January 20, 1999
                                                               
  LISA SOCKETT TO BE DEPUTY CHIEF, OFFICE OF PLANS AND POLICY

     Lisa Sockett has been named Deputy Chief of the Office of Plans and Policy (OPP).  OPP advises
the Commission on the development and implementation of its communications policies, with particular
focus on long-term planning and policymaking in converging industries.  

     "I am delighted to announce this appointment," said Robert Pepper, Chief of the Office of Plans
and Policy.  "Lisa is a great manager and understands the cross-cutting issues facing the Commission at
this time.  I am very excited to be working with her."  

     Sockett joined the Commission in April 1996, most recently serving as Assistant Bureau Chief at
the Common Carrier Bureau, where she handled coordination of all rulemakings and orders.  From
February 1994 to March 1996, Sockett worked at the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration's (NTIA) Office of Chief Counsel at the Department of Commerce.  She was the primary
attorney responsible for developing and drafting the Administration's positions on telecommunications
reform legislation, universal service, and video dialtone.

     "I worked with Lisa at NTIA and in the Common Carrier Bureau and know what a terrific asset
she is to any organization," said Kathryn Brown, FCC Chief of Staff, and former Chief of the Common
Carrier Bureau.  "At OPP, Lisa will be helping to plan and prioritize our major initiatives."       
     Sockett is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, summa cum laude, and
holds a J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School.  

                             - FCC -