FCC Space Bureau Announces Leadership Team

July 20, 2023

The FCC’s Space Bureau announced its senior leadership team. 

Kerry Murray will serve as Deputy Chief and Chief of Staff and Jennifer Gilsenan, Troy Tanner and Patrick Webre will serve as Deputy Chiefs.  Stephen Duall was named Associate Chief and Karl A. Kensinger was named Special Counsel.  Whitney Lohmeyer and Jeanette Kennedy have joined the FCC, as Chief Technologist and Associate Chief, respectively.  Additionally, Merissa Velez will serve as Chief of the Satellite Programs and Policy Division, Kathyrn Medley will serve as Acting Chief of the Satellite Licensing Division, and Franco Hinojosa was named Chief of the Earth Station Licensing Division.  Jeanine Poltronieri and Guillermo (Bill) Belt have been named Deputy Chiefs in the Satellite Programs and Policy Division and Jay Whaley will serve as Associate Chief in the Satellite Programs and Policy Division.

“The FCC’s new Space Bureau reflects the Chairwoman’s vision to build policies and regulatory frameworks that keep pace with the next generation Space Age.  Together the Space Bureau’s new leaders brings decades of experience, which significantly strengthens the Commission’s ability to meet the needs of the always-innovating space community,” said Julie Kearney, Chief of the Space Bureau.  “It is a privilege to work alongside these talented leaders and with our entire dedicated Space Bureau team.”

Kerry Murray will serve as Deputy Chief and Chief of Staff.  She joined the International Bureau as Deputy Chief of the Satellite Division in 2015, where she has focused on regulation and licensing of space and earth stations, facilitating emerging technologies and satellite broadband services.  Previously, she served as Director of Global Government Affairs & Public Policy at Dell, Director of International Affairs at MCI, Senior Counsel in the Telecommunications Division of the International Bureau, and associate at Squire, Sanders & Dempsey.  She earned her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and her bachelor’s degree from Duke University. 

Jennifer Gilsenan will serve as Deputy Chief.  Jennifer has worked on satellite and spectrum regulatory issues at the FCC for over two decades.  She most recently served as Assistant Chief of the International Bureau focusing on satellite licensing and rulemakings.  She also held several other leadership positions within the International Bureau, including Deputy Chief, of the Strategic Analysis and Negotiations Division, where she managed bilateral spectrum negotiations, as well as serving as Associate Chief of the Satellite Division and Chief of the Satellite Policy Branch in the Satellite Division.  She earned her law degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law, and her bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware. 

Troy Tanner will serve as Deputy Chief.  Prior to creation of the bureau, he was the Deputy Chief of the International Bureau since August 2010, focusing on satellite and national security issues.  Troy has over 35 years of experience working on communications issues, both at the FCC and in private practice at law firms including Bingham McCutchen, where he assisted clients on satellite and terrestrial licensing and compliance matters before the FCC, state public utilities commissions and foreign regulators.  Prior to joining Bingham, Troy was Chief of the Policy and Facilities Branch in the FCC’s International Bureau, where he helped develop the first foreign carrier market entry rules.  Troy received a law degree from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in International Relations with honors from Brigham Young University. 

Patrick Webre will serve as Deputy Chief.  In 2022, he served as Deputy Chief of the FCC’s International Bureau, and prior to that he served for 5 years as Chief of the FCC’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, where he oversaw the Commission’s efforts regarding issues such as combatting illegal and unwanted robocalls and disability-related matters.  Prior to this, Patrick was an attorney at Jenner & Block and was senior director and senior counsel at Charter Communications.  Patrick previously served at the FCC from 2001–2010.  He received a law degree from Tulane Law School and received a bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University. 

Stephen Duall will serve as Associate Chief.  Stephen joins the Space Bureau from the Office of General Counsel, where he served as an attorney advisor.  From 2008 until 2020, he was Chief of the Satellite Policy Branch of the International Bureau’s Satellite Division.  Stephen joined the Commission in 2001, as an attorney advisor in the Satellite Policy Branch.  Prior to joining the Commission he was an associate in a D.C. law firm working on behalf of satellite and competitive local telephone service providers.  He earned his law degree from the George Washington University and bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University.

Jeanette Kennedy joins the FCC as Associate Chief of the Bureau.  Jeanette brings experience and knowledge in tech policy from representing technology companies, equipment manufacturers, and service providers, on issues including technical regulation and standardization, trade policy, spectrum management, public safety communications, and innovation.  She has also previously served at the First Responder Network Authority.  Jeanette received her Master of Arts Degree from American University, and her undergraduate degree from the University of Puget Sound.

Karl A. Kensinger will serve as Special Counsel.  Previously and beginning in 2021, he was Chief of the Satellite Division in the International Bureau, and served in various positions in the Satellite Division beginning in 1994.  Prior to that and beginning in 1987, Karl served in the Policy and Rules Division and front office in the Mass Media Bureau.  Karl is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School and the University of Chicago. 

Whitney Lohmeyer joins the FCC as Chief Technologist of the Bureau.  Whitney is a leading satellite communications industry advisor, serves on the faculty at Olin College of Engineering and is a Research Affiliate at MIT.  Whitney is passionate about higher education and enabling affordable internet to empower individuals, and connect schools, farms, and healthcare centers.  She has advised more than thirty companies on wireless system design and spectrum strategy. Whitney was the first engineer hired at OneWeb, where she worked with Qualcomm, actively contributed to policy reform at the FCC and ITU, and served on the U.S. Delegation to the 2015 World Radio Conference.  Whitney received her Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT, and her M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT, and her B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from North Carolina State University.

Merissa Velez has been named Chief of the Satellite Programs and Policy Division.  In this role, Merissa will oversee a team focusing on legal and policy issues associated with the licensing and regulation of satellite systems.  Merissa has focused on satellite regulatory issues at the FCC for almost ten years, and was most recently the Chief of the Satellite Policy Branch in the International Bureau’s Satellite Division.  Prior to joining the FCC, Merissa clerked for the Supreme Court of Hawaii and worked in the publishing industry.  Merissa is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School and Middlebury College.

Kathyrn Medley has been named Acting Chief of the Satellite Licensing Division.  Kathyrn joined the Commission in 2001, first working on satellite issues in the Office of Engineering and Technology before moving to the International Bureau to work as a staff engineer.  Kathyrn most recently served as the Chief of the Satellite Engineering Branch in the Satellite Division.  In this role, she oversaw a team working on technical and regulatory issues related to space and earth station licensing, rulemakings, international satellite coordination matters and radio-frequency issues before the International Telecommunication Union.  Prior to joining the FCC, she worked at NTIA and the Air Force Frequency Management Agency.  

Franco Hinojosa has been named Chief of the Earth Station Licensing Division.  Franco joined the FCC in July 2022 as Chief of the Systems Analysis Branch in the International Bureau.  Prior to joining the FCC, Franco served as the SATCOM System Engineering Section Chief and the Chief Engineer to the Communications Gateway Division at the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA).  Franco earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering with a concentration in control systems from George Mason University and is a level-three certified DoD Engineer and Program manager.

Jeanine Poltronieri has been named Deputy Chief in the Satellite Programs and Policy Division.  She has held numerous senior-level positions in the private sector, most recently as General Counsel and Senior Vice President for Legal and Policy Affairs at the Internet Association.  Before that role, she held positions at AT&T, Motorola, the FCC and Squire Patton Boggs.  During her initial tour at the FCC, she was the first Chief of the Universal Service Branch, where she oversaw the implementation of the universal service provisions of the landmark 1996 Telecommunications Act.  Jeanine also worked in the Media Bureau and was Chief Legal Advisor in the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.  She is a cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School and a summa cum laude graduate of Fordham University, where she majored in English. 

Guillermo (Bill) Belt joins the FCC as Deputy Chief in the Satellite Programs and Policy Division.  Bill started his career at the FCC and later held various technical and policy roles at McCaw Cellular, AT&T, the Telecommunications Industry Association, the Consumer Technology Association, and Momentum Dynamics.  Bill graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Electrical Engineering.

Jay Whaley was named Associate Chief in the Satellite Programs and Policy Division.  Jay most recently served as a senior staff attorney in the Satellite Division of the International Bureau.  In this role he worked on numerous satellite space station licensing matters and rulemakings.  Jay previously worked in the Auctions and Policy Division of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and prior to joining the FCC, worked at Latham and Watkins.  Jay received his law degree from Gonzaga University, his master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma, and his bachelor’s degree from the University of the State of New York.