Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski (pictured) has appointed David B. Robbins to be the FCC’s new managing director, effective September 12, 2011. He will succeed Steve VanRoekel, who left the agency earlier this year for a post at USAID before being named U.S. chief information officer earlier last month.

Robbins joins the FCC from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), where he served as associate administrator for the Office of Management & Administration, leading a number of the SBA’s core functions, including human capital management, facilities management, security, records management, executive secretariat, administrative services, and grants management, according to an FCC statement. He also served as director of the Loan Management and Accounting Systems Modernization Program.

“David’s leadership and management experience will be invaluable as we continue our efforts to do our work on behalf of the public more efficiently and effectively,” said Genachowski.

Robbins began his public service career at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), where he served as an assistant director, attorney, and senior program manager in the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. Among other programs, Robbins worked on the FTC’s program to alert consumers that it was not necessary to register cell phones on the National Do Not Call Registry, an effort to stem unwanted telemarketing calls.

Prior to joining the FTC, Robbins spent more than 15 years working in the private sector as an executive, senior manager, IT professional, and attorney. Robbins received his J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law in 1995, and a B.S. in Computer Science from Rutgers University/Livingston College in 1986.

The FCC’s Office of the Managing Director (OMD) is responsible for the administration and management of the Commission. Specifically, OMD manages the Commission’s budget and financial programs, human resources, contracts, purchasing, communications, computer services, physical space, security, the Commission meeting schedule, and distribution of official FCC documents.