Washington, D.C. (October 3, 2014): The Minority Media and Telecommunications Council is proud to announce that Kim M. Keenan has joined its staff as President and CEO, succeeding MMTC’s co-founder and President of 28 years, David Honig.
Prior to taking the helm at MMTC, Keenan served as General Counsel and Secretary of the NAACP. Previously, she was the principal of her own law firm and served in the litigation practices of two nationally recognized law firms for more than eighteen years. After law school, she served as law clerk to the Honorable John Garrett Penn in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. A top litigator and civil rights attorney, Keenan is a past president of the 100,000 member District of Columbia Bar, as well as the National Bar Association, the nation’s oldest and largest association of lawyers of color in the world.
“I am thrilled to join the MMTC staff and to pursue my passion in media and telecommunications law, where I started my career,” said Keenan. “I have always admired the way MMTC advocates for diversity and inclusion in the most important industries in the world, and I embrace this opportunity to contribute my experience and vision to their work.”
“I couldn’t be prouder to have a replacement as brilliant and capable as Kim Keenan,” said President Emeritus David Honig. “I know MMTC is in great hands, and I look forward to watching her shape the organization with her own vision.” Honig, who has assumed the role of President Emeritus and General Counsel, will continue to lead MMTC’s media and telecom brokerage operations and advise on certain FCC matters.
Keenan has received numerous awards and is a nationally recognized speaker and on-air commentator on various legal issues. She was recently honored as a Washington, D.C. Super Lawyer and is recognized as a Top Lawyer by Washingtonian Magazine. She has also been a commentator on Fox News, CNN, C-Span, CourtTV, TV One’s News One Now, and numerous radio programs.
MMTC Board Chair, Julia Johnson, lauded Keenan’s reputation for integrity, transparency, and commitment to civil rights advocacy. “Kim’s unique combination of intellect and superior problem solving skills make her a perfect leader to take over the reins from David Honig, who has led MMTC so ably for so many years. I know that MMTC will flourish under her leadership.”
Among other priorities, Keenan will address the need to improve diversity in Silicon Valley, remove education and health disparities through technology, and preserve an open Internet that allows prioritization for applications such as emergency medical or telehealth requirements. Keenan, who is known for her deep commitment to mentoring next generation leaders, also has plans to strengthen and expand MMTC’s mentoring and training programs for lawyers and entrepreneurs.
Former Members of Congress and New Telecom and Internet Task Force leaders Cliff Stearns and Ed Towns congratulated MMTC on identifying fresh new leadership to take the helm at MMTC. “I look forward to the opportunity to work with Kim in the coming months,” said Towns. “She has my full support for her efforts to lead MMTC in this 21st century technological economy.”
“Ms. Keenan has demonstrated outstanding leadership in an executive position before so her new position as CEO of MMTC will also prove successful. This experience together with her media savvy will work to provide a new vision and energy for MMTC,” said Stearns.
A native of Buffalo, New York, Keenan is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and the University of Virginia School of Law. She resides in Washington, DC, with her husband and bonus son, and she is located in MMTC’s Washington, DC, offices.
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About MMTC: MMTC is a 28-year old, non-partisan, non-profit civil rights organization focused on preserving and expanding minority ownership and closing the digital divide. MMTC is generally recognized as the nation’s leading advocate for minority advancement in communications.
