sports consulting firm.

New York Senate confirms state Public Service Commission Commissioner Audrey Zibelman as PSC chairwoman, with Garry Brown the previous chairman … Tribune Broadcasting hires Brian Dollenmayer, ex-Fox, as executive vice president-marketing and promotions, to be effective Monday … Michael Copps, Common Cause, named a fellow this semester at Harvard’s Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy … Constellation Research hires Bridgette Chambers, ex-Americas’ SAP Users’ Group, as CEO and board member, succeeding Ray Wang, who remains chairman and lead analyst … ScaleBase hires Razi Sharir, ex-Xeround, as executive vice president-business development and strategy of company that supports social, gaming, mobile and Web-based app transactions … Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence hires Oren Etzioni, ex-University of Washington, as executive director … Sprint board elects Sara Martinez Tucker, National Math + Science Initiative, a director … National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications adds Craig Collins, Time Warner Cable, to board of advisers.

World Trade Organization new director-general Roberto Azevêdo of Brazil starts, replacing Pascal Lamy … Free State Foundation hires Sarah Leggin, ex-law clerk for then-FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell and at CTIA and the foundation, as legal fellow, as Seth Cooper moves to Washington state and title changes to adjunct senior fellow, and Gregory Vogt, sole telecom law practitioner, named visiting fellow … Reverb Networks wireless networks company names Zoran Kehler, ex-Z/K Advisors and K/K Consulting, as CEO … Signiant file movement software for media and entertainment firm hires Greg Hoskin, ex-Miranda, as managing director-European and Asia-Pacific regions … Oppenheimer Europe hires Xavier Moreels, ex-ING, as managing director, and Nigel Daly, ex-own firm, as executive director, to start European technology and telecom investment banking franchise, of which Moreels is head … NAB TV board adds CBS Senior Vice President-Washington John Orlando filling CBS network seat, in place of CBS Executive Vice President-Planning, Policy and Government Affairs Marty Franks, retiring at month’s end (CD May 30 p19) … Tribal Technologies names Michael Marquez, Code Advisors, to board of mobile analytics firm … Lobbyist registrations: Google-owned GPS firm Waze, Sisu Strategies, effective Aug. 24.

FCC’s Alex Hoehn-Saric, policy director for Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, leaving the agency, plans not announced … MetaPower International promotes John Prouty to chief operating officer of management consulting and technology firm.

Internet Corp. for Assigned Names and Numbers hires Theresa Swinehart, ex-Verizon, as senior advisor to President Fadi Chehadé on global strategy … Nexenta software-defined storage firm hires Tarkan Maner, whose former employers include Dell, CA and IBM, as chairman and CEO, succeeding Mark Lockareff, who was interim CEO and now joins board of advisors … Testronic film, TV, games, software and DTV quality assurance firm promotes Jason Gish to senior vice president-film and television services, and general manager-U.S. operations … Northrop Grumman promotes Robert Hosozawa to vice president-business management, Integrated Logistics and Modernization Division of Technical Services sector, effective Sept. 7 … Discovery Communications promotes Sean Boyle to vice president-development, Discovery Channel.

State and local government affairs and lobbying firm Stateside Associates hires John Howell, ex-Pierson Group, as vice president-regulatory services … Harris Broadcast hires Steve Foreman, ex-Texas Pacific Group, as president-global operations and services, and Jeff Liening, ex-Genband, as senior vice president-global sales operations … MPS Group of Cos. video content management and multiplatform distribution firm hires Mark Brown, ex-Verizon, as chief operations officer, MPS Broadband America … Telemundo Media hires Latha Sarathy, ex-Interactive One/Radio One Digital, as vice president, Telemundo Media Digital Research, and promotes Yatisha Bothwell to vice president-insights & strategy … AOptix wireless optics firm hires François Lê, ex-Network Equipment Technologies, as vice president-global sales, communications … Harris Corp. elects Vyomesh Joshi, formerly of Hewlett-Packard, to board, to be effective Sunday.

NAB Deputy General Counsel Valerie Schulte retiring, effective Friday … Internet Society hires Michael Kende, ex-Analysys Mason, as chief economist, new position … National League of Cities hires Yucel Ors, ex-own consulting firm, as program director for public safety … Telx promotes Chris Downie to CEO of data-center services firm … Fox Sports promotes Robert Gottlieb to executive vice president-marketing … Flocasts digital sports media company hires for multimedia sales, both ex-USA Today high-school sports section, David Weiss as senior vice president and Phil Wendler as vice president.

NAB promotes to senior vice presidents Ann Marie Cumming for communications and Shermaze Ingram for marketing and creative services … Matthew Anderson, ex-News Corp., joins Roku as chief marketing officer, new post; search continues at Roku to find replacement for Charles Seiber as vice president-marketing … Lookingglass Cyber Solutions cybersecurity firm names Allan Thomson, ex-Cisco, chief technology officer … Nexstar promotes Julie Pruett to senior vice president and regional manager, West region, new position … Digital Realty Trust data center firm names John Stewart, ex-Green Street Advisors, senior vice president-investor relations, expected to be effective Sept. 9 … In Shentel organizational realignment, vice presidents adding duties are Thomas Whitaker for cable, Edward McKay, wireline & engineering, and William Pirtle, wireless … A10 Networks hires Ray Smets, ex-Metaswitch Networks, as vice president-worldwide sales.

Inteliquent Chief Financial Officer David Zwick will step down to pursue other personal and career opportunities, effective immediately; Controller Eric Carlson will be interim principal financial officer and interim principal accounting officer.

Telephone and Data Systems names Alan Schultz, ex-Bain & Company, vice president-enterprise growth and portfolio strategy … Susan Miller, ex-Intelsat General, named president-CEO, Inmarsat Government … Online video platform Rightster names Simon Walker, ex-BBC, EMI and EMAP, to newly created role of chief commercial officer.