NATE Statement on President Biden’s FCC Nominees Announcement
For Immediate Release:
May 22, 2023
Association Extends Congratulations to Carr, Starks, and Gomez; Praises Carr for Championing Policy Issues of Importance for the Industry’s Contractor and Technician Workforce
(Washington, D.C.) – NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association today released the following statement on the Biden Administration’s plans to nominate Brendan Carr, Geoffrey Adam Starks, and Anna Gomez to serve as Commissioners on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
“NATE congratulates Brendan Carr and Geoffrey Starks on being nominated by President Biden to continue serving as FCC Commissioners,” stated President & CEO Todd Schlekeway. “NATE has established positive relationships with both of these excellent public servants. Additionally, Commissioner Carr has been a great champion for NATE member contractor companies and the industry’s technician workforce, and we are ecstatic that he is poised to continue serving in this leadership capacity on the Commission,” added Schlekeway.
“NATE also looks forward to collaborating with Anna Gomez as she goes through the confirmation process to fill the open seat on the Commission,” stated Schlekeway. “Anna possesses the requisite industry experience and background to be an excellent FCC Commissioner and the Association looks forward to being a resource for Ms. Gomez moving forward.”
For more information on the FCC, visit www.fcc.gov. For more information on today’s announcement by President Biden, visit https://www.whitehouse.gov/.
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Brendan Carr, Nominee for Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission
Brendan Carr currently serves as a Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, having first joined the agency as a staffer in 2012. In his time on the Commission, Carr has focused on expanding affordable, high-speed Internet service to all Americans. Carr also leads a groundbreaking telehealth initiative at the FCC, the Connected Care Pilot Program, which supports the delivery of high-quality care to low-income Americans and veterans. Prior to his current role, Carr served as the FCC’s General Counsel and before that as a staffer in multiple offices at the Commission. Before joining the agency, he clerked for Judge Dennis Shedd on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and worked as a lawyer in the private sector. Carr earned his B.A. from Georgetown University and his J.D. magna cum laude from the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law where he served as an editor of the Catholic University Law Review. He lives in Virginia with his wife and three young boys.
Anna M. Gomez, Nominee for Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission
Anna M. Gomez, Nominee for Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, is a telecommunications attorney with extensive experience in domestic and international communications law and policy. Gomez serves as a Senior Advisor for International Information and Communications Policy in the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy. Gomez served as the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Deputy Administrator from 2009 to 2013. She also served for 12 years in various positions at the Federal Communications Commission, including as Deputy Chief of the International Bureau and as Senior Legal Advisor to then-Chairman William E. Kennard. Gomez also served briefly as Counsel on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee on Communication, and as Deputy Chief of Staff of the National Economic Council during the Clinton Administration. Prior to joining the State Department in 2023, Gomez was a partner in Wiley LLP’s telecommunications media and technology group. Gomez was also Vice president for Federal and State Government Affairs at Sprint Nextel, and an Associate at Arnold and Porter.
Born in Orlando, Florida, Gomez spent her childhood in Bogota, Colombia before her family relocated to New Jersey. She now resides in Virginia. Gomez earned her B.A. in Pre-Law from Pennsylvania State University and her J.D. from George Washington University Law School.
Geoffrey Adam Starks, Nominee for Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission
Geoffrey Adam Starks has served as a Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission since 2017. Throughout his career, Starks has focused on creating access to high quality broadband for every American including rural America. While serving at the FCC he has worked to make networks more secure. Starks previously served as Assistant Bureau Chief of the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau. Before joining the Commission in 2015, Starks served as Senior Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice, where he received the Department’s highest employee service award, the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service. Prior to his government service, Starks practiced law at Williams & Connolly. He earned his A.B. in Social Studies magna cum laude from Harvard College and his J.D. from the Yale Law School, where he served on the Yale Law Journal. He currently resides in Washington, D.C. with his wife, Lauren, and their two children.
About NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association is a non-profit trade association dedicated to providing a unified voice for companies in the diverse tower and communications infrastructure construction, service, and maintenance industries. Today the Association boasts over 1,150 member companies located throughout the United States, Bahamas, Canada, China, Ghana, Israel, Jamaica, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Trinidad, and the United Kingdom. For additional information on NATE, please visit www.natehome.com.
Contact: Todd Schlekeway
(605) 882-5865
