Commissioner Brendan Carr: click for press photo

Brendan Carr was nominated to serve as a Commissioner of the FCC by President Donald J. Trump, and he was confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate in 2017. In 2019, Carr was nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate to serve a new, five-year term.

He focuses on regulatory reforms that will help create jobs and grow the economy for the benefit of all Americans.

He is leading the FCC's work to modernize the infrastructure rules governing the buildout of 5G and other next-gen networks. His reforms are predicted to cut billions of dollars in red tape and have already accelerated 5G builds—helping to bring more broadband to more Americans. By updating our country's infrastructure rules, he's helped extend U.S. leadership in 5G and ensured that rural America has a fair shot at next generation connectivity.

Carr is also focused on expanding America's skilled workforce—the tower climbers and construction crews needed to build next-gen networks. His jobs initiative promotes community colleges, technical schools, and apprenticeships as a pipeline for good-paying 5G jobs. And he is recognizing America's talented and hardworking tower crews through a series of "5G Ready" Hard Hat presentations.

Carr is also leading an FCC telehealth initiative, which is designed to drive down healthcare costs while improving outcomes for veterans, low-income, and rural Americans.

Time outside of Washington has informed Commissioner Carr's regulatory approach. Nearly every month, he hits the road to hear directly from the construction crews and tower techs who are building our country's infrastructure. He's seen firsthand how connectivity is growing the economy—from small-town manufacturing plants to the farmers and ranchers that are using broadband for Smart Ag. Back at the FCC, Commissioner Carr has built on the ideas he's heard from the community members, public safety officials, and local leaders he's met at town halls and events in 33 states over the past two years.

Commissioner Carr brings a dozen years of private and public sector experience in communications and tech policy to his role as Commissioner. Previously, he served as General Counsel of the FCC, representing the agency in court and serving as the chief legal advisor to the Commission. He first joined the FCC as a staffer in 2012 and worked on spectrum policy and competition matters for a number of FCC offices.

Prior to joining the agency, Commissioner Carr worked as an attorney at Wiley Rein LLP in the firm's appellate, litigation, and telecom practices. He litigated cases involving the First Amendment and the Communications Act. A graduate of Georgetown University, Commissioner Carr clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit for Judge Dennis W. Shedd. He graduated magna cum laude from law school at the Catholic University of America where he served as an editor of the Catholic University Law Review.

Commissioner Carr grew up in Virginia and now lives in Washington, DC with his wife and three children.

 

Joseph Calascione

Joseph Calascione

Legal Advisor

Joseph Calascione will advise Commissioner Carr on Wireline and Consumer Protection issues. Joseph joins the Carr office from the Office of Economics and Analytics where he served as Special Counsel, and began his career at the Commission as a Legal Advisor in the Wireline Competition Bureau. Prior to joining the Commission, Joseph was Regulatory Counsel at Deutsche Telekom, where he worked on a wide variety of legal issues covering antitrust, international trade, privacy, and labor relations, in addition to telecom issues. He is a graduate of the George Mason University School of Law and the University of Virginia.

Ben Arden

Ben Arden

Legal Advisor, Media

Ben Arden is currently the Associate Chief of the Media Bureau's Video Division, having recently returned to the FCC following a year in Rwanda where he served as a program specialist for a USAID-funded project designed to increase access to justice and enhance the rule of law in Rwanda. He previously held various positions in the Media Bureau's Industry Analysis Division, most recently serving as Deputy Division Chief. In these roles at the FCC, he focused on a wide range of media issues including the impact of technology and competition on the media marketplace, broadcast ownership regulation, transaction review, facilitating foreign investment, localism, and diversity. Prior to joining the FCC in 2010, he was a communications attorney in the Washington, D.C., office of Williams Mullen. Mr. Arden graduated from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, where he served as a Managing Editor of the Federal Communications Law Journal. He received his undergraduate degrees from Arizona State University.

Drema Johnson

Drema Johnson

Confidential Assistant

Ms. Johnson is responsible for managing administrative operations, schedule and travel arrangements for Commissioner Carr. Ms. Johnson has held several positions at the FCC. She served initially as the Confidential Assistant to then FCC Chairman William Kennard. Most recently, Ms. Johnson served in the Office of Commissioner Mignon Clyburn as Confidential Assistant and Deputy Chief of Staff. Before joining the agency, Ms. Johnson served as Project Director for the Jamestown 400th Commemoration Commission. She also worked as Special Assistant to former Speaker of the House Thomas Foley.

Dana Howell

Dana Howell

Staff Assistant

Mrs. Howell began her career at the Commission in 1991 and has worked in various bureaus. Most recently, Dana served as Assistant to the Chief of the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau.