Kathleen Abernathy

Posted in People

Senior Industry and Innovation Fellow, March 2018 – Present

J.D., Catholic University

Research Interests

• Energy Regulation
• Internet Policy
• Technology and Innovation Policy
• Telecom
• Regulation

About

Kathleen Q. Abernathy‏ is Special Counsel for Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP in addition to serving as a Senior Industry and Innovation Fellow for the Georgetown Center for Business and Public Policy. She was elected to the Board of Directors of Frontier Communications as an independent director in 2006 following her term as a Commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission from 2001 to 2005. In 2010 Abernathy joined Frontier as Chief Legal Officer and Executive Vice President, Regulatory and Governmental Affairs. Abernathy was on the leadership team that oversaw a number of strategic acquisitions that eventually grew Frontier to a Fortune 250 company. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of ISO New England, serving in that capacity since 2012.

Prior to her term as an FCC Commissioner, Abernathy worked for a number of different telecommunications companies and law firms. She has received numerous awards in recognition of her professional accomplishments and has taught as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center and Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law.

Abernathy received degrees from Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law and Marquette University.