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 NEWS  News  media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Fax-  On-  Demand  202  /  418-  2830  TTY  202/  418-  2555  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  ftp.  fcc.  gov  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974). 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE  News  Media  Contact: 
 February  26,  2001  David  Fiske  (202)  418-  0513. 


 FCC  CHAIRMAN  MICHAEL  POWELL  DESIGNATES  SPECIAL  COUNSEL 
 TO  SPEARHEAD  INTERNAL  FCC  REFORM  EFFORTS 


 Washington  --  FCC  Chairman  Michael  K.  Powell  today  appointed  Mary  Beth  Richards  as 
 Special  Counsel  to  spearhead  a  comprehensive  FCC  reform  project.  Ms.  Richards  is  currently 
 FCC  Deputy  Managing  Director. 


 Powell  said,  "I  am  committed  to  making  the  FCC  more  efficient,  more  decisive,  and  more 
 responsive  to  the  fast-  moving  changes  in  technology  and  telecommunications  markets.  Mary 
 Beth’s  extensive  experience  at  the  FCC  and  her  commitment  to  excellence  in  government  make 
 her  the  ideal  choice.”  Richards  will  oversee  the  project  on  behalf  of  the  Chairman’s  office,  and 
 will  work  closely  with  all  of  the  bureaus  and  offices  to  ensure  a  smooth  transition. 


 Richards  has  been  a  Deputy  Managing  Director  since  1997.  She  has  held  various 
 management  and  staff  positions  at  the  Commission  including  Deputy  Chief  of  the  Common 
 Carrier  Bureau,  Special  Counsel  to  the  Commission  for  Reinventing  Government,  Chief  of 
 Enforcement  in  both  the  Common  Carrier  and  former  Field  Operations  Bureaus,  Legal  Advisor 
 to  the  Chief  of  the  Common  Carrier  Bureau  and  Staff  Attorney  in  the  Bureau's  Tariff  Division 
 and  in  the  Private  Radio  Bureau. 


 She  earned  a  J.  D.  from  the  Catholic  University  of  America  and  a  B.  A.  from  the  Virginia 
 Polytechnic  Institute  and  State  University.  She  is  the  recipient  of  the  Meritorious  Executive 
 Presidential  Rank  Award,  the  Federal  Communications  Commission's  Gold  Medal  Award  and 
 the  Eugene  C.  Bowler  Award. 


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