Kathleen Abernathy

Council Member Biography

Kathleen Q. Abernathy is the Partner at Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP in Washington, DC, where she advises clients on a wide variety of policy and regulatory issues related to the telecommunications and media fields. Previously, she served as Commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Nominated by President Bush, Ms. Abernathy was responsible for representing the public interest in each of the policy areas under the FCC's jurisdiction, including wireless; domestic and international telecommunications; satellite; broadcast; cable; communications equipment manufacturers; and broadband, IP and other advanced communications technologies. In addition, she chaired the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service and participated in numerous international bilateral and multilateral negotiations, including the 2002 International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference and the 2003 ITU World Radiocommunications Conference. Ms. Abernathy was appointed by the ITU to chair the 2004 ITU Global Symposium for Regulators. Before joining the FCC, she served as Vice President, Public Policy at BroadBand Office Communications, as Vice President, Regulatory Affairs at US West and as Vice President, Federal Regulatory at AirTouch Communications (a predecessor company to Cingular Wireless). Earlier in her career, Ms. Abernathy served as a legal advisor to two FCC commissioners and as a special assistant to the agency’s general counsel. (This is me - Update Profile)

Employment History

2008 - present

Partner, WILKINSON, BARKER, KNAUER, L.L.P.

2006 - 2008

Partner, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld

2001 - 2005

Commissioner, FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION