NEWS
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th 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
August 7, 2009 Rick Kaplan, (202) 418-1728
rick.kaplan@fcc.gov
FCC COMMISSIONER CLYBURN ANNOUNCES STAFF
Washington, DC – Federal Communications Commissioner Mignon L. Clyburn today
announced that Michele Ellison will lead the Commissioner’s transition efforts and that Renée 
Roland Crittendon has been named Chief of Staff and Senior Legal Advisor.  Commissioner 
Clyburn also announced the appointment of Rick Kaplan as acting Legal Advisor and Chief of 
External Affairs, Carol Simpson as acting Legal Advisor and Almira Kennedy as interim 
Confidential Assistant.  Crystal Rice will join the office as interim Staff Assistant.
“I am excited about the talented team we’ve assembled to begin my tenure at the 
Commission,” said Clyburn.  “In putting together my staff, I have drawn from a wide range of 
backgrounds and experiences to assist me in meeting the great challenges ahead.  My staff and I 
look forward to working with my colleagues and their staffs, as well as the American people, to 
develop and sustain communications policies that put consumers first and set the stage for a truly 
competitive and innovative marketplace.”
Michele Ellison will lead the transition effort for Commissioner Clyburn.  Ms. Ellison joined the 
Commission in 1995 and has served as Deputy General Counsel for twelve years and more 
recently as Acting General Counsel.  In addition to her duties in the General Counsel’s office, 
Ms. Ellison has provided leadership in many areas, including co-chairing the Commission’s 
Localism Task Force and serving as senior advisor to former Chairman Kennard on a variety of 
substantive and agency-wide operational matters.  Before joining the Commission, she was a 
partner with the law firm of Williams and Connolly.  
Ms. Ellison began her career as a law clerk for the Honorable Damon J. Keith in the U.S. Court 
of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Detroit, Michigan and for the Honorable Paul R. Webber III 
in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia.  She received a B.A. in Political Science from 
Duke University and a J.D. cum laude from Howard University School of Law.
Renée Roland Crittendon will serve as Chief of Staff and Senior Legal Advisor.  In addition to 
her duties as chief of staff and senior legal advisor, Ms. Crittendon will focus on spectrum, 
international and public safety matters.  Ms. Crittendon has been at the FCC for eight years.  She 
was recently named by Chairman Genachowski as a Deputy Chief of the Wireless 
Telecommunications Bureau.  Prior to that appointment, she served as Chief of Staff and Senior 
Legal Advisor in the Office of Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein where she was responsible 
for spectrum, broadband, international and public safety issues. 
2
Before joining the Commissioner’s office in 2007, Ms. Crittendon served as Deputy Bureau 
Chief in the Wireline Competition Bureau.  Prior to that, she was Chief of the Wireline Bureau’s 
Competition Policy Division.  Ms. Crittendon also served as Associate Division Chief of the 
Mobility Division of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.  Before joining the Commission, 
Ms. Crittendon served as Deputy Chief Counsel – Telecommunications for Prism 
Communication Services, Inc, and was in private practice for several years with a Washington, 
D.C. law firm specializing in media, wireline and satellite issues.  Ms. Crittendon received her 
law degree from the George Washington University National Law Center and received her 
undergraduate degree in Economics from Georgetown University where she is a George F. Baker 
Scholar alumnus and Trustee.
Rick Kaplan will serve as acting Legal Advisor and Chief of External Affairs.  As part of his role 
as legal advisor, Mr. Kaplan will be responsible for media and consumer issues.  Mr. Kaplan 
most recently served as the deputy coordinator of the DTV task force at the FCC.  Previously, 
Mr. Kaplan worked in the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. House of Representatives, 
where he counseled Members of Congress on a broad range of legal issues and litigated on 
behalf of the House.  Before working on Capitol Hill, Mr. Kaplan was an associate at Sidley 
Austin LLP with a focus on appellate litigation and regulatory affairs.  
Mr. Kaplan began his legal career as a law clerk for Judge Harry T. Edwards of the U.S. Court of 
Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.  He received his B.A. from Wesleyan University and his J.D. from 
Columbia Law School, where he was a Kent Scholar and Editor-in-Chief of the Columbia Law 
Review.  
Carol Simpson will serve as acting Legal Advisor for wireline and broadband matters.  Ms. 
Simpson has been at the Commission since 2004.  She spent two years in the Wireline 
Competition Bureau before moving to the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, where 
she most recently served as Acting Associate Bureau Chief.  Prior to joining the Commission, 
Ms. Simpson practiced telecommunications law at Hogan & Hartson.  Ms. Simpson received her 
B.A. from the University of Virginia and her J.D. from the University of Texas, where she was 
Editor-in-Chief of the Texas Law Review.
Almira Kennedy will act as interim Confidential Assistant to Commissioner Clyburn.  Ms. 
Kennedy will be responsible for managing the office as well as the Commissioner’s personal 
schedule and travel arrangements. 
Ms. Kennedy has served in the Office of General Counsel as a Special Assistant since 2002.  A 
North Carolina native, Almira graduated from Livingstone College, in Salisbury, N.C. with a 
B.S. in Business Education.  She began her career as a teacher in the D.C. Public School System 
before working in the private sector and for the federal government, including eight years at the 
Department of Energy.  
--FCC--