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FCC Chair Carr appoints crucial personnel

FCC sees Scott Delacourt ascend to chief of staff position, alongside 10 other appointments

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Appointed Bureau Leaders at the FCC Under Chair Carr Unveiled
Appointed Bureau Leaders at the FCC Under Chair Carr Unveiled

FCC Chair Carr appoints crucial personnel

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced several key staff appointments in the Office of the Chairman, led by FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.

Leadership Changes

Brendan Carr, who has been serving as the Chairman of the FCC since the Trump administration, continues in his role. Carr has been at the centre of recent FCC activities, including the controversial decision to approve the Paramount-Skydance Media merger, which has led to legal ethics complaints regarding alleged misuse of office.

In a significant move, Andy Hendrickson has been appointed as the Chief of the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology (OET). Hendrickson transitions from his previous role as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the FCC Enforcement Bureau, a position he held from October 2024. In his new role, Hendrickson serves as the FCC’s principal technical adviser on spectrum policy, equipment authorization, and evolving communications technologies.

Ira Keltz, who previously served as acting chief of the OET, has been named as the Deputy Chief of the OET.

Key Staff Appointments

Callie Coker, Legal Advisor, will serve as Legal Advisor in the Office of Chairman Carr. She joins from the Wireline Bureau, where she most recently served as Legal Advisor to the Bureau Chief, focusing on universal service, national security, and competition policy.

Adam Chan, National Security Counsel, will serve as Chairman Carr's senior advisor on all national security matters. He joins Chairman Carr's Office from Boyden Gray PLLC where he was an Associate.

Scott Delacourt, with a Juris Doctorate from the University of Michigan Law School and a Bachelor's Degree from Georgetown University, has been named Chief of Staff for the Office of FCC Chairman Carr. He will direct FCC strategic initiatives, management, policy, and operations.

Stephanie Chambless, Special Counsel, Office of the General Counsel, will serve as Special Counsel in the Office of General Counsel and will focus on advancing Chairman Carr's agenda to restore free speech. She joins the FCC from Capitol Hill where she was a Senior Counsel to the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump and Senior Investigative Counsel to the U.S. House Committee on Small Business.

Danielle Thumann has been appointed Senior Counsel - Wireline, Public Safety, and Consumer Protection, serving as Senior Counsel to FCC Chairman Carr on matters before the Wireline Bureau, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, and the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. She rejoined then-Commission Carr's Office in August 2024, after working in the private sector on government relations matters for a nationwide telecommunications infrastructure provider. She previously served as Legal Advisor in Commissioner Carr's Office from March 2021 until July 2023.

Arpan Sura will serve as Senior Counsel to FCC Chairman Carr on matters before the Wireless Bureau, the Space Bureau, the Office of Engineering and Technology, and the Office of International Affairs. Sura has a background in handling regulatory and litigation matters for telecom and tech clients.

Erin Boone, Senior Counsel - Media and Enforcement, will serve as Senior Counsel to FCC Chairman Carr on matters before the Media Bureau and Enforcement Bureau. She previously served as Chief of Staff and wireless advisor to FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington.

Drema Johnson, Confidential Assistant, will serve as Confidential Assistant in the Office of Chairman Carr where she will be responsible for managing administrative operations, scheduling, and travel arrangements for Chairman Carr. She served initially as the Confidential Assistant to then-FCC Chairman William Kennard. Drema also served in the Office of Commissioner Mignon Clyburn as Confidential Assistant and Deputy Chief of Staff.

Anthony Patrone, Legal Advisor, will serve as Legal Advisor in the Office of Chairman Carr. He joins the Commission from the Commerce Department's NTIA, where he served as an Attorney Advisor in the Office of the Chief Counsel with a primary focus on spectrum management issues.

Matt Mittelstaedt, Director, Office of Legislative Affairs, will lead the FCC’s Office of Legislative Affairs. Immediately prior to joining the FCC, Mittelstaedt worked for Senator JD Vance as a Legislative Aide.

Focus on Spectrum Management and Technology Adaptation

The staffing outside of the Chairman and key technical roles like OET chief focuses heavily on spectrum management and adapting regulatory standards to fast-evolving technology sectors, with Hendrickson playing a central role there.

Greg Watson, who will oversee all policy and strategic initiatives, communications, and operations within the Chairman's office, is expected to play a crucial role in this regard.

Sources: 1. FCC.gov 2. Politico 3. Broadcasting & Cable 4. Multichannel News 5. The Hill

  1. The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Chief of the Office of Engineering and Technology (OET), Andy Hendrickson, is the FCC's principal technical adviser on spectrum policy, equipment authorization, and evolving communications technologies.
  2. Scott Delacourt, the new Chief of Staff for the Office of FCC Chairman Carr, will direct FCC strategic initiatives, management, policy, and operations, with a focus on fast-evolving technology sectors.
  3. Anthoy Patrone, Legal Advisor in the Office of Chairman Carr, joins the Commission from the Commerce Department's NTIA, where he had a primary focus on spectrum management issues.
  4. In a significant move, the FCC's Office of Legislative Affairs will be led by Matt Mittelstaedt, who previously worked for Senator JD Vance as a Legislative Aide.
  5. The FCC's staffing, particularly outside the Chairman and key technical roles like OET chief, focuses heavily on spectrum management and adapting regulatory standards to fast-evolving technology sectors, with Hendrickson playing a central role there.

In the context of the given text, video content, general news, OTT, IP, and politics could be related to the broad topic of media and communications, which is a primary focus of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC, through its policy-and-legislation and policy initiatives, can influence the regulation of this sector, including spectrum management and technology adaptation.

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