About Charles W. "Chip" Pickering
Congressman Charles Willis "Chip" Pickering Jr. was born in 1963 in Laurel, MS. The only son of Judge and Mrs. Charles W. Pickering, he represented Mississippi’s 3rd Congressional District from 1997-2009 in the United States House of Representatives. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of INCOMPAS.
Pickering graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Mississippi and received a Master of Business Administration from Baylor University in 1989. Later that year, President George H. W. Bush, appointed him as a United States Department of Agriculture liaison to the former European Communist countries after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Pickering served as a staffer to Sen. Trent Lott from 1992-1996, where he contributed to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the first major overhaul of American telecommunications law since 1934. After a year with the Senate Commerce Committee, Pickering ran for Congress in 1996 to replace retiring MSU alumnus Congressman G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery. He won with 61% of the vote and became only the second Republican to serve in the seat since Reconstruction.
Over his six consecutive terms in Congress, Pickering was a leader on telecommunications policy that permanently shaped the global information highway for 21st century industrial and economic growth. Pickering was the vice-chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and an active member of several of its subcommittees. He also chaired the Basic Research Subcommittee of the House Science Committee, where he oversaw landmark changes such as the transition of a government research internet to a commercial internet, as well as the establishment of internet domain names, registries, and multi-stakeholder governance. He also successfully led a bipartisan legislative effort to codify net neutrality principles in 2006.
An advocate for all aspects of wildlife, Pickering contributed legislation to the 2002 Farm Bill that doubled the conservation and wetland reserve programs and other conservation programs administered by the USDA. His conservation efforts have continue today through his chairmanship of Wildlife Mississippi and the management of family-owned timberlands in both Jones and Madison counties.
Pickering served as George W. Bush's co-chairman for Mississippi in Bush's presidential campaigns in 2000 and 2004. Along with fellow Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson, Pickering received the Lewis-Houghton Leadership Award in 2008. Named for civil rights pioneer Congressman John Lewis and Congressman Amo Houghton, this prestigious award recognizes leaders who exhibit conscience, courage, and compassion in their roles as public servants.
After retiring from Congress in 2009, Chip became a partner with Capitol Resources LLC, a public affairs and government relations firm, where he represented telecom clients as well as non-profits and companies specializing in education, energy, technology and defense.
Pickering has been CEO of INCOMPAS since 2014. Under his leadership, INCOMPAS has achieved significant growth with leading internet, backbone, business broadband, wireless, and international companies and has led numerous public policy campaigns promoting competition through an open internet and in the business broadband market.
Pickering has also served as an adjunct professor in the University of Mississippi's Department of Public Leadership Policy.
Pickering and his wife, Beth, have eight children and several grandchildren.
