Michael K. Powell, former Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from 2001 to 2005 and a member of the FCC for eight years, began his tenure as President & CEO of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) on April 25, 2011.
Powell was nominated as a member of the FCC by President Bill Clinton and sworn in on November 3, 1997. He was designated by President George W. Bush as FCC Chairman in January 2001, serving in that role until April 2005.
During Powell’s tenure at the FCC, the Commission oversaw tremendous change and marketplace growth in the telecommunications sector. Powell worked to bring FCC regulations into the 21st Century and to recognize the move of voice, video, and data technologies away from limited analog platforms to powerful digital applications that bring more value to the public. He focused on initiatives to encourage market-driven solutions that promote consumer interests. He also supported new methods of deploying advanced services through technologies that would expand affordable broadband options to all Americans regardless of their geography.
Prior to his tenure at the FCC, Powell served as the Chief of Staff of the Antitrust Division in the Department of Justice where he advised the Assistant Attorney General on substantive antitrust matters, including policy development, criminal and civil investigations, and mergers. He also served as an associate in the Washington, D.C., office of the law firm of O’Melveny & Myers LLP and clerked for the Honorable Harry T. Edwards, Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Before his legal career, Powell served as a policy advisor to the Secretary of Defense. His experience also includes military service as an armored cavalry officer in the United States Army.
Powell serves on a number of non-profit boards, including the Mayo Clinic, the Aspen Institute and America’s Promise, where he co-chairs Grad Nation, an effort to end the high school dropout crisis. Prior to joining NCTA, he served for two years as the co-chairman of Broadband for America, a coalition of more than 300 companies dedicated to expanding the discussion of Broadband for America. Powell also has served as the Rector of the Board of Visitors of the College of William and Mary.
Powell graduated from the College of William and Mary with a degree in Government and earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.
