MMTC Names Kim Keenan New President

The Minority Media and Telecommunications Council today named Kim M. Keenan as president and CEO, succeeding MMTC’s co-founder and president of 28 years, David Honig.

Prior to taking the helm at MMTC, Keenan was general counsel and secretary of the NAACP.  Previously, she was the principal of her own law firm and served in the litigation practices of two nationally recognized law firms for more than 18 years. After law school, she served as law clerk to the Honorable John Garrett Penn in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

A top litigator and civil rights attorney, Keenan is a past president of the 100,000 member District of Columbia Bar, as well as the National Bar Association, the nation’s oldest and largest association of lawyers of color in the world.

“I am thrilled to join the MMTC staff and to pursue my passion in media and telecommunications law, where I started my career,” Keenan said. “I have always admired the way MMTC advocates for diversity and inclusion in the most important industries in the world, and I embrace this opportunity to contribute my experience and vision to their work.”

“I couldn’t be prouder to have a replacement as intelligent and capable as Kim Keenan,” said President Emeritus David Honig. “I know MMTC is in great hands, and I look forward to watching her shape the organization with her own vision.” Honig, who has assumed the role of president emeritus and general counsel, will continue to lead MMTC’s media and telecom brokerage operations and advise on certain FCC matters.

Keenan has received numerous awards and is a nationally recognized speaker and on-air commentator on various legal issues.  She was recently honored as a Washington, D.C. Super Lawyer and is recognized as a “Top Lawyer” by Washingtonian magazine. She has also been a commentator on Fox News, CNN, C-SPAN, CourtTV, TV One’s News One Now and numerous radio programs.

MMTC Board Chair Julia Johnson lauded Keenan’s reputation for integrity, transparency, and commitment to civil rights advocacy. “Kim’s unique combination of intellect and superior problem solving skills make her a perfect leader to take over the reins from David Honig, who has led MMTC so ably for so many years. I know that MMTC will flourish under her leadership.”

Among other priorities, MMTC said, Keenan will address the need to improve diversity in Silicon Valley, remove education and health disparities through technology, and preserve an open Internet that allows prioritization for applications such as emergency medical or telehealth requirements. Keenan also has plans to strengthen and expand MMTC’s mentoring and training programs for lawyers and entrepreneurs.

Former Members of Congress and New Telecom and Internet Task Force leaders Cliff Stearns and Ed Towns congratulated MMTC on identifying fresh new leadership to take the helm at MMTC: “I look forward to the opportunity to work with Kim in the coming months,” said Towns. “She has my full support for her efforts to lead MMTC in this 21st century technological economy.”

A native of Buffalo, N.Y., Keenan is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and the University of Virginia School of Law.