Former FCC Chairman and AOL Executive Named President of National Geographic Ventures

WASHINGTON-—Dennis Patrick has been named president ofNational Geographic Ventures, a wholly owned subsidiary of the NationalGeographic Society. John Fahey, president and CEO of the NationalGeographic Society, made the announcement.

Patrick, a former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission,president of AOL wireless, CEO of Time Warner Telecommunications and,most recently, president and CEO of Patrick Communications Inc and DoegHill Ventures LLC, will join the organization Jan. 6, 2003. Currently atrustee on the boards of the National Geographic Society and NationalGeographic Ventures,he will relinquish his seat on the Society ’sboard as he assumes his new responsibilities. He succeeds RichardAllen,who has been appointed president and CEO of Vulcan SportsMedia.

"National Geographic is extremely fortunate to have an executive ofDennis' caliber join our team. He brings a wealth of experience in arange of critical areas, including new technologies, cable and,ofcourse,the regulatory arena. We've had the benefit of his wise counselthrough his board service, and as a result, he knows us very well.Dennis' leadership and entrepreneurial savvy will be invaluable as westrive to expand the reach of the Society and further our mission,"Fahey said.

Patrick will focus his attention on National Geographic's rapidlygrowing television and feature film production and cable channelbusinesses, as well as on the organization's cartography and dotcomunits.

For the past several years, Patrick has been CEO of PatrickCommunications Inc, a telecommunications consulting firm, and Doeg HillVentures LLC, a venture capital group focused on early-stageinvestments in the communications industry. From 1999 to 2001, he wasthe first president of AOL Wireless. Between 1995 and his tenure withAOL, Patrick pursued venture capital opportunities through hiscompanies, PCI and DHV. During this period, he founded and served aspresident and CEO of Milliware LP, a local-exchange telephone companyusing digital radio frequencies to transmit voice, video and data.Prior to founding Milliware, Patrick served as CEO of Time WarnerTelecommunications, an operating group established by Time Warner toexplore opportunities arising from the convergence of cable andtelecommunications in the early 1990s.

Well-known in communication policy circles, Patrick served as acommissioner and then as chairman of the Federal CommunicationsCommission, from 1983 to 1989.Before his appointment to the FCC,Patrick was associate director of presidential personnel at the WhiteHouse under President Reagan. A native of California, Patrick receivedhis A.B. degree magna cum laude from Occidental College in 1973, wherehe was elected Phi Beta Kappa and, most recently, was named a trustee.He earned his J.D.degree from the University of California, LosAngeles, in 1976. Patrick lives with his wife and two children inMcLean, Va.