Joel
Gurin, chief of the consumer and governmental affairs bureau, is exiting the
commission Feb. 17, according to the chairman's office. Kris Montieth, deputy
chief of the media bureau, will be acting chief. It will be the third departure
this year of a top FCC staffer.
Gurin,
who has held the post since December 2009, is the former editor of Consumer
Reports. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has framed the FCC's mission as
consumer-focused rather than industry-focused and Gurin's charter has included
bill shock, getting a handle on broadband speeds, and implementation of the
21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, which had a January
deadline. "We'll miss Joel's dedication as a stalwart advocate for
consumers, working to solve real problems in smart ways," said FCC
Chairman Julius Genachowski in a statement.
Gurin
is the latest in a number of recent departures that includes FCC Chief of Staff
Edward Lazarus, who exited last month, and Paul De Sa, chief of the FCC's
office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis, who announced last week he is
leaving in this month as well.
