Josh Silver, president and CEO of Free Press, is exiting that group to become founding CEO of the Democracy Fund, which is described as "a new operating foundation that will challenge the influence of corporate lobbyists over government policymaking."
Craig Aaron, currently Free Press managing director, will succeed Silver starting next month.
Silver will remain a member of the board.
Free Press has been one of the most active groups opposing media consolidation and proposing strong network neutrality regs.
"Josh Silver is one of the founding fathers of Free Press and a formative force in its growth over recent years,"said FCC commissioner Michael Copps. "Many of the causes it champions are causes for which I also have fought. Due in no small part to the efforts of Josh and the dedicated staff at Free Press, the voices of millions of Americans that would otherwise have gone unheard have been heard here at the FCC and in the halls of Congress. Whether fighting to preserve the continued openness of the Internet or the vibrancy of American media, Josh has made an invaluable contribution to our democratic dialogue by elevating issues needing national attention to the national stage."
