By Damanpreet Singh Lobana '25
Photo Courtesy of LinkedIn
Michael Powell was born in Birmingham, Alabama in March of 1963 during the backdrop of his father, former Secretary of State, Colin Powell’s militaristic journeys across the country and abroad. Powell’s father had been deployed in Vietnam, leaving his early upbringing to his mother and his grandparents, who were admirable contributors in their communities. Moreover, due to his father’s considerable involvement in the military, Powell would make frequent stops across the country along with his family, including communities in the Great West, Colorado, and the East Coast. Despite having a tumultuous childhood, Powell was able to settle and attend high school for all four years in Virginia during his father’s assignment in the Pentagon.
After attending high school, he decided to attend the College of William and Mary in 1981 on an ROTC scholarship while pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Government. Being part of a robust and meaningful program, Powell would eventually become the first commander of the Corps of Cadets of African American descent in the university. Under the mentorship and guidance of Sam Sadler and Tom Graves, who served as the Dean of Students, he became the president’s aide and became part of many student organizations and administrative circles within the school. Powell also joined Theta Delta Chi during his freshman year and was promoted to superior ranks before finally becoming president and a national officer in his senior year. His other notable achievement includes being a member of the men’s gymnastics team.
Powell would graduate from the university in 1985 and would continue his postgraduate study at Georgetown University, obtaining his doctorate in law before being officially commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army. He spent most of his active service serving as the cavalry platoon leader and the troop executive officer for the 3rd Squadron and the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, respectively in Amberg, Germany. His other contributions towards the military include working as an expert advisor to the Secretary of Defense and attorney for the United States. Under the Clinton Administration and subsequently the Bush Administration, he was elected as the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2001, which meant he was responsible for opening new avenues in communication technology for small technologies to compete with bigger corporations. While at the FCC, Powell was also the FCC’s Defense Commissioner and oversaw all nation Security Emergency Preparedness functions. In fact, during his tenure, Powell was also the chief speaker during William and Mary’s Charter Day celebration in 2002.
After ending his tenure as chairman, he served terms as a member of the Board of Visitors of both Georgetown University and The College of William and Mary, where he was eventually elected as the Rector, the first African American to achieve this feat. He also became a member of the board of trustees at the RAND Corporation and was influential in legalizing same-sex marriage in California. Powell also lobbied for telecommunication companies, raising pertinent bills regarding net neutrality in broadband services. He was known for writing opinion and editorial pieces for Politico, where he continues to advocate the importance of the prevention of cyber threats. He is currently serving as the president and CEO of the National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA).