January 18, 2001

CHAIRMAN KENNARD THANKS HIS CHIEF OF STAFF
KATHRYN C. BROWN

At the final Bureau & Office Chiefs meeting of his tenure, Federal Communications Commission Chairman William E. Kennard paid tribute to his Chief of Staff, Kathryn C. Brown.

"Our tremendous success in promoting competition, enabling consumer choice, and encouraging the rollout of broadband and digital technologies are directly attributable to Kathy's strategic vision and ability to bring people together to work towards a common goal," said Chairman Kennard. "She has brilliantly managed the process and the people. It takes a genius to manage genius - and she is the best of the best."

"It has been a great honor to serve during a time of unprecedented growth and change in the telecommunications industry," Brown said. "I am deeply gratified to have worked with Bill and the extraordinary staff of the FCC."

Prior to her appointment as Chief of Staff, Brown served as Chief of the FCC's Common Carrier Bureau, where she managed a number of key initiatives, including proceedings to spur the deployment of advanced telecommunications services, implementation of a new universal service support mechanism for high cost areas, and access charge reform.

Before joining the FCC, she served as Associate Administrator of the Office of Policy Analysis and Development at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration in the Department of Commerce. At NTIA, Brown was responsible for formulating and advancing the Administration's policy on implementation of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Her work focused on issues including e-rate, local competition, universal service and access charge reform, digital television, Internet telephony, and spectrum auctions.

She started at NTIA in September 1995, after having served for seven years with the New York State Public Service Commission. For the final three years of her tenure, she served as Director of the Consumer Service Division, where she was involved in efforts to promote local competition and consumer protection. Prior to that she worked as Managing Attorney and Litigation Attorney with the Office of General Counsel at the New York State PSC. Before joining the New York State PSC, Ms. Brown was the Deputy Clerk and Chief Legal Assistant at the New York State Court of Appeals, New York's highest appellate court.

She is a graduate of Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY, and holds a J.D., summa cum laude, from Syracuse University College of Law. She lives in Virginia with her husband, Steve Brown, the executive director of Different Drum, an alternative high school in Chantilly, VA, and their two daughters, Kaitlin and Meghan.

She will be leaving the Agency shortly. She can be reached at kathybrown99@hotmail.com.

- FCC -