SB QST @ ARL $ARLB017
ARLB017 Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein to Leave FCC

ZCZC AG17
QST de W1AW  
ARRL Bulletin 17  ARLB017
From ARRL Headquarters  
Newington CT  March 24, 2009
To all radio amateurs 

SB QST ARL ARLB017
ARLB017 Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein to Leave FCC
 
FCC Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein is expected to be nominated
by President Obama to serve as Administrator for the Rural Utilities
Service, an office of the Rural Development Agency of the United
States Department of Agriculture. On Friday, March 20, President
Barack Obama announced his intention to nominate Democrat FCC
Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein to serve as Administrator for the
Rural Utilities Service (RUS), of the United States Department of
Agriculture; the nomination will need to be confirmed by the US
Senate. It is speculated that Adelstein will not leave the
five-member Commission until at least one of the three Commissioner
vacancies is filled, since his departure would leave the FCC without
a quorum.

According to his FCC biography, Adelstein, a "a life-long public
servant...has dedicated his career to fighting for the public
interest. As a Commissioner, his approach is guided by the key
principle that the public interest means securing access to
communications for everyone, including those the market may leave
behind. Adelstein is a particularly strong advocate for media
diversity and localism, and works diligently to encourage increased
voices on the airwaves to support a well-informed citizenry. He has
worked to promote access to telecommunications and media outlets by
minorities, rural and low-income consumers, people with
disabilities, and non-English speakers." As RUS Administrator,
Adelstein would be responsible for distributing $2.5 billion in
broadband stimulus grants.

Acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps congratulated Adelstein, saying he
will "bring a depth of knowledge, experience and commitment to the
job that will enable him to make a huge contribution to advancing
the well-being of rural America. He knows the issues and challenges
inside-out and will be able to hit the ground running, which is
exactly what's needed since RUS has been given such extraordinary
responsibilities by the recently enacted American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act. Simply put, Jonathan's years at the FCC have been
dedicated to advancing the public interest across the wide gamut of
telecommunications and media issues. He's been a true leader, an
eloquent spokesman, and a delight to work with. I look forward to
continuing to work with him on the issues we both believe in and to
continuing the friendship that we and our families share."

Commissioner Robert McDowell -- who, along with Copps and Adelstein,
currently serve as FCC Commissioners -- said in a statement that the
"RUS will benefit greatly from [Adelstein's] leadership and decades
of experience in public service. Although I will miss having
Jonathan as a colleague on the Commission, I wish him the best as he
transitions into this new opportunity. I am confident that rural
America will be well served by his commitment to service."

Before joining the Commission in 2002, Adelstein served for 15 years
as a staff member in the US Senate. For his final seven years, he
was a senior legislative aide to then Senate Majority Leader Tom
Daschle (D-SD), where he advised Senator Daschle on
telecommunications, financial services, transportation and other key
issues. Previously, he served as Professional Staff Member to Senate
Special Committee on Aging Chairman David Pryor (D-AR), including an
assignment as a special liaison to Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) and as
a Legislative Assistant to then-Senator Donald W. Riegle, Jr.
(D-MI). Prior to his service in the Senate, Adelstein was a Teaching
Fellow in the Department of History, Harvard University, while
studying at the Kennedy School of Government. Adelstein also was a
Teaching Assistant in the Department of History, Stanford University
where he received an MA in History and a BA with Distinction in
Political Science. He also served as a Communications Consultant to
the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
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