Winter Destined to Build Connection
By Cathy Applefeld Olson
If you’d asked Eleanor Winter more than three decades ago if she thought she’d stay in one job for 34 years, she surely would’ve laughed. But Winter, who retired from heading NCTA – The Internet & Television Association’s political action committee in 2022—found her groove in a people-first role where the only constant was change.
“My job was so unusual because it literally changed every two years when the House changed, and then your political plans and political fundraising had to change with it. And on top of that, with all the industry consolidation the board would change quite a bit too. So it always made it challenging in the best way,” Winter says.
Hired by then-NCTA head Decker Anstrom in 1988, Winter served under a succession of the organization’s CEOs, transforming CablePAC into the top telecom industry PAC amid periods of rapid evolution with grace, grit and a dash of good humor. Among the hallmarks of her passion for championing the business were guiding member companies to become more active participants in the political system and mentoring young women through the WICT Network.
Winter “has always provided sage advice that helped us navigate the tricky politics of cable and telecommunications issues on Capitol Hill,” says current NCTA chief Michael Powell. “Eleanor’s expertise provided a strategic foundation for the PAC to remain nimble and industry-forward. She saw tremendous change and shepherded NCTA PAC through exponential growth, industry consolidation, and the challenges of COVID. I also can’t overstate Eleanor’s ability to connect with people.”
That last attribute is something Winter was practically born with. The daughter of former Mississippi Gov. William Winter, she recalls the days when as a young girl she and her two sisters would hand out cards in restaurants and ask people to vote for their father.
“It’s a very odd way to grow up, but every four years until I was in my 20s my father was on the ballot and held several offices. This was old-timey politicking, and it’s just the way we were raised,” she says. “By the time I came to Washington I had quite a bit of experience trying to connect with people and trying to make people feel comfortable. There’s a lot of matchmaking involved when you try to match people in our industry with members of Congress.”
When it came to fundraising, Winter was in a class by herself, even as the task became increasingly difficult after the demise of the Cable Show and later the growing chasm between political parties. She credits continued support from the top down at the NCTA, and is proud that during her tenure 100 percent of the board always gave to the PAC.
“That was the first hurdle, and then to get them a little more involved with their employees was the second hurdle. And then of course, many of these CEOs and their companies had their own political action committees—but somehow it all worked,” she says.
“Taking money from people is never easy, but Eleanor helped us do it with a smile and a cheeriness that made it painless,” says Ron Duncan, co-founder/CEO of GCI and former NCTA board member and Cable PAC chair. “Because of Eleanor’s efforts we were able to spread the cable/broadband message throughout the country and find the support we needed for our initiatives. We all miss working with her and cheer her on for this honor with thanks for all she contributed to the broadband industry.”
Noting the increasingly divisive political landscape, Winter says one of her biggest takeaways after decades on the job is timelier than ever: Be open to other people.
“In my job there were [people] who thought very differently from me and I thought, ‘I have nothing in common with them.’ But if you’re open enough, those are the people you can learn so much from because they get you out of your comfort zone. So just to be open to relationships, and try to meet them halfway. That sounds simple, but it’s harder and harder to do, particularly in D.C.,” she says.
“Now we’re presented with a lot of people feeling very deeply about a lot of issues that have nothing to do with their job. It’s very hard to walk that line. It’s just a new game, and it’s an ugly game. I am so lucky to have been on the Hill when members from both sides of the aisle respected each other so much and many of them were dear friends. We somehow have to find our way back to where people listen to each other, even if they don’t like what they have to say, listen respectfully and find some common ground somewhere so we can all move forward as a country.”