Geoffrey Starks

Geoffrey Adam Starks^[1] is an American lawyer serving as a Commissioner of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC). He was nominated by President Donald Trump to succeed Mignon Clyburn who announced on April 19, 2018, that she was going to step down on June 6, 2018.^[2] Starks was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate on January 2, 2019.^[3] He was sworn into office on January 30, 2019.^[4] Starks is affiliated with the Democratic Party.^[5] He was renominated by President Joe Biden for a new term and was confirmed by the Senate on September 30, 2023.^[6][7][8]

Geoffrey Starks
Member of the Federal Communications Commission
Incumbent
Assumed office January 30, 2019
President	Donald Trump Joe Biden
Preceded by	Mignon Clyburn
Personal details
Born	Geoffrey Adam Starks Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Lauren
Children	2
Education	Harvard University (BA) Yale University (JD)

Early life and education

Starks is a native of and was born in Kansas City, Missouri and raised in Kansas. He earned a B.A, degree from Harvard College and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School.^[9]

Career

Prior to Stark's entry into federal public service, he was an attorney at the law firm Williams & Connolly, clerked for the Honorable Judge Duane Benton on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, served as a legislative staffer in the Illinois State Senate, and worked as a financial analyst. Thereafter, he was senior counsel in the Office of the Deputy Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) where he provided advice on domestic and international law enforcement issues, including civil, criminal, and national security matters. At DOJ, he received the Attorney General Award for Exceptional Service. Starks continued his career as Assistant Bureau Chief in the FCC's Enforcement Bureau, where he focused on protecting consumers, promoting network security, and preserving the integrity of the commission's Universal Service Fund programs.

In June 2018, President Trump nominated Geoffrey Starks to fill a Democratic seat on the FCC.^[10] He was confirmed by the Senate in January 2019.^[11]

In May 2023, President Biden nominated Starks to a new term that would end on July 1, 2027 and he was confirmed by the Senate on September 30, 2023.^[6][7][8]

Personal life

Starks lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Lauren and their two children.

References

1. "PN2050 – Nomination of Geoffrey Adam Starks for Federal Communications Commission, 115th Congress (2017–2018)". www.congress.gov. January 2, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
2. Scola, Nancy (June 4, 2018). "Meet Geoffrey Starks". Politico. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
3. "Congress.gov: Geoffrey Adam Starks — FCC". Congress.gov. Congress. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
4. "Leadership". Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
5. Brodkin, Jon (January 3, 2019). "FCC gets a new Democrat, is back to full slate of five commissioners". Ars Technica. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
6. "President Biden Announces Federal Communications Commission Nominees". WhiteHouse.gov. May 22, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
7. Spangler, Todd (May 22, 2023). "Biden Nominates Telecom Attorney Anna Gomez as FCC Commissioner". Variety. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
8. "PN674 — Geoffrey Adam Starks — Federal Communications Commission 118th Congress (2023-2024)". US Congress. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
9. "Geoffrey Starks". Federal Communications Commission. January 30, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
10. McGill, Margaret Harding (June 4, 2018). "Meet Geoffrey Starks". Benton Institute for Broadband and Society. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
11. "US Senate Confirms Geoffrey Starks and Brendan Carr to Full FCC Terms". ARRL. ARRL: National Association for Amateur Radio. January 4, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2022.