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 NEWS  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).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE  NEWS  MEDIA  CONTACT:  June  1,  2006  David  Fiske  at  (202)  418-  0513 
 ROBERT  M.  MCDOWELL  SWORN  IN  AS  FCC  COMMISSIONER 
 Washington,  D.  C.  –  Robert  M.  McDowell  was  sworn  in  today  by  Chairman  Kevin  J.  Martin  as  a  member  of  the  Federal  Communications  Commission  (FCC). 


 McDowell  said,  "I  am  honored  and  humbled  to  be  joining  such  a  distinguished  group  of  commissioners  as  well  as  the  fine  career  public  servants  at  the  FCC.  There  are  many  challenging 
 issues  facing  the  Commission,  and  I  am  eager  to  begin  working  on  them  with  my  fellow  commissioners,  with  Congress,  and  with  the  American  people.  I  am  confident  that  our  efforts 
 will  help  bring  the  most  advanced  and  efficient  communications  systems  in  the  world  to  all  American  consumers.” 


 Commissioner  McDowell  brings  to  the  FCC  nearly  sixteen  years  of  private  sector  experiences  in  the  communications  industry.  Immediately  prior  to  joining  the  FCC, 
 Commissioner  McDowell  was  senior  vice  president  and  assistant  general  counsel  for  COMPTEL,  an  association  representing  competitive  facilities-  based  telecommunications  service 
 providers,  emerging  VoIP  providers,  integrated  communications  companies,  and  their  supplier  partners,  where  he  had  responsibilities  involving  advocacy  efforts  before  Congress,  the  White 
 House  and  executive  agencies.  He  has  served  on  the  North  American  Numbering  Council  (NANC)  and  on  the  board  of  directors  of  North  American  Numbering  Plan  Billing  and 
 Collection,  Inc.  (NBANC). 
 Prior  to  joining  COMPTEL  in  February  1999,  McDowell  served  as  the  executive  vice  president  and  general  counsel  of  America's  Carriers  Telecommunications  Association  (ACTA), 
 which  merged  with  COMPTEL  at  that  time. 
 McDowell  was  graduated  cum  laude  from  Duke  University  in  1985.  After  serving  as  chief  legislative  aide  to  a  member  of  the  Virginia  House  of  Delegates,  he  attended  the  Marshall-Wythe 
 School  of  Law  at  the  College  of  William  and  Mary.  Upon  his  graduation  from  law  school,  McDowell  joined  the  Washington,  D.  C.,  office  of  Arter  &  Hadden,  a  national  law  firm  based  in 
 Cleveland. 
 McDowell  has  been  extensively  involved  in  civic  and  political  affairs.  He  has  served  on  numerous  boards  and  commissions.  He  was  appointed  by  Virginia  Governor  George  Allen  to  the 
 Governor's  Advisory  Board  for  a  Safe  and  Drug-  Free  Virginia,  and  to  the  Virginia  Board  for  Contractors,  to  which  he  was  reappointed  by  Governor  Jim  Gilmore. 


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 Also  he  is  a  veteran  of  several  presidential  campaigns,  serving  as  counsel  to  the  Bush-Cheney  Florida  Recount  Team  in  2000,  among  many  other  endeavors.  McDowell  has  twice  been 
 a  candidate  for  the  Virginia  General  Assembly.  He  currently  serves  as  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  the  McLean  Project  for  the  Arts. 


 McDowell  is  admitted  to  practice  law  before  the  courts  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Virginia,  the  U.  S.  District  Court  for  the  Eastern  District  of  Virginia,  the  U.  S.  Courts  of  Appeals 
 for  the  District  of  Columbia,  First,  Fourth  and  Fifth  Circuits  and  the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court.  He  resides  in  Fairfax,  Va.,  on  the  farm  where  he  grew  up,  with  his  wife  Jennifer  and  their  two 
 children. 
 McDowell  was  sworn  in  for  a  term  that  runs  until  June  30,  2009. 


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