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 CONTACTS:
November 10, 2010   Rosemary Kimball at (202) 418-0511
  Email: rosemary.kimball@fcc.gov
Dan Rumelt at (202) 418-7512
Email: dan.rumelt@fcc.gov
  
SENIOR STAFF IN THE COMMISSION'S OFFICE OF NATIVE AFFAIRS AND 
POLICY ANNOUNCED
Washington , D.C. -- The  Federal Communications Commission’s Consumer & Governmental 
Affairs Bureau has announced key senior agency staff in the Bureau’s Office of Native Affairs 
and Policy (ONAP).   They are:  Deputy Chief Irene Flannery, Senior Legal Advisor Cynthia 
Bryant, and Senior Advisor for Consultation Policy Dan Rumelt. 
“These three talented regulatory policy and advocacy veterans bring a wealth of experience in 
the communications development field,” said Geoffrey Blackwell, Chief of ONAP.  “They will 
play key roles in advancing our work with colleagues throughout the Commission and 
throughout Indian Country to bring the full benefits of communications services and 21st 
Century broadband networks to Tribal Nations and Native Communities.  Each has personally 
experienced the digital divide in Indian Country, and brings a focus to our efforts.  I look 
forward to working closely with these good people.”
Deputy Chief, Irene Flannery: Ms. Flannery will assist in managing ONAP's efforts to develop 
and drive an FCC-wide agenda to create regulations and policies promoting the deployment of 
broadband and communications technologies in Tribal Nations and Native communities. She 
was previously Deputy Chief of the Wireline Competition Bureau’s Telecommunications Access 
Policy Division (TAPD), the division responsible for universal service matters.  She managed the 
Low Income Program (Lifeline and Link Up), Eligible Telecommunications Carrier designations 
and Tribal related matters.  Formerly, Ms. Flannery was Vice-President of the High Cost and 
Low Income Division at the Universal Service Administrative Company.  She has also served in 
other senior management positions at the FCC, as Chief of TAPD and Associate Chief of the 
Enforcement Bureau’s Investigations and Hearings Division.  Ms. Flannery is a graduate of 
Duke University, the University of Virginia, and Georgetown University Law Center.
Senior Legal Advisor, Cynthia Bryant: Ms. Bryant will provide senior counsel on a wide variety 
of communications law and federal Indian law matters, and help guide policy development as 
ONAP works to fulfill many recommendations of the National Broadband Plan and the FCC’s 
Tribal policies and regulations.  Prior to this position, Ms. Bryant was a Senior Attorney in the 
FCC's Enforcement Bureau, where she was the lead attorney to investigate and take action 
against carriers that did not adequately publicize Lifeline and Link Up program services to 
residents living on Tribal Lands.   During the DTV transition, she served as Coordinator for the 
Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Designated Marketing Area coordinating outreach and working 
closely with Tribal Chairmen and Council Members of the Rosebud Sioux, Yankton Sioux, 
Lower Brule Sioux, and Crow Creek Sioux Tribes.  Ms. Bryant is a graduate of Bradford 
College, the University of Kansas Law School, American University Washington College of 
Law, and Middlebury College.  
Senior Advisor for Consultation Policy, Dan Rumelt: Mr. Rumelt will help develop constructive 
government-to-government consultation efforts with Tribal Governments and increased 
coordination efforts with Native Organizations, all integrating input into FCC dockets removing 
barriers to entry and developing regulatory policies that will benefit the deployment of 
communications services in Tribal and Native Communities.  Prior to this position, Mr. Rumelt 
was Senior Advisor for Outreach in the FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, for 
nearly 10 years.   He has developed and implemented consumer-oriented education and outreach 
programs on telecommunications issues throughout the nation, including several efforts within 
Indian Country.  He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin in Madison and Marquette 
University, and during his studies, he was also a student at Oxford University. 
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