WASHINGTON, March 22, 2013 - In a hurriedly-scheduled Federal Communications Commission meeting on Friday, agency Chairman Julius Genachowski formally announced his resignation from the agency. Genachowski’s resignation, which was expected, puts forward the details of his timing: he will leave the agency in a few weeks.
Genachowski has overseen the agency since he was confirmed by the Senate in mid-2009, and it has been a tumultuous and innovative four-year period.
In the Friday public meeting, Genachowski remembered his time at the FCC as one that “focused the FCC on broadband, wired and wireless, working to drive economic growth and improve[d] the lives of all Americans.” He went on to thank everyone at the commission, for what he referred to as “ big steps to build a future where broadband is ubiquitous and bandwidth is abundant, where innovation and investment are flourishing.”
Genachowski also expressed his gratitude to his long-time friend and Harvard Law School classmate President Barack Obama. He thanked the President for his “vision [and] friendship” and for the opportunity to “serve our country.”
Genachowski also hailed his time at the agency for putting in place the “first rules for internet freedom and openness.”
Looking forward, Genachowski said he had bright hopes for the future of the FCC. “I’m proud of what we’ve done together to harness technology to advance the American dream for the 21st century. I know you’ll continue to fight hard to fulfill this agency’s vital mission, and I look forward to continuing to work together until my last day at the agency, and to count you as family and as an inspiration for long after that.”
