Thomas Reed - Director
Mr. Reed most recently was Of Counsel at K&L Gates LLP in Washington, DC, where his practice focused on a broad range of issues including commercial litigation, corporate governance, investment management, and civil rights. At K&L, Mr. Reed specialized in regulatory issues affecting women and minority-owned businesses. He has worked extensively with some of the nation's largest organizations that advocate for women and minority-owned business and is a regular commentator on disadvantaged business enterprise certification procedures. He has also served as Legal Counsel to the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation. Before joining K&L, Mr. Reed was a Senior Trial Attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice News Release

Carolyn Fleming Williams - Senior Deputy Director
Carolyn Fleming-Williams most recently served as Director of the Office of Communications Business Opportunities, FCC.  During her 15-year tenure with the Commission, she has also served as a Senior Attorney-Advisor with the Media Bureau.  Prior to joining the Commission, Ms. Fleming-Williams served as corporate counsel with the Communications Satellite Corporation (COMSAT).  She was also an associate attorney with the law firm Kirkpatrick & Lockhart, now K&L Gates LLP.   Prior to joining K&L, she was an Honors Attorney with the U.S. Department of the Treasury.  She has also served as President of DC Habitat for Humanity and as a Fairfax County Commissioner for Civil Service.News Release

Sharon K. Stewart - Chief of Staff
Ms. Stewart joined the FCC in July 2001 as a Staff Assistant to Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA) Director Martha Johnson and then Deputy Paul Jackson. From OLA, she joined the Office of Media Relations, where she worked with Director David Fiske and his staff for one-and-a-half years. In January 2003, Ms. Stewart accepted a call to work in the Office of Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein as a Staff Assistant. Her latest move in August of 2004 brings her wealth of administrative experience, gained over twenty years of federal government service, to OCBO. During her FCC tenure, Ms. Stewart has received a number of Performance Awards. She holds an Associate of Arts degree in Business Administration from Montgomery College, Takoma Park, Maryland.

Eric Malinen - Senior Legal Advisor and FCC Liaison to the SBA
Mr. Malinen joined OCBO as the Senior Legal Advisor in December 1996. He works on small business matters, especially as they arise during the course of agency rule makings, and has regular contact with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). He has overseen much of the agency’s implementation of programs under the SBREFA. Prior to joining OCBO, he was a senior staff attorney in the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and the former Private Radio Bureau. He hails from Minnesota, and has worked at the FCC since 1988. News Release

Maura McGowan - Telecommunications Policy Analyst

Belford V. Lawson III - Attorney Advisor
Mr. Lawson joined the staff of OCBO in 1996. He has performed legal research, and law-related social scientific research, needed to support various formal Research Studies which have been undertaken by OCBO to determine the presence and effects of market entry barriers for small businesses entering the field of telecommunications. He has also performed legal and policy research used to implement the Schools and Libraries-related provisions of Section 254 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Mr. Lawson received a B.A. cum laude from Harvard; an M.A. from Columbia; a J.D. from Georgetown; and an LL.M. in Telecommunications Law and Policy from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Calvin Osborne - Attorney Advisor
Mr. Osborne is primarily responsible for addressing issues related to small and minority- and women-owned broadcast companies. Mr. Osborne serves as a FCC liaison to small and minority- and women-owned broadcast companies. He is responsible for preparing the statutorily mandated reports to Congress, including the Section 257 Report. Mr. Osborne comes to OCBO from the Policy Division of CGB and has also worked on various Section 271 Applications while in the Pricing Policy Division of the Wireline Bureau. Mr. Osborne received his J.D. degree from the University of Missouri, Kansas City and his B.S in Management and Economics from William Jewell College, Liberty Missouri.

Karen M. Beverly - Consumer-Industry Affairs Specialist and Assistant for Management
Ms. Beverly serves as OCBO’s Consumer and Industry Affairs Specialist and the Assistant for Management. In that capacity, she fields inquiries, oversees outreach to small, minority and women-owned businesses and oversees the day-to-day administrative management of OCBO. Ms. Beverly has been recognized by the FCC through numerous Special Act and Performance Awards including the Catherine Foster Public Service Award (1994 and 2000). She began her career at the FCC in May 1975 as a student intern. She returned to the agency after graduating cum laude in August 1980 from North Carolina Central University with a B.A. in English/Media Journalism.

Christian Fiascunari- Outreach Specialist
Mr. Fiascunari joined the FCC in February of 2001, as a Bilingual Consumer and Mediation Specialist. In 2003 He started his career as an outreach specialist for Hispanic consumers at the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. In 2006 he joins our OCBO staff as an outreach specialist and website manager. He has served as a spokesman for the FCC on consumer affairs with local and national Hispanic media. He attended George Mason University and holds a B.A in Psychology

John Finnie - Staff Assistant
Mr. Finnie began his federal government career in 1975 with the General Services Administration. The following year, as a member of the U.S. Army, he started a three year tour of duty in West Germany with the 3rd Infantry Division’s Finance Center, where he was a Finance Specialist. After an honorable discharge from the U.S. Army, Mr. Finnie joined the FCC in 1979. He left the FCC that same year for the private sector, but returned to the FCC in 1990. On his return, Mr. Finnie took a position with the Acquisition Branch, Office of Managing Director (OMD). In 1998, he joined the former Mass Media Bureau as a Secretary. In March of 2000, Mr. Finnie joined the Finance Division, OMD, as an Accountant Technician. In September of 2002, he accepted a position as Staff Assistant with OCBO.

Corrin Barksdale - Student Intern
Ms.Barksdale joined the FCC in June of 2006 with the Office of Communications Business Opportunities (OCBO).She provides administrative support for the office. Ms. Barksdale is an upcoming senior at Northwestern High School, Hyattsville Md. She was enrolled in a entrepreneur (NFTE) class her junior year (05-06) were she went to competition and received 4th place for her business development in the semi-finals (May 06). After graduation in 2007 Corrin plans on attending the University Of Maryland School of Business.