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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  August  20,  2003  David  Fiske  202-  418-  0513 
 JULIA  JOHNSON,  FORMER  FLORIDA  PSC  CHAIR,  TO  HEAD  FCC  FEDERAL  DIVERSITY  ADVISORY  PANEL 
 WASHINGTON  -  FCC  Chairman  Michael  Powell  today  announced  the  selection  of  former  Florida  Public  Services  Commission  Chairman  Julia  Johnson  to  chair  the  FCC’s  new 
 Federal  Advisory  Committee  on  Diversity  in  the  Digital  Age. 
 Chairman  Powell  announced  the  formation  of  the  Committee  earlier  this  summer.  The  Committee’s  inaugural  meeting  is  tentatively  scheduled  for  September  29,  2003,  at  the 
 Commission  headquarters  in  Washington  D.  C. 
 Powell  said,  “I  am  delighted  that  Julia  Johnson  has  agreed  to  lead  this  effort.  With  her  wealth  of  experience  in  public  service  and  the  communications  industry,  she  brings  the  ideal  mix 
 of  knowledge,  determination,  and  proven  leadership  to  the  task  of  developing  proposals  for  enhancing  representation  of  women  and  minorities  in  the  communications  industries.” 


 The  mission  of  the  Federal  Advisory  Committee  on  Diversity  in  the  Digital  Age  is  to  provide  guidance  to  the  Commission  on  policies  and  practices  that  could  increase  the  diversity  of 
 ownership  and  could  create  opportunities  for  minorities  and  women  to  advance  to  managerial  positions  in  the  communications  sector  as  well  as  other  related  sectors  of  the  economy. 
 Specifically,  the  Committee  will  make  reports  and  recommendations  concerning  the  need  for  any  guidelines,  incentives,  regulations  or  other  policy  approaches  to  promote  diversity  of 
 participation  in  the  communications  sector.  The  Committee  will  also  develop  a  description  of  best  practices  within  the  communications  sector  for  promoting  diversity  of  participation. 


 Ms.  Johnson  is  the  President  of  NETCOMMUNICATIONS,  a  public  policy  consulting  firm.  She  also  serves  as  a  member  of  the  Florida  State  Board  of  Education  and  as  a  trustee  of  the 
 University  of  Florida.  From  1992-  1999,  Ms.  Johnson  served  on  the  Florida  Public  Services  Commission,  which  she  chaired  from  1997-  1999.  In  that  capacity,  she  was  responsible  for 
 regulating  Florida’s  $16.8  billion  investor-  owned  utility  industry,  which  includes  telecommunications,  electric,  gas,  water,  and  waste-  water  utilities.  She  also  oversaw  the  PSC’s 
 $24  million  budget  and  400  employees. 
 Among  her  many  honors  for  her  government,  business,  and  community  leadership,  Ms  Johnson  was  inducted  into  the  Minority  Media  and  Telecommunications  Council  Hall  of  Fame, 
 and  received  the  Alliance  for  Public  Technology  Susan  Hadden  Award,  and  the  National  Bar  Association  Presidential  Achievement  Award.  Ms.  Johnson  is  a  graduate  of  the  Warrington 
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 School  of  Business  at  the  University  of  Florida  (B.  A.)  and  the  University  of  Florida  College  of  Law  (J.  D.). 
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