Michael K. Powell

Michael K. Powell

Michael K. Powell served as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission at a time of revolutionary change in technology and communications. He was appointed by President Clinton in 1997 and was designated Chairman by President Bush in 2001.

As chairman, Mr. Powell created the right regulatory conditions to stimulate the deployment of powerful technologies that put more power in the hands of the people. He clearly saw the importance of the rise of digital technologies and the impact they would have on our lives, from health care to education. As chairman, he focused on initiatives that encouraged market-driven solutions that promoted consumer interests and drove innovative approaches to getting broadband technology out to people—such as broadband over power lines, WiFi hotspots, cable broadband and DSL. From campaigning for the right to keep your phone number when switching wireless carriers to fighting to block unwanted telemarketing calls with a Do-Not-Call list to cautiously policing the airwaves for indecency, Mr. Powell put consumers at the forefront in this exciting and dynamic marketplace.

Chairman Powell previously served as the Chief of Staff of the Antitrust Division in the Department of Justice.

Mr. Powell was an associate in the law firm of O’Melveny & Myers, and he clerked for the Honorable Harry T. Edwards, Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Mr. Powell graduated in 1985 from the College of William and Mary with a degree in government. He earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Mr. Powell is currently a Senior Advisor of Providence Equity Partners. He is also a board member of Cisco, ObjectVideo, the Rand Corporation, the Aspen Institute, and America’s Promise. He is also working to raise resources to build the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial in Washington, D.C.