American lawyer and politician, he served as Republican chairman of the Federal Communications Commission and is currently president of the trade association the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA). He was appointed to the Federal Communications Commission by President Bill Clinton on 3 November 1997. President George W. Bush designated him chairman of the commission on 22 January 2001.
Powell is the son of former Joint Chief of Staff, Colin Powell. He received his BA and JD from Georgetown University in 1993, joined the Army 1985-1988, a Pentagon Assistant to Japan, was a U.S. Court of Appeals clerk 1988-1990, associate lawyer 1994-1996 and joined the Chief of Staff Justice Department, 1996-1997 in the antitrust division.
Powell served as an armor officer in the United States Army. He spent the majority of his active service with the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Amberg, Germany, serving as a cavalry platoon leader and troop executive officer. In 1987, Powell was seriously injured during a training mission.
During a Jeep crash, half of Powell’s pelvis had snapped off its rear anchor on the lower spine. In the front, it had ripped free of the cartilage connecting it to its other half. His bladder and urethra were torn and several vertebrae were cracked. He spent a year in recovery. To this day, his spine is still fused at its base, forcing him to walk with a slight forward pitch.
Link to Wikipedia biography