Cheryl Leanza
Managing Director / Consultant of the United Church of Christ’s historic media justice arm, the Office of Communication, Inc.
RCCongress 2010 Workshop:
Media Reform / Media Advocacy
Cheryl Leanza is the Managing Director / Consultant of the United Church of Christ’s historic media justice arm, the Office of Communication, Inc. A former deputy director of the Media Access Project, she has served as principal legislative counsel for telecommunications at the National League of Cities since mid-2005.
Writing, advocating and litigating extensively in the areas of media ownership, access to the internet and the availability of low-power radio, Leanza has represented the public interest as lead counsel before the FCC and in U.S. Appellate courts. She led a lobbying effort at the center of the telecommunications debate, seeking to ensure cable companies are accountable to local citizens. Leanza teaches First Amendment and broadcasting to graduate students at Georgetown University’s Communications, Culture and Technology program.
She graduated cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School and simultaneously earned a Master of Public Policy degree from Michigan’s Institute of Public Policy Studies. She serves on the Executive Committee of the Federal Communications Bar Association, and is admitted to the bar in the District of Columbia and New York; and in the United States Supreme Court; U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, Third, Fourth, and Ninth Circuits.
I have always respected UCC’s role in media reform advocacy.