FCC Announces The Appointment Of Matthew Duchesne As Chief Of The Office Of Native Affairs And Policy

The Federal Communications Commission announced the appointment of Matthew Duchesne to serve as the chief of the FCC’s Office of Native Affairs and Policy (ONAP). Duchesne is joining the FCC from the US Bureau of Reclamation where he served as program manager for Native American and International Affairs. While there, he led the agency’s work related to Tribal consultation and negotiation of settlements associated with Tribal water rights claims in the western United States. Duchesne has also worked as a senior policy official at the Department of Energy with a portfolio that included serving as a negotiator with Tribal and state governments on behalf of the United States. He served as a Brookings Institution legislative fellow with Congresswoman Chellie Pingree and Senator Ron Wyden, and served as a Supreme Court fellow in the office of the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist. Mr. Duchesne earned his law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with high honors. He holds a BA in Political Science from Miami University (Magna Cum Laude) and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The Office of Native Affairs and Policy serves as the Commission's catalyst to help improve the level of broadband, telecommunications, and broadcast deployment throughout Indian country. The office represents the FCC in government-to-government consultation with sovereign Tribal nations, works with other FCC offices and bureaus to develop and implement policies for assisting Native communities, and ensures that Native concerns and voices are considered in all relevant Commission proceedings and initiatives.