Leland Schmidt
Chair
Finance Committee

Lee Schmidt is a graduate of the University of Minnesota with a degree in Economics. Immediately after graduation in July, 1959, he joined GTE, a major telecommunications services firm operating multi-nationally. His entire career, spanning almost forty years, was spent in various capacities with GTE, primarily in public policy, regulation and strategic planning matters.

From 1965 to 1984, Lee's primary focus was on the U.S. domestic public policy arena, dealing with various state and federal regulatory agencies and legislative bodies.

It was during this time that the philosophical paradigm was shifting from regulation of monopoly telecom services suppliers to one of competitive supply of services. Therefore, there was a transformation of the entire basis of public policy application to the telecom sector of the economy.

After 1984, Lee, in addition to continuing to oversee these matters within the U.S., added the international scene to his portfolio. From 1989 through to his retirement from GTE in October, 1998, Lee was heavily involved in a wide range of international negotiations. He helped countries transform their telecom sectors from state ownership to private ownership. His long experience in telecom public policy matters was very useful in the negotiations in foreign nations.

Lee became involved in ITS activities in the early 1980s. After several years of attending and speaking at ITS conferences, Lee was appointed to the ITS Board of Directors at the Venice Biennial Conference in 1990. He was subsequently elected ITS Treasurer at the ITS Biennial Conference in Seville in 1996. Even after his retirement from GTE, Lee continues to be very active in ITS matters. He believes ITS activities keep him involved in critical telecom/information service public policy debates.

Besides, he likes to meet up with his many friends world-wide and (of course) travel to interesting places!