ESA Gov't Relations Head Exits After Brief Tenure

Just two months after the Entertainment Software Association announced her appointment as its head of government relations, former FCC senior counsel Jennifer Manner is out of the position. The ESA confirmed the departure to Gamasutra this morning, following media reports that suggested Manner's lack of specific Capitol Hill experience may have hampered her ability to adapt to a lobbying role. Manner is a Democrat, and gained experience public policy and federal tech issues while with the FCC. Prior to that, she held an executive role at Skyterra Communications, and has served as legal counsel to a variety of tech-based organizations. Last month, the ESA said it was her policy experience in the broadband space in particular that made her a good fit for the position. The ESA declined to comment on the specifics of Manner's departure nor on any potential replacement. The Entertainment Software Association spent a record $4,244,364.50 on federal lobbying in 2008, with activity in both chambers of Congress on broadband deployment, online gaming governance and immigration issues, and throughout Washington at the U.S. Trade Representative, Department of State, National Security Council Patent & Trademark Office and other agencies on trade regulation, anti-piracy and patent modernization.