The board of directors of the Satellite Industry Association (SIA) named David Cavossa its new executive director, effective June 14. Cavossa has served as SIA’s director of external relations for the last three years, and he has been acting executive director since the departure of Richard DalBello some two months ago.

As executive director, Cavossa will be a chief advocate for satellite operators, manufacturers, value-added resellers, launch-service providers and ground-equipment suppliers on a broad range of trade, regulatory and legislative issues.

Kalpak Gude, vice president/government and regulatory affairs and associate general counsel for PanAmSat [SPOT] along with serving as current SIA chairman, said Cavossa, in his tenure at SIA, has demonstrated a great passion for working on the issues that affect the satellite industry.

“The entire SIA board is very confident that Mr. Cavossa is the right person to manage the organization at this time,” Gude said. “During the past three years, David has played a leading role in improving the commercial satellite industry’s exposure to regulators and legislators throughout the world by coordinating regulatory filings in several administrations on issues of common concern to the industry.”