i3 - November/December 2017 - 55

shucking corn, and shelling peas in a home
with no central heat or air. Today, I find the
remoteness of the countryside more
beautiful than I did then, but I will never
forget how hard it was for my family and
their neighbors. What I witnessed in the
late 60s and early 70s still holds true for
too many. Poverty is a challenge, populations are growing older, and small towns
and rural communities are often struggling
just to survive. It was this upbringing that
has propelled me to pay it forward for
these very proud people, so that more
communities are able to realize their
highest potential.
O'Rielly: I'm a reasonably straightforward
individual but most people would be
surprised to learn that I love DC's August
heat. Since I grew up outside of Buffalo,
NY most people assume that I am partial
to that area's typical weather. While I absolutely adore the people and the experiences from my hometown, I've already
had plenty of snow, cold and cloudy days.
So, I'll take the boiling, sweltering heat
of DC any day if I can still see the sun.
Rosenworcel: My brother is the drummer
for the band Guster, so my parents have
a rocker and a regulator for children.

Mignon Clyburn

Mike O'Rielly
C TA . t e c h / i 3

Who or what
inspires you?

Carr: I have had the privilege
of working at the FCC for
more than five years now. One
of the most rewarding parts of
this experience is getting to
work with the professional
staff at the agency because
they are an extremely talented
and dedicated group of
individuals. I am also inspired
by the tremendous opportunity we have in the tech and
telecom space to create jobs,
spur investment, and grow the
economy for the benefit of
all Americans. Getting the
chance to play a small part in
establishing the regulatory
framework that will produce
those results is a real privilege.
Clyburn: I am inspired by my
parents, grandparents and
mentors like the late Marjorie
Amos-Frazier. She was the first
female elected to the Charleston County Council and the
first African-American to serve
on the South Carolina Public
Service Commission. Not
allowed to complete high
school in her home county,
she received a high school
equivalency degree when she
was almost 40 years old. Miss
Marjorie embraced her natural
ability to lead and merged
that with a selfless desire to
improve her community.
Back in 1994, she encouraged
me to run for a seat on the
South Carolina Public Service
Commission (PSC) representing the Sixth District. While I did
not win my first race, it was her
confidence in me that led me
to run again, win and ultimately
serve on the PSC for 14 years.
O'Rielly: It seems most people
have one individual or thing
that inspires them, but, for
me, I am inspired by everyday
Americans in the lower to
middle income tiers who get up
in the morning to face a myriad
of life issues thrown at them.
Too often, these are people
who struggle to survive in the
current economic environment, but they march forward

with their jobs and family obligations like true champions.
They certainly have a bunch of worries about the future,
yet they spend most of their time thinking about improving
things for their families and doing what is right. That leaves
little time to think about the FCC and the work it does.
So, I consider it part of my job to keep their daily struggles,
especially the impact of costly regulation, in mind as I consider Commission actions. Moreover, it's the opportunity to
help these people that attracted me to government service,
and why I am honored to serve in my current role.
Rosenworcel: My children. Viewing the world through
their eyes and ears is a hefty reminder that the choices
we make today about technology, infrastructure, and
access are an inheritance for the next generation. I think
how we grapple now with the disrupting and democratizing
effects of digitization will play no small role in determining
our success in the future.

What is your most
memorable travel experience?

Carr: In 2012, before I started working at the FCC, I took
three weeks off. I started out in Istanbul before traveling
to Vienna, Prague, Cesky Krumlov, Krakow, Madrid, Granada
and Marrakesh. It was a great trip. I took a few different
night trains to link the cities together, and one of the most
memorable was traveling overnight from Tangiers to
Marrakesh after taking a ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar.
Clyburn: As a Commissioner, I have been privileged to
travel around the globe, and see technology transforming
the lives of everyday people. One of my most memorable
experiences was a visit to The Gambia in 2011. It was there
that I met women who were shea butter farmers and oyster
harvesters who could use their 2G flip phone to find out
the current prices for their goods - that is for the few who
had them. They told me that a cell phone was more
important to them than shoes! Those images and words
inspire me to do all in my power to bring ubiquitous and
affordable connectivity to every single person in this nation.
O'Rielly: Having never been comfortable with copious
amounts of free time, I find work travel can be more of
a means to an end rather than a relaxing journey. What I truly
enjoy, however, is identifying a couple key take-aways from
the last industry conference or site visit that I can incorporate into my work at the Commission. These are the two or
three snippets of information, data points or individuals met
that made me look at an issue differently or more intensely.
While each trip is valuable in its own way, I vividly recall
earlier trips to Alaska and Kansas and later to South Dakota
for highlighting specific problems resulting from a lack of
broadband access. On the personal side, my recent travel
memories all involve the beach and my family.
Rosenworcel: Too many to count. I've loved trips ranging
from back-country skiing in Utah, to hiking gorges in
Switzerland, to exploring the Thar Desert on the border
of India and Pakistan, to surveying ruins in the Cyclades
off the coast of Greece, to trekking parts of the Appalachian
Trail. There are some people who relax on a hot day with
a cold drink by the pool, but I'm not one of them. It might be
perverse, but I find travel more relaxing when it includes
an adrenaline rush!
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

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