Meet Our Staff

Chip Pickering has spent his career at the intersection of public policy, technology, and infrastructure—helping shape how communications networks are built, governed, and expanded in the United States. Featured by The Washingtonian as one of Washington, D.C.’s 500 most influential people, Pickering has served as CEO of INCOMPAS since January 2014. Under his leadership, INCOMPAS has grown into a leading national association representing internet, broadband, wireless, and international companies, while expanding its influence on emerging technology and infrastructure policy.

In recent years, Pickering has focused INCOMPAS’s work on the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and the infrastructure required to support it. He founded the Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Competition Center as part of INCOMPAS’s efforts to help policymakers address the next generation of AI model development and deployment. Through this initiative, Pickering helped develop a recommended national framework for AI model and infrastructure policy and led efforts to bring together companies spanning the full AI ecosystem.

During this period, Pickering successfully recruited leading venture capital firms, energy providers, and infrastructure companies to join INCOMPAS. General Catalyst—one of the nation’s largest venture funds, with investments in more than 400 emerging AI companies—joined the association, along with major energy companies and leading hyper-scale data center operators. Additional members include X-energy, a leading Small Modular Reactor (SMR) nuclear company, Pacific Fusion, Williams Company, and Southwestern Power, an affiliate company of MMR. As a result, INCOMPAS has become the only national association representing the full ecosystem of companies building AI models and AI infrastructure, including hyper-scale data centers, fiber networks, and energy systems.

Pickering also played a central role in advancing Mississippi as a destination for hyper-scale data center investment. He led efforts to develop and execute a strategy to recruit large-scale data centers to the state, working closely with Senator Roger Wicker, Mississippi state officials, and private-sector leaders across the energy and technology sectors. Pickering coordinated and led Mississippi delegation meetings with Microsoft, AWS, Amazon, Meta, and Google. As a result of these efforts, Mississippi is experiencing the largest private investment wave in its history, with AWS, Amazon, Compass, Avaio Digital, and most recently xAI announcing data center investments totaling approximately $50 billion statewide.

Before leading INCOMPAS, Pickering served six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Mississippi’s Third District. While in Congress, he served on the Energy and Commerce Committee, including as vice chairman from 2002 to 2006, and was a member of the Telecommunications Subcommittee during a pivotal period in the growth of the internet and broadband competition.

Pickering was a co-chairman and founder of the Congressional Wireless Caucus and served as an assistant minority whip. Earlier, he worked for Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi and served on the staff of the Senate Commerce Committee, where he helped shape the Telecommunications Act of 1996—landmark legislation that established the framework for competition in telecommunications and the commercial internet.

Widely recognized for his role in drafting the 1996 Act, Pickering became a leading Congressional voice on telecommunications policy. During his time in Congress, he chaired the subcommittee overseeing the transition to the commercial internet, the establishment of domain names and registries, and early internet governance.

Prior to joining INCOMPAS, Pickering was a partner at Capitol Resources LLC, a public affairs and government relations firm, where he represented telecommunications providers, nonprofit organizations, and companies across the education, energy, technology, and defense sectors.

Julia brings more than 30 years of experience in the communications industry to her position as Chief of Staff for INCOMPAS. Prior to joining INCOMPAS, she provided consulting and lobbying services to competitive communications companies. She was a co-founder of Cbeyond and has held positions at Intermedia Communications and BellSouth. Julia earned a Bachelor of Science in Communications from the University of Texas.

Staci is an innovative executive with decades of experience in public policy, technology, and business. She is recognized for her ability to navigate complex regulatory landscapes, transforming them into growth opportunities by shaping policies that reduce barriers, unlock funding, and drive innovation in digital infrastructure. With deep expertise in broadband, AI-driven networks, and telecommunications, Staci has consistently delivered measurable, long-term impact for organizations and communities.

As Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs at Crown Castle, Staci launched the company’s first Washington, D.C. office and public policy team. Her efforts positioned Crown Castle as a key player in digital infrastructure deployment, creating long-term regulatory improvements and securing federal funding. Staci’s leadership also led to the development of national advocacy strategies that streamlined broadband infrastructure permitting, reducing regulatory burdens, and lowering deployment costs.

Previously, Staci served as Senior Policy Counsel at Google, where she expanded market opportunities by ensuring regulations supported the deployment of digital infrastructure and minimized barriers to broadband expansion, thereby safeguarding YouTube’s profitability and influencing Google’s hardware standards. She led policy initiatives for alternative access technologies, advancing 5G spectrum strategies and contributing to the U.S. Government’s National Spectrum Policy, which generated $500 billion in U.S. economic value. Additionally, Staci developed and implemented public policy strategies to integrate cybersecurity and privacy protections into connectivity and telecom products, enhancing digital security and regulatory compliance.

At Microsoft and Skype, Staci secured support from business champions and the Speaker of the House to implement a rule change allowing Skype usage in Congress. She collaborated with the House and Senate Committees on Administration to educate members on Skype’s security protocols, ultimately securing full endorsement. Staci also developed an action plan featuring technology demonstrations, an educational initiative, and customized user agreements for Congress and federal agencies.

Staci offers unique value by aligning public policy with commercial objectives, helping organizations expand market opportunities and minimize regulatory impact. She brings clarity, structure, and momentum to complex environments, aligning internal stakeholders around shared goals. Staci builds intentionally collaborative culture, empowering team members to take ownership of their work and driving innovation. Her leadership creates an environment where teams are motivated to achieve collective success. Innovation is a key driver for her, alongside her dedication to empowering people with access to technology. She builds on this commitment through her service on the United Way of the National Capital Area board.

Staci holds a Juris Doctorate from Washington College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Pepperdine University.

Chris was named Executive Director of Public Policy in 2023, and will lead the association’s efforts to expand its advocacy on behalf of members. He joined INCOMPAS in 2015, serving as attorney and policy advisor responsible for representing INCOMPAS on wireless, universal service, disabilities access, media, and competition issues. Before joining INCOMPAS, Chris was an associate with LMI Advisors, advising clients in the satellite and wireless industries on regulatory issues related to experimental licensing and international market access.

Earlier in his career, Chris completed a legal internship with Harris Corporation, a telecommunications equipment manufacturer, and served as the legal fellow for Rep. Anna Eshoo, the Ranking Member of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. Chris graduated from the Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America with a Juris Doctor in 2013 and also earned a certification from the Institute for Communications Law Studies. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame in 2000, Chris served for three administrations as a policy analyst and grant administrator at the Arizona Governor’s Office.

Serving as the Director of Communications at INCOMPAS, Keith Matthews leads efforts to strengthen the association’s digital presence, media relations, and industry influence. With strategic vision and proven expertise, Keith develops and implements communication initiatives that effectively advance INCOMPAS’s position within the competitive communications industry. He oversees all external messaging, including press releases, social media strategy, and executive communications, while also managing stakeholder relationships with industry partners and media outlets. Additionally, Keith coordinates cross-departmental messaging to ensure consistency across all platforms and represents the organization at key industry events.

Prior to joining the INCOMPAS team, Keith worked for both the Mortgage Bankers Association and the Auto Care Association, as the digital lead directly responsible for the development and execution of their digital campaigns and strategies. A graduate of Bowie State University, Keith earned his B.S in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing.

Taylor joined INCOMPAS as a policy advisor in 2024. Before this role, she was a legal intern for the INCOMPAS policy team in 2023, where her work focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies.

In 2024, Taylor graduated from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America with a Juris Doctor and earned a certificate in Intellectual Property from the Institute of Law and Technology. While in law school, Taylor was the Vice President of the Women’s Law Caucus, a Student Bar Association Senator, and a member of the First Generation Law Student Union. During her last semester, she was a regulatory intern at SES Americom Satellites, where she analyzed international regulations related to spectrum sharing and non-geostationary satellite frequency allocations.

Before law school, Taylor was a law clerk for Kosmitis Bond APLC in Shreveport, La., where she worked on medical malpractice and nursing home neglect claims. Taylor graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Centenary College of Louisiana in 2020. During college, she spent a summer at the Université Catholique in Lille, France, and studied policy of the European Union.

Gail brings more than 25 years of journalism, marketing communications, public relations and public policy advocacy experience to her role at INCOMPAS. For the past 13 years, Gail has provided writing and public relations services to clients in a wide variety of industries, including wireless and landline telecommunications, cloud, semiconductor, network security, healthcare IT, virtual reality and venture funding.

Early in her career, Gail spent more than 10 years in editorial positions at telecommunications trade magazines and business publications, serving as editor in chief and executive editor of xchange magazine, and editor/reporter roles at tele.com, Local Competition Report and the Washington Business Journal. During her time at tele.com, Gail won a Jesse H. Neal 1999 Editorial Achievement Award for coverage of rural telecom and Internet issues in the August 1998 issue of the magazine. Gail earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Marymount University.

Jane Hopson graduated from the University of Mississippi in 2025 with a B.S. in Integrated Marketing and Communications. While at Ole Miss, she was a member of the Chancellor’s Leadership Class, a Provost Scholar, and was named to the Chancellor’s and Dean’s Honor Rolls. In addition to serving on the Student Alumni Council, Jane was president of Kappa Delta Sorority. As president, she led a chapter of over 500 members and implemented strategic plans to enhance member retention and recruitment. She also fostered strong relationships with the National Kappa Delta Council and alumni. Jane interned for Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), where she assisted with administrative and communication tasks. She also worked as a real estate leasing assistant at Limerick Properties, where she identified potential tenants and supported leasing operations.