Kalahari Resorts & Conventions
Round Rock, TX

Dr. Edward Czarnecki is Vice President of Global and Government Affairs at Digital Alert Systems, a leading provider of emergency information solutions for the media industry.

Dr. Czarnecki serves on the Board of Directors for the Advanced Television Systems Committee, or ATSC, where he is also Vice-Chair of the Advanced Emergency Information Implementation Team. He is an active member of several important working groups, including FEMA’s IPAWS Select Working Group and Canada’s Alert Technical Working Group.

He also serves on the Steering Committee of the AWARN Alliance and has contributed his expertise to FEMA’s National Advisory Council alerting group as well as the FCC’s Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council.

Dr. Czarnecki has advised multiple countries on deploying effective public warning systems, working with broadcasters, cable, mobile, and satellite industries across the Americas and Europe.

He earned his Ph.D. from Georgetown University and holds a Master’s Degree and Certificate in International Law from St. John’s University.

Kalahari Resorts & Conventions
Round Rock, TX

Michael Schneider is Vice President for Legislative and Regulatory Affairs at the Texas Association of Broadcasters. 

He began is broadcasting career in 1980 as an assignments editor and associate producer for Houston’s KTRK-TV.  During his four decades in broadcasting, Schneider has also served as News Director, Asst. News Director and Assignments Manager at Austin’s KTBC-TV and KEYE-TV. Since joining TAB in 1996, he has been a leading advocate for Texas broadcasters, driving legislative efforts to protect and strengthen newsgathering rights.

Michael led Texas’ effort to pass the Texas reporter shield law in 2009.  In subsequent legislative sessions he worked to pass the state’s anti-SLAPP litigation law (2011), Defamation Mitigation Act (2013), protections for newsgatherers when reporting third-party allegations, and several upgrades to Texas Public Information Act and Texas Open Meetings Act.

Michael heads up TAB’s legal hotline, legal guides, and ongoing training and career enhancement programs for broadcast newsrooms.  

Schneider graduated from the University of Houston with a BA in Radio-Television-Film and a minor in Political Science.

Kalahari Resorts & Conventions
Round Rock, TX

Davina Sashkin is a Partner at Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP where she advises broadcast and telecommunications clients on FCC compliance and policy strategies, negotiates mergers and acquisitions, and counsels radio and television broadcast clients of all sizes on FCC licensing matters.

Davina regularly represents clients in written and oral advocacy before the Commission and in federal appellate courts.