Staff
PETER BACKOF, Research Associate
Peter Backof joined APT as a Research Associate in 2007. His primary responsibilities include the research and writing for updates of two APT reports, A Nation of Laboratories and A Broadband World. Mr. Backof also provides support to the Broadband Change My Life campaign and writes for the APT blog.
Mr. Backof has worked in the editorial departments of the Center for American Progress, the City Paper in Baltimore, Dickinson's magazine The Square, and several other publications. He has also worked in community technology centers in Carlisle, PA, and Sacramento, CA, the latter as part of a year of service in Americorps. Mr. Backof received his B.A. in Political Science and Creative Writing from Dickinson College.
SYLVIA ROSENTHAL, Executive Director
As Executive Director of the Alliance for Public Technology, Sylvia Rosenthal oversees the management of the organization and all of its projects, including the newsletter and the annual Susan G. Hadden awards program. She is responsible for the development and implementation of educational outreach programs and materials related to both the applications of telecommunications technology and the underlying public policy for its equitable diffusion.
Ms. Rosenthal has been working in the area of nonprofit applications of telecommunications technology since 1987, with special emphasis on disability access. She has designed and implemented programs and exhibits on this topic for national and regional audiences of community, industry and government leaders, including the U. S. Congress. At the Alliance, Ms. Rosenthal works with a broad range of constituencies, including education, health care, rural, urban, minority, disability and economic development, in pursuit of equitable access to communications technologies and services for all sectors of our society.
Prior to joining APT, Ms. Rosenthal developed a reputation as an expert in telecommunications and consumer education as Executive Director of the Tele-Consumer Hotline. At the Hotline, she monitored industry trends and consumer concerns, while administering the 800 number counseling service.
Ms. Rosenthal is also Senior Vice President of Issue Dynamics Inc. where she devotes her time exclusively to management of APT. Before entering the telecommunications field, she was the director of a private school. She earned a B.A. in history from the University of Maryland and an M.A. with special emphasis on political history from Baltimore Hebrew University.
MAYTAL SELZER, Program Associate
Maytal Selzer joined APT as Program Associate in 2006. In this role, she provides research, writing, event planning and communication support. Ms. Selzer’s public relations experience will allow her to assist in outreach projects and communication development initiatives.
Prior to joining APT, Ms. Selzer gained experience at a dynamic public relations agency where she worked on a variety of clients including immigration coalitions, education public policy alliances and national associations. She led research projects, planned national summits and Capitol Hill events, and provided communication and media relations support to her clients. Ms. Selzer has also worked in the communication departments of the National Geographic Channel and the Human Rights Campaign.
Ms. Selzer graduated from George Mason University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, concentration in Political and Persuasive Discourse.
