Personnel Notes

A former top online enforcement official at the Federal Trade Commission will join the group that manages the ".org" domain.

Don Blumenthal will be a senior policy adviser at the Public Interest Registry, which provides Web addresses for non-profit organizations across the globe. He previously directed the FTC's Internet Lab, which works to collect evidence and build cases against online criminals. Since leaving the Commission in 2006 he has been in private practice.

“PIR’s dedication to working in support of the public interest is what attracted me most to the organization,” Blumenthal said in a statement. “I hope my experience in both government and the private sector will continue to position PIR as a leader among global top level domain registries.”

Blumenthal has also taken part in data seizure operations while at the FTC and often worked with the FBI, Secret Service and other federal and local law enforcement agencies. In his new job he will also represent the interests of the .org domain to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

“PIR has a great policy team, and Don is a tremendous addition. His expertise is integral in expanding our work in cybersecurity, Whois and domain name abuse — areas in which we will be dedicating extensive efforts in the upcoming year,” said Kathy Kleiman, director of policy for the Public Interest Registry.

Blumenthal graduated from Oberlin College and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

This post was updated at 1:00pm. An earlier version of the article incorrectly stated Blumenthal was leaving the FTC for the new position.

Teresa Carlson, who leads Microsoft's federal government sales team, is leaving to join Amazon.com's growing cloud-computing business, according to a report from FedNewsRadio.

FedNewsRadio's Chris Dorobek reported Wednesday that Carlson has told friends she will start Dec. 13.

As one of the most prominent members of the technology contracting community, Carlson's loss will be viewed as a blow to Microsoft, which has yet to name a replacement. Carlson has been at the software giant since 2002, rising to the position of vice president of Microsoft Federal.

The move will also be viewed as a shot in the arm for Amazon's cloud-computing business, which has been active in the government space through projects such as hosting the stimulus-tracking website Recovery.gov.

Professional Services Council Director of Communications Carrie Lake is leaving Friday to join the media relations team at Booz Allen Hamilton.

Lake has been helping the PSC represent the contracting and technical services industry in Washington since April 2006. Prior to that, she worked in public relations for George Mason University and spent a year as a reporter covering Fairfax, Va., county schools.

PSC media relations manager and former Federal Times reporter Elise Castelli will be the organization's main point of contact moving forward.

Markey has served on the committee since 1976 and has been eligible to lead Democrats on the panel since 1999.

Federal Communications Commission chairman Julius Genachowski announced Wednesday that Sarah Whitesell will take over as deputy chief of the agency's Media Bureau.

Whitesell is currently associate bureau chief. In her new position, she will help shape the FCC's policies on media ownership, children's issues and large transactions, among other duties. Before joining the Media Bureau in 2006 Whitesell previously served as associate chief of the FCC's Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis and as associate chief of the Cable Bureau.

“Sarah’s extensive experience in media and telecommunications will continue to serve the Commission well in her new appointment,” Genachowski said. “She will play a key role in promoting a vibrant media marketplace that serves the information needs of the American public.”

Whitesell has also taught law as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center and George Washington University Law School.

Phoebe Yang is leaving the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to join the the Advisory Board Company.

Yang was a senior adviser to Chairman Julius Genachowski on broadband issues, playing a key role in crafting the National Broadband Plan, which lays out the country's goals for expanding Internet access over the next decade.

She will join the senior management team and lead acquisition strategy at her new workplace. 

Yang is the second Genachowski adviser this year to leave for a David Bradley company. Bradley founded the Advisory Board Company and owns the Atlantic Media Company, where former FCC chief counsel Bruce Gottlieb headed this year to become general counsel.

She has previously worked for Discovery Communications, AOL Time Warner, in the Clinton administration, and in private practice at Hogan & Hartson.

-Corrected at 2:07 p.m. with the accurate company information.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced three additions on Wednesday to the leadership of the office in charge of dealing with Native American tribes and communities.

“These three talented regulatory policy and advocacy veterans bring a wealth of experience in the communications development field,” said Geoffrey Blackwell, chief of the Office of Native Affairs and Policy. “Each has personally experienced the digital divide in Indian Country, and brings a focus to our efforts. I look forward to working closely with these good people.”

Irene Flannery, previously the deputy chief of the Wireline Competition Bureaus division in charge of universal service matters, will become deputy chief of the Office of Native Affairs and Policy (ONAP), where she will work on policies that promote broadband and wireless deployment in Native American communities. Flannery has served in several other senior management positions at the FCC and holds degrees from Duke University, the University of Virginia and Georgetown University Law Center.

Cynthia Bryant will join Flannery as senior legal advisor; she previously served as a senior attorney in the FCC's Enforcement Bureau, where she took the lead on action against carriers that didn't publicize services aimed at residents on tribal lands. She graduated from Bradford College, University of Kansas Law School, American University Washington College of Law, and Middlebury College.

In addition, Dan Rumelt will join ONAP as senior advisor for consultation policy, where he will attempt to increase coordination with Native American organizations and tribal governments. Rumelt was senior advisor for outreach in the FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau for nearly a decade. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and Marquette University. 

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson will seek the top Democratic seat on the House Science and Technology Committee, the Texas Democrat announced this week.



Johnson, who will be entering her 10th term next year, said she'll use the position to promote clean energy, science education and a stronger NASA program.



"I would continue to emphasize the need to invest in basic scientific research and development to support our nation’s energy independence and security, to create new technologies, industries, and jobs that will catalyze our nation’s embattled middle class and fulfill a mission for the U.S. to lead the world in clean technology," Johnson said in a statement.



Such advancements, said Johnson, will "help rebuild our nation’s economy through science" and  enhance our standard of living, foster new industries and retain our global competitiveness."



The panel's top Democratic slot opened up because the current chairman, Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.) is retiring at the end of the year, and Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.), the second in-line, announced Monday that he won't seek the ranking membership of the science committee.

Costello said he'd rather focus his energies on legislation in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where he'll rank at least third among Democrats.

"I want to maintain my focus on these issues in which I have invested so much time and attention, and which should be a major part of our continued efforts to improve the economy,” Costello said in a statement. 



Johnson is also a member of the Transportation panel. 

Hewlett-Packard announced on Tuesday the addition of several former Pentagon officials to its enterprise services unit to bolster the firm's leadership on selling cybersecurity services to the federal government.

Providing end-to-end security services to large corporations or the federal government is an increasingly lucrative market for large information technology firms such as HP. Each of the officials brings extensive experience safeguarding military networks from attacks launched by hackers and enemy states.

“In support of our commitment to protect our government clients’ information and infrastructure, we are strengthening our cybersecurity practice and continuing to develop enhanced command and control capabilities,” said Dennis Stolkey, senior vice president for HP Enterprise Services. “HP’s cybersecurity practice provides the leadership expertise and in-depth understanding of our clients’ unique mission challenges and requirements.”

U.S. Navy Rear Admiral (Ret.) Betsy Hight will join HP as vice president of cybersecurity practice. She previously served as the vice director of the Defense Information Systems Agency. Air Force Colonel (Ret.) Ed Keegan will become director of defense cybersecurity strategies, while former Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency program manager Dr. Tim Gibson will be director of cybersecurity capability development. Navy Commander Al Kinney (Ret.) will become director of defense cybersecurity capabilities.

HP has recently stepped up its efforts to expand into the market for enterprise services, most notable outbidding rival Dell for the high-end storage firm 3PAR. HP faces increasing pressure in its traditional computer manufacturing business thanks to competition from Asian firms such as Acer, as well as U.S. consumers' gradual shift toward mobile products such as tablets and smartphones.

Rep. Jerry Costello (D) will not seek the top Democratic spot on the House Science and Technology Committee, the Illinois lawmaker announced Monday.

Costello, a 24-year House veteran, said he wants to invest his energies instead on issues swirling around the Transportation and Infrastructure panel, where he would rank at least third among Democrats next year after Tuesday's shocking defeat of Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.).

"I am deeply committed to my work on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and there is a great deal of important legislation to address next year, including possibly the FAA Reauthorization bill, a new highway bill, and the Water Resources Development Act," Costello said in a statement.

"I want to maintain my focus on these issues in which I have invested so much time and attention, and which should be a major part of our continued efforts to improve the economy.”

Next in line for ranking member of the Science and Technology Committee is Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, a Texas Democrat about to enter her 10th term.

Johnson's office did not immediately have a comment about Costello's announcement Monday.