WASHINGTON—FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has made some of her first appointments as head of the commission, announcing P. Michele Ellison as the FCC’s acting general counsel and Joel Taubenblatt as acting chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.
Ellison is replacing Tom Johnson in the role of general counsel; Johnson is stepping down and will continue to serve in the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. Tabuenblatt, meanwhile, will take over for Donald Stockdale, who will transition to the Office of Economics and Analytics.
Ellison has been with the FCC for 25 years, during which time she primarily served as the deputy general counsel for the commission. Ellison also chairs the FCC’s Connect2Health Task Force, as well as previously heading the FCC’s Localism Task Force and the task force on expanding communications opportunities for small, minority and women-owned businesses, as well as developing countries. She is the first woman of color to serve as the agency’s chief of staff, chief of the Enforcement Bureau and acting general counsel.
Taubenblatt is himself a 25-year veteran of the FCC. He most recently served as deputy chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, a position he has held for one-third of his time with the commission. During his FCC tenure, Taubenblatt has worked on spectrum access and availability, network and infrastructure deployment and intermodal and intramodal competition. Past leadership positions within the FCC include chief of the Competition and Infrastructure Policy Division and chief of the Broadband Division.
“Michele and Joel bring the perfect mix of experience and expertise to their new roles,” said Rosenworcel. “They both have a deep understanding of communications law and policy and a keen sense of initiative that will be invaluable as the agency takes on its work in the days ahead.”
