Michael K Powell

The Honorable Michael K. Powell is a Senior Advisor of Providence. Prior to joining Providence in 2005, Mr. Powell served as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission from 2001 to 2005. Mr. Powell was appointed to the FCC by President Clinton in 1997 and was designated Chairman by President Bush in 2001. As Chairman, Mr. Powell focused on initiatives that encouraged market-driven solutions that promoted consumer interests and drove innovative approaches to getting broadband technology out to people, such as broadband over power lines, WiFi Hotspots, cable broadband and DSL. Mr. Powell previously served as the Chief of Staff of the Antitrust Division in the Department of Justice. Prior to that, Mr. Powell was an associate in the law firm of O'Melveny & Myers and clerked for the Honorable Harry T. Edwards, Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Before starting his legal career, Mr. Powell served as a policy advisor to Secretary of Defense Richard B. Cheney. Mr. Powell’s experience also includes military service as an armored cavalry officer in the U.S. Army. Mr. Powell graduated from the College of William and Mary and earned his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center. Mr. Powell is Chairman of the MK Powell Group and serves on the boards of America’s Promise, Archipelago Learning, Cisco Systems, CM Ware, ObjectVideo, the Rand Corporation, the Aspen Institute and the board of advisors for the Disabled Veterans for Life Memorial effort.