FCC Commissioner Clyburn Announces Staff

Federal Communications Commissioner Mignon Clyburn announced that Michele Ellison will lead the Commissioner's transition efforts and that Renée Roland Crittendon has been named Chief of Staff and Senior Legal Advisor. Commissioner Clyburn also announced the appointment of Rick Kaplan as acting Legal Advisor and Chief of External Affairs, Carol Simpson as acting Legal Advisor and Almira Kennedy as interim Confidential Assistant. Crystal Rice will join the office as interim Staff Assistant.
1) Michele Ellison will lead the transition effort for Commissioner Clyburn. Ms. Ellison joined the Commission in 1995 and has served as Deputy General Counsel for twelve years and more recently as Acting General Counsel. In addition to her duties in the General Counsel's office, Ms. Ellison has provided leadership in many areas, including co-chairing the Commission's Localism Task Force and serving as senior advisor to former Chairman Kennard on a variety of substantive and agency-wide operational matters. Before joining the Commission, she was a partner with the law firm of Williams and Connolly.

2) Renée Roland Crittendon will serve as Chief of Staff and Senior Legal Advisor. In addition to her duties as chief of staff and senior legal advisor, Ms. Crittendon will focus on spectrum, international and public safety matters. Ms. Crittendon has been at the FCC for eight years. She was recently named by Chairman Genachowski as a Deputy Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. Prior to that appointment, she served as Chief of Staff and Senior Legal Advisor in the Office of Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein where she was responsible for spectrum, broadband, international and public safety issues.

3) Rick Kaplan will serve as acting Legal Advisor and Chief of External Affairs. As part of his role as legal advisor, Mr. Kaplan will be responsible for media and consumer issues. Mr. Kaplan most recently served as the deputy coordinator of the DTV task force at the FCC. Previously, Mr. Kaplan worked in the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. House of Representatives, where he counseled Members of Congress on a broad range of legal issues and litigated on behalf of the House. Before working on Capitol Hill, Mr. Kaplan was an associate at Sidley Austin LLP with a focus on appellate litigation and regulatory affairs.

4) Carol Simpson will serve as acting Legal Advisor for wireline and broadband matters. Ms. Simpson has been at the Commission since 2004. She spent two years in the Wireline Competition Bureau before moving to the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, where she most recently served as Acting Associate Bureau Chief. Prior to joining the Commission, Ms. Simpson practiced telecommunications law at Hogan & Hartson. Ms. Simpson received her B.A. from the University of Virginia and her J.D. from the University of Texas, where she was Editor-in-Chief of the Texas Law Review.

5) Almira Kennedy will act as interim Confidential Assistant to Commissioner Clyburn. Ms. Kennedy will be responsible for managing the office as well as the Commissioner's personal schedule and travel arrangements.