Top Genachowski Adviser Stepping Down

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski today announced that Josh Gottheimer will step down as senior counselor to the chairman in July. Gottheimer is also the director of Public-Private Initiatives (PPI). Jordan Usdan, currently deputy director of PPI, will assume the role of acting director after Gottheimer’s departure.

Genachowski said: “For two years, as my senior counselor, Josh has been one of my most trusted advisers, working both within and beyond the Federal Communications Commission to help drive our agenda to increase broadband access and adoption, and stimulate job creation, innovation, and investment. Josh has played a key role in nearly every one of our accomplishments, from the agency’s work to obtain landmark authority from Congress to run the world’s first voluntary incentive auctions to unleash spectrum for broadband, to our review of complex transactions.

“As the first director of Public-Private Initiatives, Josh put his entrepreneurial approach to work for the American people, building consensus across sectors to advance broadband adoption, broadband-enabled jobs, digital literacy, education technology, cybersecurity, mHealth, and public safety. In particular, Josh’s work to launch Connect2Compete, a first-of-its-kind effort to help close the broadband adoption gap, will make a real difference in the lives of millions of Americans. And he did all of this with an energy, enthusiasm, creativity, and sense of humor that will be greatly missed.”

He continued, “I’m delighted that Jordan will serve as acting director of Public-Private Initiatives. In his three years at the commission, he has been a major force behind some of our most important efforts to close the broadband divide and advance the use of broadband for education and health care, building on his significant contributions to the National Broadband Plan.”

Usdan joined the commission in 2009 from Howrey LLP in Washington, D.C., where he practiced after receiving his law degree from Georgetown University. Previously at the commission, Usdan was an adviser in the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and as a program manager for the National Broadband Taskforce, where he focused on implementation, broadband adoption, international policies, and consumer transparency. He also led the development of the FCC’s fixed and mobile broadband speed tests and the Open Internet Apps Challenge.