Emmett Benjamin “Jay” Kitchen was an FCC telecom policy maker and an industry association leader who shaped wireless and advocated its advancements for over four decades. Well respected and admired in the industry, Jay was known for being a valued manager and mentor, with a gift for connecting with everyone from staffers to senators, and from small businessmen to wireless industry giants.

Born in Washington D.C., May 1, 1945, Jay grew up in the DC area. He graduated from Virginia Tech with an electrical engineering degree in 1968. Soon after, Jay joined the FCC’s Safety and Special Radio Services Bureau (precursor to the Private Radio Bureau and the current Wireless Telecommunications Bureau). In 1974, he served as special engineering assistant to FCC commissioner Charlotte Reid, and again in 1976 for FCC commissioner Margita White.

By 1979, Jay joined the National Association of Business and Educational Radio (NABER) as its president and CEO. In the 1980s, there was a dramatic shift from private internal communication systems and community repeaters, both of which at the time required subscribers to hold an FCC license, to common and private carrier systems. Jay championed a fundamental FCC licensing change on common and private carrier subscribers that they need not hold licenses as the owner operators are ultimately responsible for the system’s operational performance and compliance with applicable FCC regulations. This policy was pursued despite the loss of frequency coordination revenues attributable to subscriber licensing.

In 1994, Jay oversaw the merger between NABER and the Personal Communications Industry Association (PCIA) and then headed the newly formed trade association PCIA (now the Wireless Infrastructure Association). His tenure at PCIA (from 1994 to 2004) was a period of rapid growth in the telecom industry, during which Jay oversaw PCIA through many changes and advancements. One key moment occurred on September 11, 2001, as the PCIA trade show was about to begin. Jay’s integrity and leadership showed when, after the tragic events of that day, he sent everyone home and made the decision to refund the money of all the show’s exhibitors, despite PCIA having to take a financial loss. Throughout his career, Jay was a key advocate for wireless deregulation and played a significant role in winning spectrum for broadband/narrowband PCS. He championed the growth of critical wireless infrastructure and free-market competition in telecommunications.

Jay was a Fellow of the Radio Club of America and a past member of their board. He was inducted into the Wireless Hall of Fame in 2007. Jay passed away on December 13, 2015, after a 16-year battle with Parkinson’s disease. To honor his legacy in the industry, the Radio Club established the Jay Kitchen Leadership Award in 2019, which is given to deserving individuals whose leadership embodies energetic advocacy, cooperation, avid interest, humor, and respect for all. Awardees are those who have achieved a high level of success leading a wireless association, government agency, or commercial enterprise, ensuring those following his example are recognized in the industry for years to come.