FCC Announces Appointment of Consumer Advisory Committee

The Federal Communications Commission announces the appointment of the thirty-seven members of the Consumer Advisory Committee, a committee to make recommendations to the FCC regarding consumer issues within jurisdiction of the FCC and to facilitate the participation of consumers (including underserved populations, such as Native Americans, persons living in rural areas, older persons, people with disabilities, and persons for whom English is not their primary language) in proceedings before the FCC. Of the thrity-seven members, 21 represent general consumer organizations/academia, two represent disability organizations, eight represent industry, four represent regulators, one represents seniors, and one represents unions.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler reappoints Debra R. Berlyn representing the National Consumers League as Chairperson of the Committee. All appointments and reappointments are effective immediately and shall terminate October 21, 2016, or when the Committee is terminated, whichever is earlier.

The first meeting of the Committee under its renewed charter will take place on June 12, 2015 from 9:00am to 4:00pm at FCC headquarters building.

The Committee’s roster by organization name and primary representative is as follows:
(1) AARP - Christopher Baker
(2) American Consumer Institute - Stephen Pociask
(3) American Foundation for the Blind - Paul W. Schroeder
(4) American Indian Policy Institute, Arizona State University - Dr. Traci Morris
(5) Americans for Tax Reform - Katie McAuliffe
(6) Appalachian Regional Commission - Mark Defalco
(7) Benton Foundation - Amina Fazlullah
(8) California Western School of Law, New Media Rights - Art Neill
(9) Call For Action - Shirley Rooker
(10) Center for Democracy and Technology - Chris Calabrese
(11) Center for Media Justice/MAGNET - Hannah Sassaman
(12) CenturyLink - Melissa Newman
(13) Common Cause - Todd O’Boyle
(14) Communication Workers of America - Debbie Goldman
(15) Consumer Action - Ken McEldowney
(16) Consumer Electronics Association - Julie Kearney
(17) Consumer Federation of America - Irene E. Leech
(18) Deaf and Hard of Hearing Consumer Advocacy Network - Claude Stout
(19) Digital Policy Institute, Ball State University - Barry D. Umansky
(20) Free Press - Lauren Wilson
(21) Google, Inc. - Eve Anderson
(22) International Center for Law and Economics - Geoffrey A. Manne
(23) Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable - Joslyn Day
(24) National Association of Broadcasters - Ann West Bobeck
(25) National Association of Counties - Yejin Jang
(26) National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates - Kenneth Mallory
(27) National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Administrators - Mitsuko R. Herrera
(28) National Cable and Telecommunications Association - Stephanie Podey
(29) National Consumer Law Center - Olivia Wein
(30) National Consumers League - Debra R. Berlyn (Chairperson)
(31) National Hispanic Media Coalition - Michael Scurato
(32) New America Foundation, Open Technology Institute - Laura Moy
(33) Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property, Washington College of Law, American University – Victoria F. Phillips
(34) T-Mobile – Luisa L. Lancetti
(35) TRAIL - Christina Gagnier
(36) Verizon Communications, Inc.- Ann Berkowitz
(37) Wireless Internet Service Provider Association - Alex Phillips