“I have long said that the talent and dedication of FCC staff is unmatched,” said Rosenworcel.
“So, I am honoured that this group of public servants have agreed to assist me in leading the Commission. We have a lot of work to do and I can’t wait to get started.”
Rosenworcel has appointed Travis Litman as acting chief of staff. With over a 10 years’ experience at the agency Litman has served then-commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel’s office in a number of roles including as chief of staff and senior legal advisor. He also has held a variety of roles in the Federal Communications Commission’s Wireline Competition Bureau.
In addition, he has served as counsel on detail to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, where he provided assistance to the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet.
Kate Black has been named acting chief policy advisor. Prior to this appointment Black served as chairwoman Rosenworcel’s policy advisor since 2017. She joined the office from EMILY's List, a political action committee, where she served as its chief of staff.
Previously, Black served as the vice president of research for EMILY's List. At the same time, she also served as executive director of American Women. Black has also held a variety of other policy and research positions at the likes of the Democratic National Committee, the Service Employees International Union, and Hillary Clinton for President.
The position of acting chief counsel went to Umair Javed. From October 2017 through January 2021, he served as Rosenworcel's legal advisor for wireless and international issues while she was commission. He joined the FCC from Wiley Rein, where he was an attorney in the firm's telecom, media, and technology practice group.
In addition, Javed served on US delegations to treaty-writing conferences and meetings of the International Telecommunication Union and as Commissioner of the Consumer Protection Commission of Fairfax County.
D’wana Terry will served as acting special advisor to the chairwoman and acting director of the office of workplace diversity. Specifically, Terry will advise the acting chairwoman on work the FCC need to do to identify and redress inequities in its policies and programs while also continuing to serve as the acting director of the office of workplace diversity.
Before this appointment, Terry served in numerous senior positions at the FCC since she joined in 1994. Most recently, she was associate bureau chief of the Wireline Competition Bureau. She has also served as an associate bureau chief and chief of staff in both the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau and as acting deputy bureau chief of CGB.
The Office of Business Communications Opportunities welcomes Sanford Williams as director and acting special advisor to the chairwoman. Williams will advise Rosenworcel on work the agency can do to identify and expand opportunities for communities that have been historically underserved while also continuing to serve as director of the office of communications business opportunities.
Since 1999 Williams held various roles at the FCC He also worked as an attorney for Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge & Rice and taught at Augusta State University in Georgia.
Trent Harkrader will assume the position of acting special advisor to the chairwoman and deputy bureau chief of the Wireline Competition Bureau. In this role, Harkrader will advise Rosenworcel on implementing the recent Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, including its initiatives on broadband adoption and telehealth, while also continuing to serve as Deputy Bureau Chief in the Wireline Competition Bureau. Trent has been responsible for numerous Commission broadband policy initiatives since 2011.
Holly Saurer has been promoted to the role of acting legal advisor, Media having served at the the Media Bureau, where she has held several positions, including deputy bureau chief, associate bureau chief, senior legal advisor and attorney-advisor with the Media Bureau’s Policy Division.
Saurer has previously served as an acting media advisor for Commissioners Rosenworcel and Clyburn, and an International and Consumer Affairs Legal Advisor for Chairman Wheeler.
The position of acting legal advisor for Consumer, Enforcement, and International has gone to David Strickland. Strickland joins from the Enforcement Bureau, where he most recently served as assistant division chief of managing consumer protection, privacy, and media enforcement matters.
In addition, he has also served as assistant division chief in the International Bureau, where he worked on a variety of satellite, telecommunications policy, and spectrum-related issues.
Ramesh Nagarajan will assumed the role of acting legal advisor for wireline. He joins the office from the Wireline Competition Bureau, where he served as deputy division chief of the competition policy division.
He previously worked as a law clerk to United States District Judge James Whittemore in the Middle District of Florida.
Ethan Lucarelli is now acting legal advisor for wireless and public safety, joining from the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, where he served as legal and policy advisor to the Bureau chief.
Before this Lucarelli was director of regulatory & public policy at Inmarsat and an attorney in the Telecommunications, Media, and Technology group at law firm Wiley Rein.
Aurelle Porter has been named acting staff assistant having worked in Rosenworcel’s office when she was commissioner, since 2018 and has been at the Federal Communications Commission since 2006. During her tenure, she has served as special assistant in the office of legislative affairs and as a staff assistant to former FCC chairman Kevin J. Martin.
Lastly Andi Roane will serve as acting confidential assistant after having served in the offices of former Chairman Pai, former Chairman Wheeler, and Commissioner Simington. In prior FCC service, Andi served as the special assistant to the chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.
