Daizo Kosa is General Manager and Chief Corporate Representative of NTT in the Washington D.C. Representative Office.  He joined NTT East Corporation in Japan in April 2000.

He has been in diverse organizations such as corporate strategy, system engineering, service development, and procurement in NTT by utilizing his in-depth knowledge of, and expertise in, NTT’s products/services and solutions in information and communications technology (“ICT”), global network infrastructure, business management and development methods, corporate liaison methods, and client needs and requirements.

He completed of a bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering at Keio University of Japan (2000). He also obtained his graduate degree in Business Administration at the College of William and Mary, Mason School of Business (2011).

Dr. Levin joined the Department of Economics in the School of Business at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 1972, became Professor of Economics in 1985, and was Chairman of the Department of Economics from 1986 to 1994. He became Professor Emeritus in 2002. In November, 1984, he was appointed Commissioner of the Illinois Commerce Commission, the state utility regulatory agency, by Governor James R. Thompson, serving until March, 1986, when he returned to the University. From 1996 until 2002, Dr. Levin was Director of the School of Business’ International Exchange Programs. In addition, Dr. Levin is President of the Resource Group, Inc., an economic consulting firm, and he has served as a member of Bellcore’s Advisory Board. He was a consulting economist to the Chicago Regional Office of the Federal Trade Commission from 1979 to 1983, and he spent a sabbatical leave in 1978 at the Energy Service of Data Resources, Inc., in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Levin has a B.A. in Economics from Grinnell College and a Ph. D. in Economics from the University of Michigan. He has published numerous articles, papers, reports, and monographs, including articles in the Southern Economic Journal, The Review of Economics and Statistics, the Review of Industrial Organization, the Journal of Energy Law and Policy, Telecommunications Policy, and the International Review of Economics and Business. He is also a co-editor of a book on antitrust and a book on telecommunications. In addition, he has presented papers at professional economics meetings, served as an expert witness in antitrust and regulatory proceedings, and testified before federal and state regulatory commissions in the U. S. and in Canada and in U. S. federal and state courts. Dr. Levin consults in the areas of telecommunications, energy, antitrust, and economics, and his clients have included companies and public agencies in the U. S. and in several countries around the world. He has organized economics conferences and has spoken to a variety of professional and trade groups. He is on the Board of Directors of the International Telecommunications Society, has been a trustee and president of the Illinois Economic Association, and is a member of several professional economics organizations.

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!