As expected, just-installed FCC chairman Julius Genachowski has named his top staffers, including Ed Lazarus as his chief of staff.
At the same time, Genachowski gave a shout-out to the commissioner whose seat he is assuming. "I would like to thank Jonathan Adelstein for more than six years of outstanding public service at the Federal Communications Commission," said the new chairman in a statement. "Throughout his tenure at the Commission, he has tirelessly championed the public interest. The FCC and the public have benefited greatly from his rich understanding of media and technology policy, and his devotion to the democratic process. While I regret that I won't have the pleasure of serving with Jonathan at the FCC, I look forward to forging a strong partnership with him in his future work."
Then it was down to business, including naming a special advisor for FCC reform.
As expected, Lazarus, from law firm Akin, Gump, will be Genachowski's top adminisrator.
Named as senior counselor to the chairman was Colin Crowell, former staffer to Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and to the Telecom Subcommittee when Markey chaired it.
Bruce Gottleib, will be chief counsel and senior legal advisor. He has been legal advisor to commissioner and then acting chairman Michael Copps.
Priya Aiyar will be legal advisor for wireline competition and inernational issues. She has been a partner at Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans and Figel. Sherrese Smith will also be a legal advisor for media, consumer and enforcement issues.
She has been vice president and general counsel at Washington Post Digital and before that was a member of Arnold and Porter's Intellectual Property Group.
Sherry Gelfand will be Genachowski's confidential assistant.
Daniel Ornstein, who had been managing new media initiatives, including mobile, for CBS, joins as a special assistant to the chairman.
Mary Beth Richards will head up an intiative to follow-through with Genachowski's promise of transparency as a special counsel to the chairman for reform. She has been serving as acting managing director of the commission and had been at the FCC since 1984 before exiting for an FTC post in 2006 before recently returning. She is a veteran at charting FCC reform under former Chairman Reed Hundt.
Ruth Milkman, like Genachowski, a former top staffer under the FCC of Hundt, will lead the transition for the new chairman.
