The Director and Staff
Carolyn Fleming Williams - Director
Ms. Fleming Williams has the primary responsibility for overseeing the
Commission’s compliance with the requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility
Act, the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 (SBREFA),
and the Small Business Administration’s size standard rules issued pursuant
to the Small Business Act. Ms. Fleming Williams served as OCBO’s Acting
Deputy Director, and prior to that, she was an attorney-advisor in the
Consumer Protection and Competition Division of the former Cable Services
Bureau (currently the Media Bureau). She holds a J.D. degree from The
Georgetown University Law Center and an A.B. from Princeton University.
News
Release
Eric Malinen - Senior Legal Advisor
and FCC Liaison to the SBA Mr. Malinen joined OCBO as the Senior Legal
Advisor in December 1996. He works on small business matters, especially
as they arise during the course of agency rule makings, and has regular
contact with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). He has overseen
much of the agency’s implementation of programs under the SBREFA. Prior
to joining OCBO, he was a senior staff attorney in the Wireless Telecommunications
Bureau and the former Private Radio Bureau. He hails from Minnesota, and
has worked at the FCC since 1988. News
Release
Maura McGowan - Telecommunications Policy Analyst
Ms. McGowan joined the FCC in October 1986 as a Television Production
Specialist in the Office of the Managing Director. In 1989, she moved
to the FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology, where she served as
a Telecommunications Specialist. In 1996, Ms. McGowan joined the OCBO,
where she is presently a Telecommunications Policy Specialist. Ms. McGowan
received her bachelor's degree in Journalism/Mass Communications from
St. Bonaventure University.
Belford V. Lawson III - Attorney Advisor
Mr. Lawson joined the staff of OCBO in 1996. He has performed legal research,
and law-related social scientific research, needed to support various
formal Research Studies which have been undertaken by OCBO to determine
the presence and effects of market entry barriers for small businesses
entering the field of telecommunications. He has also performed legal
and policy research used to implement the Schools and Libraries-related
provisions of Section 254 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Mr. Lawson
received a B.A. cum laude from Harvard; an M.A. from Columbia;
a J.D. from Georgetown; and an LL.M. in Telecommunications Law and Policy
from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Calvin Osborne - Attorney Advisor
Mr. Osborne is primarily responsible for addressing issues related to small and minority-
and women-owned broadcast companies. Mr. Osborne serves as a FCC liaison to small and
minority- and women-owned broadcast companies. He is responsible for preparing the
statutorily mandated reports to Congress, including the Section 257 Report. Mr. Osborne comes
to OCBO from the Policy Division of CGB and has also worked on various Section 271
Applications while in the Pricing Policy Division of the Wireline Bureau. Mr. Osborne received
his J.D. degree from the University of Missouri, Kansas City and his B.S in Management and
Economics from William Jewell College, Liberty Missouri.
Karen M. Beverly - Consumer-Industry
Affairs Specialist and Assistant for Management
Ms. Beverly serves as OCBO’s Consumer and Industry Affairs Specialist
and the Assistant for Management. In that capacity, she fields inquiries,
oversees outreach to small, minority and women-owned businesses and oversees
the day-to-day administrative management of OCBO. Ms. Beverly has been
recognized by the FCC through numerous Special Act and Performance Awards
including the Catherine Foster Public Service Award (1994 and 2000). She
began her career at the FCC in May 1975 as a student intern. She returned
to the agency after graduating cum laude in August 1980 from North Carolina
Central University with a B.A. in English/Media Journalism.
Christian Fiascunari-
Outreach Specialist
Mr. Fiascunari joined the FCC in February of
2001, as a Bilingual Consumer and Mediation Specialist. In 2003 He started his career as an
outreach specialist for Hispanic consumers at the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. In 2006 he joins our OCBO staff as an outreach specialist. He has served as a spokesman for the
FCC on consumer affairs with local and national Hispanic media. He attended George Mason
University and holds a B.A in Psychology
John Finnie
- Staff Assistant
Mr. Finnie began his federal government career in 1975 with the General
Services Administration. The following year, as a member of the U.S. Army,
he started a three year tour of duty in West Germany with the 3rd Infantry
Division’s Finance Center, where he was a Finance Specialist. After
an honorable discharge from the U.S. Army, Mr. Finnie joined the FCC in
1979. He left the FCC that same year for the private sector, but returned
to the FCC in 1990. On his return, Mr. Finnie took a position with the
Acquisition Branch, Office of Managing Director (OMD). In 1998, he joined
the former Mass Media Bureau as a Secretary. In March of 2000, Mr. Finnie
joined the Finance Division, OMD, as an Accountant Technician. In September
of 2002, he accepted a position as Staff Assistant with OCBO.
Sharon K. Stewart
- Special Assistant to OCBO Director
Ms. Stewart joined the FCC in July 2001 as a Staff Assistant to Office
of Legislative Affairs (OLA) Director Martha Johnson and then Deputy Paul
Jackson. From OLA, she joined the Office of Media Relations, where she
worked with Director David Fiske and his staff for one-and-a-half years.
In January 2003, Ms. Stewart accepted a call to work in the Office of
Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein as a Staff Assistant. Her latest move
in August of 2004 brings her wealth of administrative experience, gained
over twenty years of federal government service, to OCBO. During her FCC
tenure, Ms. Stewart has received a number of Performance Awards. She holds
an Associate of Arts degree in Business Administration from Montgomery
College, Takoma Park, Maryland.
Corrin Barksdale - Student Intern
Ms.Barksdale joined the FCC in June of 2006 with the Office of Communications
Business Opportunities (OCBO).She provides administrative support for the office.
Ms. Barksdale is an upcoming senior at Northwestern High School, Hyattsville Md.
She was enrolled in a entrepreneur (NFTE) class her junior year (05-06) were
she went to competition and received 4th place for her business development in
the semi-finals (May 06). After graduation in 2007 Corrin plans on attending
the University Of Maryland School of Business.
Victor Machalec -Intern
Victor joined the FCC in November 2007 in OCBO. He is a 2005 graduate of Hayfield Secondary
School in Alexandria, VA. He currently attends Northern Virginia Community College and plans
to enroll at George Mason University pursuing a Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology.
Victor mainly provides administrative support to OCBO.
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