Well, I guess Yul Kwon couldn't just be known as 'The Asian Guy Who Won
Survivor' for the rest of his life. Thus the winner of the
Survivor: Cook Islands is taking on his next challenge with the Federal Communications Commission as Deputy Chief of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. A job that probably will not require him to take off his shirt. Here's the message Yul sent out to friends the other day:
I'm excited to announce that I'm going back to public service and joining the Federal Communications Commission as Deputy Chief of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. I apologize for not sharing this sooner, I was supposed to keep this under wraps until the press release came out this morning. I'm thrilled to be working with the Obama Administration and under the chairmanship of Julius Genachowski, whom I got to know during the campaign. For those of you who aren't familiar with him, Julius went to law school with President Obama and was the principal architect of Obama's Tech and Innovation Plan. When he became Chairman, Julius asked me to help him reshape the FCC into a more consumer-oriented agency and to develop pro-consumer policies and regulations. Given the many issues on the FCC's agenda and the larger economic challenges facing our country, I've decided to accept what I believe is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a difference at a critical time in our nation's history.
On a lighter note, I realize it's oddly ironic that I'm joining an agency that has at times imposed fines for the kind of wardrobe malfunctions that seem to be an ever-present risk on the TV show that propelled me to public recognition in the first place. I fear to imagine the photos that will pop up of me wearing nothing but a grass skirt should the FCC ever fine Survivor for indecent exposure. With this move, however, I feel that I've come full circle. I started off my career as a young idealistic government attorney, left to develop a fuller range of experiences in business and media, and am now returning with a broader skill set and public profile that I can hopefully leverage in service to my country.
Thanks for your support, and I hope to see each of you again soon.
Yul
And here's the official press release from the FCC:
FCC CHAIRMAN JULIUS GENACHOWSKI ANNOUNCES SENIOR STAFF IN INTERNATIONAL AND CONSUMER AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS BUREAUS
Washington, DC - Today, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski announced the appointment of Mindel De La Torre as Chief of the International Bureau and Yul Kwon as Deputy Chief of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau.
"The FCC has an important role to play in empowering and protecting consumers and ensuring that they have access to world-leading communications networks and technologies," said Chairman Genachowski. "These talented individuals have vast public and private sector experience in communications policy and I am delighted to have their expertise at the agency."
Chief, International Bureau, Mindel De La Torre. Since 1998, Ms. De La Torre has been the president of the consulting firm Telecommunications Management Group, Inc. (TMG). Prior to joining TMG, Ms. De La Torre was the deputy chief of the Telecommunications Division at the International Bureau, which she joined in December 1994. Ms. De La Torre also worked at the Department of Commerce -- for over four years at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and for three years in the General Counsel's office. She has been a member of various U.S. delegations to International Telecommunication Union conferences, such as World Radiocommunication Conferences, World Telecommunication Development Conferences, and Plenipotentiary Conferences. Ms. De La Torre has a B.A. from Vanderbilt University and a J.D. from the University of Texas. Having lived overseas most of her life, she speaks fluent Portuguese, French, and Spanish, and is proficient in Italian.
Deputy Chief, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, Yul Kwon. Mr. Kwon’s diverse career spans across law, technology, business, and media. His government experience includes lecturing at the FBI Academy, drafting science and technology legislation as an aide to Senator Joseph Lieberman, and clerking for Judge Barrington D. Parker on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. In the business and technology sector, Mr. Kwon has held positions at McKinsey & Company, Google, and the Trium Group. He also practiced law as an attorney at Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis and at Venture Law Group. In 2006, Mr. Kwon became the first Asian American to win the CBS reality show, Survivor. His subsequent media activities include working as a special correspondent for CNN and as a co-host for the Discovery Channel. Mr. Kwon obtained his B.S. degree in Symbolic Systems from Stanford University and his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he served on the editorial board of the Yale Law Journal.
As we all know, Yul is an intelligent, capable guy -- reality TV show or otherwise. The FCC is lucky to have him. I love how his bio includes all these interesting academic and professional accolades and experience... as well as the
Survivor win. I think Yul just has to face facts: no matter what he does, he'll probably be known around the FCC as the
Survivor guy.
