NEWS February 9, 1996 COMMON CARRIER BUREAU ANNOUNCES REORGANIZATIO N Keeney Says "Team CCB Ready for Telecom Law" Common Carrier Bureau Chief Regina Keeney today announced a plan to reorganize responsibilities within the Common Carrier Bureau to position the Bureau to tackle the challenge of implementing the Telecommunications Act of 1996. "Congress has given us a road map. This plan, subject to Commission approval, makes the best use of the talented staff of the Common Carrier Bureau and allows us quickly and aggressively to open all lanes of the information highway to competition. The Common Carrier Bureau has a tremendous wealth of experienced and dedicated staff," she said. "The changes we are announcing today are designed to capitalize upon the talents of every Division and every staff person to tackle the challenges ahead." Highlights of the changes announced today follow. James R. Keegan Chief, Network Services Division named Associate Chief for Networks, Office of Engineering and Technology Keegan is a 23-year Commission veteran who has served the Commission both as an economist and as an attorney. For the past 16 years, he has been involved with the licensing of satellite, wireline, and terrestrial wireless networks. Most recently, as Chief of the Network Services Division, he had primary responsibility for the Commission's work with the Network Reliability Council. Keeney noted that Keegan's move demonstrates that all Bureaus and Offices will be working together to implement the Telecommunications Act. "Across the board, the challenges of implementing this landmark legislation require us at the Commission to be as agile as the industry. We cannot view issues as belonging to one Bureau or Office. Jim's experience in standard setting make him the ideal choice to help the Commission as a whole to address those issues of this new law." Keegan will establish procedures for FCC oversight of coordinated network planning by common carriers and other providers of telecommunications services for the effective and efficient interconnection of public telecommunications networks. He also will participate in the development by industry standards-setting organizations of public telecommunications network interconnectivity standards. Keegan received a J.D. from West Virginia University, where he served on the editorial staff of the Law Review. (more) -2- Geraldine Matise, Chief, Tariff Division named Chief, Network Services Division Matise joined the FCC s Common Carrier Bureau in 1984. Before her appointment as Chief of the Tariff Division, she served as a staff attorney in the Network Services Division, (formerly known as the Domestic Facilities Division), as Legal Advisor to the Bureau Chief and as Chief, Legal Branch in the Bureau's former Mobile Services Division (now part of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau). The Network Services Division is responsible for recommending and implementing rules and policies regarding numbering, network reliability and programs fostered by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Keeney noted that Matise's experience in this Division gives her the ability to lead the Division in resolving these complex issues. "Numbering has become an increasingly important competitive resource and this trend can only accelerate in the future. At the same time, this new telecommunications law gives us a mandate to move forward on issues of access to the network for people with disabilities. Network Services has a lot on its plate in making our vision of fair competition a reality and Geri is the right person to lead in this challenge." Matise received a J.D. cum laude from New York Law School and a B.A. degree in English, an M.S. degree in education and an M.L.S. degree in Library Sciences from the State University of New York at Albany. Jim Schlichting, Chief, Policy and Program Planning Division named Chief, Tariff Division Schlichting has served as Chief of the Policy Division since late 1989. He has led the Bureau's efforts to unbundle local telephone company networks, to implement 800 and local number portability, to deregulate the long-distance market (including, most recently, to reclassify AT&T as a non-dominant carrier), and to ensure that access charge policies reflect changing competitive and market circumstances. Since joining the Commission in 1985, he also has served as Legal Advisor to then-Chairman Dennis Patrick and as Special Counsel for Domestic Policy in the Policy Division. Before joining the FCC, Schlichting practiced with the law firm of Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering. In announcing this appointment, Keeney also described a new role for the Tariff Division. "The Tariff Division will assume the leading role in issues of pricing and access charges, particularly as they relate to local competition," Keeney said. "Jim's experience in all of these areas means he can effectively expand the Division's rulemaking mandate to encompass a broader range of issues. We must move forward immediately on issues that involve local competition -- and Jim will make sure we can hit our stride quickly." Schlichting received his B.A. degree from Yale University summa cum laude and his J.D. degree from the Harvard Law School, magna cum laude. Richard Welch, Legal Advisor to Commissioner Rachelle Chong named Chief, Policy and Program Planning Division Welch has spent eight years at the Commission, beginning as a staff attorney in the Common Carrier Bureau's Accounting and Audits Division. He then moved to the Office of General Counsel, where he provided advice to the various Bureaus to implement Commission policies. (more) -3- In that capacity he worked on a broad range of common carrier proceedings, as well as cable and administrative law issues. Since June 1994, Welch has served as legal advisor to Commissioner Rachelle Chong, primarily focusing on common carrier issues. As her advisor, Welch worked with all of the Commissioners' offices and the Bureaus to develop pro- competitive policies and to reform existing Commission policies. "The job of the Policy Division is to develop and implement many of the new rules of the road. Richard's skills give us the ability to jump a few spaces ahead on this project and meet this enormous challenge," said Keeney. Welch received his J.D. magna cum laude from Washington and Lee University School of Law and he earned a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Pat Donovan, Associate Bureau Chief named Deputy Chief, Industry Analysis Division Donovan joined the FCC s Common Carrier Bureau in 1977 and later served as Acting Division Chief of the Cable Service Bureau s Policy and Rules Division, Acting Deputy Division Chief of the Cable Services Division of the Mass Media Bureau and Special Counsel for the Common Carrier Bureau s Policy and Program Planning Division. Keeney described the new role of the Industry Analysis Division in a time of increasing telecommunications competition. Pat s legal experience will be of tremendous value to the Division, the Bureau and the Commission as a whole, she said. The industry, the media, consumer groups, investors and the public depend on the Industry Analysis Division for information about this fast-changing industry. In the coming months and years, IAD will be called on to play an even bigger role in determining what information the Commission needs to make the right policy decisions. At the same time, we need to get that information to the Commission and the public in the fastest and least intrusive way possible. Pat has the know how to guide this process. Donovan earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and he received his B.A. degree cum laude from Brandeis University. Mindy Ginsburg, Attorney, Policy and Program Planning Division detailed to serve as Special Assistant to the Bureau Chief Ginsburg has served in the Policy Division since 1994. Prior to joining the Commission, she practiced with the New York firm of Cahill Gordon & Reindel. Her responsibilities as Special Assistant will include serving as the Bureau s media liaison. Keeney welcomed Ginsburg to her front office and noted the experience she brings to this role. Mindy has worked on a broad range of issues in the Common Carrier Bureau and, before entering law school, she worked in public relations for several years. As we work fast and furiously to make the right decisions, she will ensure that we disseminate as much information as possible about our decision-making process. Ginsburg received a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.S. from Northwestern University. (more) -4- Keeney also today announced further progress on the Bureau s ongoing efforts to improve its accessibility to the public. The Bureau home page at http://www.fcc.gov/ccb.html provides releases, Orders, fact sheets and other materials on common carrier issues. The Bureau s centrally located reference room at the Commission's 1919 M Street office (Room 509) allows the public to find docketed and undocketed Bureau material easily. This reference room allows the public to find all Bureau documents easily. The Bureau s Enforcement and Industry Analysis Divisions have also begun producing a report entitled The Common Carrier Scorecard that provides the public with information on complaints received about common carriers and ways in which consumers can guard against future problems. Earlier this year, the Bureau announced the renaming of the Enforcement Division s Informal Complaints and Public Inquiries Branch as the Consumer Protection Branch to better describe its mission. This office receives more than 60,000 written complaints and telephone inquiries each year. -FCC- Common Carrier Bureau contact: Mindy Ginsburg (202) 418-1500