FCC inspector general Feaster retires

[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Jeremy Pelofsky]
FCC Inspector General Walker Feaster, who fought for more resources to probe abuses in subsidized communications to schools and libraries, retired last week. He left the agency on January 3 after more than 11 years in the position and 38 years of government work. The FCC's inspector general's office already had three vacancies, according to its Web site, the assistant inspector general for the Universal Service Fund (USF), the assistant inspector general for investigations, and a senior auditor. IG Feaster in October clashed with the FCC over its plans to overhaul management and monitoring of the USF, which includes the E-Rate schools and libraries program, expressing concerns that his oversight could be impeded by changes adopted. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has appointed as acting inspector general Kent Nilsson, who works in the agency's office of engineering and technology.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyid=2006-01-10T134359Z_01_DIT049398_RTRUKOC_0_US-TELECOMS-FCC-INSPECTORGENE...

* FCC CHAIRMAN MARTIN ANNOUNCES THE ACTING INSPECTOR GENERAL AND ACTING DEPUTY INSPECTOR GENERAL
Chairman Martin named Dr. Kent Nilsson as Acting Inspector General and Jon Stover as Acting Deputy Inspector General. Dr. Kent Nilsson most recently served as Special Counsel and Deputy Chief of the FCC's Network Technology Division in the Office of Engineering and Technology. Before joining the Office of Engineering and Technology, Dr. Nilsson was Deputy Chief of the FCC's Network Services Division in the Common Carrier Bureau . While Deputy Chief, Dr. Nilsson also served as the Commission's Managing Counsel for the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act and managed the Common Carrier Bureau's Y2K initiatives for telephone companies. Before becoming Deputy Chief of the Network Services Division, Dr. Nilsson served as Chief of the Cost Analysis Branch of the Common Carrier Bureau's Accounting and Audits Division. In that capacity, he was responsible for econometric modeling, and the Commission's administration of the Universal Service Fund and the Average Schedule Settlements processes in addition to the Commission's administration of rules governing jurisdictional separations. Previously, Dr. Nilsson served as a Senior Attorney-Advisor and as legal counsel to former FCC Commissioner Henry M. Rivera (Mr Rivera is the benton Foundation's General Counsel ). Jon Stover most recently served as Special Advisor to the Director of the FCC's Office of Legislative Affairs after having served as Senior Counsel in the Wireline Competition Bureau and in the Office of General Counsel. Before joining the FCC, Jon was a partner in an energy litigation firm after having served as Chief of Staff and Chief Counsel to the Chairman of the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC). Prior to his service at the ICC, Jon was an Associate General Counsel of Tenneco, Inc (a Fortune 50 energy conglomerate). Before joining Tenneco, Jon was the Assistant General Counsel for Natural Gas at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Jon began his career as an attorney with a major natural gas trade association and then became Director of Federal Agency Affairs for El Paso Natural Gas Company.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-263125A1.doc