Tom Wheeler

Tom Wheeler
Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission
In office
November 4, 2013 – January 20, 2017
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byJulius Genachowski
Succeeded byAjit Pai
Personal details
Born
Thomas Edgar Wheeler

(1946-04-05) April 5, 1946 (age 78)
Redlands, California, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationOhio State University (BA)

Thomas Edgar Wheeler (born April 5, 1946)[1][2] is an American businessman and former government official. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 31st Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.[3][4]

He was appointed by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in November 2013.[1] Prior to working at the FCC, Wheeler worked as a venture capitalist and lobbyist for the cable and wireless industry, whom the FCC is now responsible for regulating, and holding positions including President of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) and CEO of the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA). As was customary for the FCC chairman, Wheeler resigned his seat when the new administration of Donald Trump began on January 20, 2017, and was succeeded by Ajit Pai.[5][6]

  1. ^ a b "Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate". whitehouse.gov. May 9, 2013. Retrieved December 30, 2014 – via National Archives.
  2. ^ "Oral Histories: Thomas Wheeler". Syndeo Institute at The Cable Center. July 26, 2000. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  3. ^ Wheeler, Tom (March 29, 2017). "How the Republicans Sold Your Privacy to Internet Providers". New York Times. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
  4. ^ The Editorial Board (March 29, 2017). "Republicans Attack Internet Privacy". New York Times. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
  5. ^ Allen Cone (December 15, 2016). "FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler to resign". United Press International. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  6. ^ "Tom Wheeler: The open internet's unlikely defender". CNET. Retrieved June 13, 2017.