Appointments Declared for Acting Bureau Leaders by FCC Chair, Brendan Carr
FCC Announces New Appointments for Key Positions
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr has announced new appointments for acting heads of bureaus and other key positions, with the aim of continuing the work of the Federal Communications Commission and delivering great results for the American people.
Among the new appointments, Andy Hendrickson has been named as the Chief of the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology (OET). Hendrickson, serving as the commission’s principal technical advisor, will guide key areas including spectrum policy, equipment authorization, and regulatory standards related to evolving communications technology.
Hendrickson brings over 20 years of technical leadership in telecommunications and digital infrastructure to the role. Prior to his appointment, he was the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau, advising on emerging technology, policy, enforcement, cybersecurity, AI, 911 services, and network outage mitigation. Before joining the FCC, Hendrickson spent more than nine years with Verizon, recently as senior director of the cloud platform contributing to Verizon's 5G network rollout.
The previous Acting Chief of OET, Ira Keltz, will resume his role as Deputy Chief.
Other notable appointments include Eduard Bartholme as the Deputy Bureau Chief of the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau, who previously served as senior outreach director on the Broadband Data Task Force. Erin Boone has been appointed as the Acting Chief of the Media Bureau, having served in various divisions within the FCC and worked at several telecommunications companies before joining the commission.
The new appointments also include an acting general counsel and managing director. Jacob Lewis, the new Acting General Counsel, has a history of service in the U.S. Department of Justice and private practice before joining the FCC. Mark Stephens, the new Managing Director, has held several roles within the FCC, including chief financial officer and senior audit manager, and has a background in accounting and auditing.
Trent Harkrader has been appointed as the Acting Chief of the Wireline Competition Bureau, having been responsible for numerous Commission broadband policy initiatives since 2011. Joel Taubenblatt has been named as the Acting Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, having held several leadership positions within the Bureau. Patrick Webre has been appointed as the Acting Chief of the Enforcement Bureau, having held several leadership roles within the Commission and practiced law in Louisiana and Washington D.C. Debra Jordan has been appointed as the Deputy Chief of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, with a background in managing critical information and communications systems within the Department of Defense.
Brendan Carr expressed gratitude for the new appointees joining him at the FCC and looks forward to drawing on the counsel and advice of the new appointees as they play integral roles in carrying out the FCC's important mission.
- Andy Hendrickson, the new Chief of the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology (OET), will be responsible for guiding key areas such as spectrum policy, video content regulation, and IP infrastructure standards, aiming to deliver great results for the American people.
- As the Acting Chief of the Media Bureau, Erin Boone will work towards ensuring the quality and diversity of general news, policy-and-legislation coverage, and other media content that reaches American households.
- Trent Harkrader, the Acting Chief of the Wireline Competition Bureau, will continue his work on numerous Commission broadband policy initiatives to promote competition and maintain infrastructure for wired telecommunications services.
- Politics and legislation surrounding communications technology will be influenced as Eduard Bartholme, the Deputy Bureau Chief of the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau, collaborates on matters concerning consumer protection, outreach, and access to digital infrastructure.
