Spierto comes to TechAmerica from the U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection and Security Technologies (CIPST). There, he coordinated and crafted policy discussions with stakeholders in the development of H.R. 3696, the National Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection Act. He starts his new position on April 14.
TechAmerica’s top public-sector lobbyists jumped ship to a rival firm – the International Technology Industry Council – late last year. Spierto’s hiring follows that of Mike Hettinger, senior vice president of Public Sector and Federal Government Affairs, who was brought on in December 2013.
“Cybersecurity is a top priority for our members and we are thrilled to have Michael joining the team with his wealth of knowledge of the technical needs of any policy and an expert perspective on the policy landscape,” Hettinger said in a statement.
In an email to Government Technology, Spierto said that his background will enable him to “hit the ground running” with TechAmerica. He noted that many of the association’s members were involved with the CIPST subcommittee in shaping policy that developed threat information sharing between the federal government and private sector.
“This is an excellent new challenge for me personally,” Spierto said. “Over 90 percent of our nation’s critical infrastructure lies within the private sector. In order to protect Americans from the threat of cyberattacks, there must be a partnership between experts in the industry and the government. This opportunity allows me to expand my skills while helping to craft a policy agenda that ensures the safety of our nation.”
Prior to his work with the Homeland Security Committee, Spierto was a legislative assistant for Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., where he was involved in the issues of defense, education, homeland security and telecommunications. Spierto began his public policy career working for Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Pa.
