By Fawn Johnson Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- President-elect Barack Obama has selected three business and tech-savvy gurus to head up a working group on technology, innovation and government reform as he prepares to take the oath of office next year.
The transition team announced Wednesday that Julius Genachowski, an entrepreneur and close friend of Obama, along with former Federal Communications Commission Chief of Staff Blair Levin and Google Inc.'s (GOOG) Sonal Shah will develop policy proposals on technology for the next administration.
All three could be nominees for spots at the FCC. At a minimum, Obama must choose a new FCC chairman, and likely will have at least one FCC commissioner slot to fill.
FCC Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate's term expires when Congress adjourns this year. The FCC's current chairman, Kevin Martin, must vacate that post when Obama becomes president. Martin can opt to remain at the agency as a commissioner, but most observers expect him to step down, leaving a vacancy.
Genachowski and Levin, who worked together at the FCC under Chairman Reed Hundt, have immersed themselves in the business world for the last 10 years. Levin is the principal telecom and media analyst for Wall Street investors at the firm Stifel Nicolaus. Genachowski is the co-founder of two investment firms - Rock Creek Ventures and LaunchBox Digital - and was a senior executive at IAC/InterActiveCorp. (IACI).
Shah brings the non-profit and global perspective to the technology team. Before joining Obama's transition team, she headed up Google's philanthropic division. Shah also co-founded Indicorps, a U.S.-based non-profit organization offering one-year fellowships to Indian-Americans to work on development projects in India.
Last week, Obama also tapped University of Michigan law professor Susan Crawford and University of Pennsylvania professor Kevin Werbach to lead the team that will review the next administration's FCC.
Until recently, Crawford sat on the board of ICANN, the entity that coordinates the Internet naming system. Werbach, who teaches at the Wharton School for business, is the organizer of the annual "Supernova technology conference," which features high-level executives and officials in the tech industry.
Obama has also tapped Carol Browner, the former head of the Environmental Protection Agency, to lead the review of energy and environmental issues. Georgetown University Law professor and a former Clinton administration official Daniel Tarullo will lead the review of economic issues for the Obama transition team.
The transition team also announced Wednesday new appointments for White House staff.
David Axelrod, Obama's chief strategist during the campaign, will serve as senior advisor to the president.
Lisa Brown, who worked for Vice President Al Gore and now heads the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy, will be the White House staff secretary.
Greg Craig, who was assistant to the president and special counsel for President Clinton, will serve as Obama's White House counsel.
Christopher Lu, who worked in Obama's Senate office before joining the campaign, will serve as White House cabinet secretary.
- By Fawn Johnson, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-9263; fawn.johnson@dowjones.com
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
November 19, 2008 17:27 ET (22:27 GMT)

Publié le 19 novembre 2008 Copyright © 2008 Dowjones