Josh Gottheimer will step down as senior counselor to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski in July. Gottheimer is also the director of Public-Private Initiatives, a new FCC team that focuses on harnessing broadband to advance national priorities such as jobs, health care, cybersecurity, privacy, public safety, energy and education. PPI Deputy Director Jordan Usdan will become acting director of Public-Private Initiatives after Gottheimer’s departure. 

Gottheimer had been the chairman’s senior counselor for two years. He worked with others across the agency on wireless, wireline, public safety, and media issues, from voluntary incentive auctions to major transactions before the commission. He has also been the chairman’s principal advisor on privacy, children’s technology issues and cybersecurity, where he worked on improving network security. Gottheimer also led the commission’s effort with law enforcement, wireless carriers and manufacturers to combat cellphone theft and a growing black market. 

Gottheimer joined the FCC from communications firm Burson-Marsteller, where he was executive vice president, Worldwide. He’s also been a special assistant to the president and presidential speechwriter for President Bill Clinton, senior advisor to the United States Commission on Civil Rights and director of strategic communications at Ford Motor Co.

Usdan joined the commission in 2009 from Howrey LLP in Washington. Previously at the FCC, Ursdan was an advisor in the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and a program manager for the National Broadband Taskforce, where he focused on implementation, broadband adoption, international policies and consumer transparency.