Federal Communications Commission DA 21-795 DA 21-795 Released: July 6, 2021 FCC SEEKS NOMINATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP ON COMMUNICATIONS EQUITY AND DIVERSITY COUNCIL The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) is seeking nominations for membership on the Communications Equity and Diversity Council (CEDC or Committee). Following consultation with the General Services Administration, the Commission has renewed the charter of the Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment under a new name, the Communications Equity and Diversity Council, for a period of two (2) years from the charter renewal date of June 29, 2021. Nominations for membership to the Committee should be submitted to the FCC no later than 11:59 PM EDT, August 10, 2021. Procedures for submitting nominations are set forth below. MISSION The mission of the Committee is to make recommendations to the Commission on advancing equity in the provision of and access to digital communication services and products for all people of the United States, without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, or disability.  It shall provide recommendations to the Commission on how to empower people of color and others who have been historically underserved, including persons who live in rural areas, and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality, to access, leverage, and benefit from the wide range of opportunities made possible by technology, communication services, and next-generation networks.   In carrying out this mission, the Committee will make recommendations to the Commission on how to accelerate the deployment of high-speed Internet access, or “broadband,” in all communities by reducing and/or removing regulatory barriers to infrastructure and investment, and by making recommendations on how to strengthen existing broadband networks and develop new ones.  This Committee is intended to provide an effective means for stakeholders to exchange ideas and develop recommendations on broadband deployment and digital redlining, which will in turn enhance the Commission’s ability to carry out its statutory responsibilities regarding broadband deployment. The Committee will also make recommendations to the Commission on how to accelerate the entry of small businesses, including those owned by women and minorities, into the media, digital news and information, and audio and video programming industries, including as owners, suppliers, and employees. This Committee is intended to provide an effective means for stakeholders to exchange ideas and develop recommendations to the Commission on access to capital, small business mentoring, upskilling for employment in media and technology industries, media ownership diversity, and procurement opportunities.  In doing this, the Committee will also evaluate methods to facilitate the incubation and participation of small, diverse businesses in the provision of communications products and services to all communities.  Such small businesses include those owned by people of color, women, veterans, LGBTQ+ and persons with disabilities.  This mission will facilitate the Commission’s goals of enhancing equitable access to digital technologies, particularly to communities that are underserved, lower-resourced or subject to persistent poverty or inequality. The Committee’s work is also intended to enhance the Commission’s ability to advance equity and diversity in the communications industry and carry out its statutory responsibility to promote policies favoring diversity of media voices, localism, vigorous economic competition, technological advancement, and promotion of the public interest, convenience, and necessity.  The Committee is organized under, and will operate in accordance with, the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). 5 U.S.C. App. 2. As authorized by FACA, the Committee may facilitate its work through informal subcommittees, or other subgroups of the Committee, which shall report their activities and recommendations to the Committee as a whole. WHO MAY APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP The Commission seeks applications from representatives of various sectors of the communications industry, representatives of state and local regulators, and representatives of consumers and community organizations that wish to be considered for membership on the Committee. The Commission is particularly interested in receiving nominations and expressions of interest from individuals and organizations in the following categories: · Organizations and other entities representing disadvantaged communities, such as racial, social, and economic disadvantage, as well as small businesses, including those owned by women, minorities, people of color, LGBTQ+ and veterans; · Federal, state, local, and Tribal government agencies; · Broadcast stations, cable operators, satellite operators, other multichannel video programming distributors, content companies, online video distributors, broadband providers, public interest/consumer/social justice and equity groups, academicians, think tanks, financial institutions including brokerage companies, venture capital, and private equity firms; · Minority-serving institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Asian American and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AAPISIs); · Tech entrepreneurship support organizations that support, incubate, finance and mentor diverse tech start-up organizations and businesses; and · Qualified representatives of other stakeholders and interested parties with relevant experience. Members will be selected to balance the expertise and viewpoints that are necessary to effectively address the issues to be considered by the Committee. Members are appointed as representatives of the communications industry, representatives of federal, state, local and Tribal regulators, or representatives of consumers and community organizations. As appropriate, members may also be appointed for their individual expertise as “Special Government Employees.” Because Committee members seeking to serve in their individual capacities for their individual expertise may not be registered federal lobbyists, nominees who are registered federal lobbyists will not be considered. Committee members will not be compensated for their service or for related expenses, including travel expenses. OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERS AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS Members will serve at the discretion of the Chair of the Commission. Members must be willing to commit to a two (2)-year term of service from the date of re-charter of the Committee and should be willing and able to attend approximately three (3) one-day plenary committee meetings per year during the Committee’s term. Members also will be encouraged to participate in deliberations of at least one (1) subcommittee or other subgroup, if any are established. The time commitment for participation in any subcommittee or other subgroup may be substantial. However, subcommittee or other subgroup meetings may be conducted informally, using suitable technology to facilitate the meetings, subject to oversight by the Designated Federal Officer of the Committee. Meetings of the full Committee shall be open to the public and timely notice of each meeting shall be published in the Federal Register and shall be further publicized through other appropriate vehicles. All such meetings will be fully accessible to individuals with disabilities. APPLICATION PROCEDURE, DEADLINE, AND MEMBER APPOINTMENTS All nominations should be received by the Commission as soon as possible, but no later than 11:59 PM EDT, August 10, 2021. Please indicate if the nominee is seeking consideration for Chair or Vice-Chair of the Committee or head of a subcommittee. No specific nomination form is required; however, each nomination must include the following information: · Name, title, and organization of the nominee and a description of the organization, sector, or other interest the nominee will represent (if any); · Nominee’s mailing address, e-mail address, and telephone number; · A statement summarizing the nominee’s qualifications and reasons why the nominee should be appointed to the Committee; · A statement, if the nominee will represent a specific organization, describing the organization as well as the benefit of having the organization represented on the Committee; and · A statement confirming that the nominee, if seeking appointment for the individual’s expertise and not as a representative of an organization or entity, is not a registered federal lobbyist. For applicants seeking to represent an organization or company, the applicant’s nomination to the Committee must be confirmed by a written statement of an authorized person (e.g., organization or company official) that such organization or company seeks to be represented on the Committee by the nominated person. For example, this confirmation may be in the following format: “I am [insert official’s name], the [insert official’s title] at the [insert name of organization - e.g., company, government entity, trade association, etc.], with responsibilities for [concise description of position]. My organization would like [insert proposed member’s name], who is currently [an employee of/consultant/attorney to the company] to serve as our representative on the Commission’s Communications Equity and Diversity Council.” Please note this Public Notice is not intended to be the exclusive method by which the Commission will solicit nominations to identify qualified candidates; however, all candidates for membership on the Committee will be subject to the same evaluation criteria. All nominations, including the requisite statements listed above, should be submitted by e-mail to CEDC@fcc.gov. ACCESSIBLE FORMATS To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 1-888-835-5322 (TTY). For additional information about the Committee, please contact Jamila Bess Johnson, the Designated Federal Officer for the Communications Equity and Diversity Council, at 202-418-2608, or Jamila-Bess.Johnson@fcc.gov. - FCC - 2