Media Contact: 
Austin Bonner
Austin.Bonner@fcc.gov

For Immediate Release

COMMISSIONER STARKS ANNOUNCES STAFF CHANGES 
 
WASHINGTON, April 27, 2022—Commissioner Geoffrey Starks today announced several changes to his team. William Davenport, Commissioner Starks’s Chief of Staff and Senior Legal Advisor, will be leaving the Commission at the end of April. Austin Bonner, Commissioner Starks’s legal advisor for media and consumer protection issues, will serve as Acting Chief of Staff.

Commissioner Starks said, “For over three years, Bill has led my office’s efforts to improve the equity, security, and sustainability of our nation’s communications sector. Bill has been a dedicated public servant and I have always appreciated his judgment, expertise, and leadership. He will be deeply missed, and I wish him all the best in what comes next.”

After Mr. Davenport’s departure, Georgios Leris will serve as Acting Legal Advisor for wireless and international issues through the Commission’s May Open Meeting. Mr. Leris currently is an Associate Division Chief in the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau’s Competition and Infrastructure Policy Division. Prior to joining the FCC, he was an associate with Steptoe & Johnson LLP, where he advised telecommunications and technology companies on a broad range of regulatory, litigation, and transactional issues. Mr. Leris received his J.D. from the George Washington University Law School, and his bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from the George Washington University.

“I appreciate George stepping in to assist my team,” Commissioner Starks said. “Wireless communications networks continue to revolutionize how we live and work. George brings unique insight into the opportunities and challenges that revolution presents for the public and private sectors.”

In mid-May, Shiva Goel will join the Starks office as permanent Legal Advisor for wireless and international issues. Mr. Goel currently is a partner at the law firm of Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis LLP (HWG), where he has worked on a variety of wireless and space policy issues. Prior to joining HWG, Mr. Goel clerked for the Honorable Maryanne T. Barry on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the Honorable Louis L. Stanton on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. He received his law degree Order of the Coif from the University of Virginia School of Law and earned a BA from Cornell University.

Commissioner Starks said, “I’m thrilled to have Shiva join my team. He is a powerful advocate, and his deep knowledge, cross-cutting experience, and creative approach to problem-solving will be invaluable as we work toward an innovative and inclusive wireless ecosystem.”
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Office of Commissioner Geoffrey Starks: (202) 418-2500 / ASL: (844) 432-2275 / Twitter: @GeoffreyStarks / www.fcc.gov/about/leadership/geoffrey-starks
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. Cir. 1974).