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Kansas Governor Establishes a Broadband Advisory Task Force

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WASHINGTON July 19, 2010 – Governor Mark Parkinson has established a 24 member advisory group to work with Connect Kansas to implement various broadband initiatives.  The new group, called the Kansas Broadband Advisory Task Force, will develop a set of recommendations to help support statewide availability in accordance to the National Broadband Plan. The state has yet to receive any grants from the Broadband Technologies Opportunities Program but it did receive $2 million to conduct mapping activities.

“Access to broadband services is essential in supporting our communities and furthering economic development,” said Parkinson. “Whether you’re searching for a job, looking to enhance your education or accessing healthcare technologies, broadband is becoming the standard of Internet communications nationwide.  I am pleased to form this task force that will help bring broadband access to all corners of Kansas and enhance economic opportunities for our state.”

The task force includes:

David Rosenthal, Topeka, currently serves as president of the Kansas Telecommunications Industry Association (KTIA), an organization aimed to represent and advocate for the interests of telecommunication companies and the public they serve.  Prior to his employment with KTIA, Rosenthal worked for Southwestern Bell for 17 years.

Dan Yunk, Manhattan, is the chief executive officer for the Kansas Farm Bureau and a past superintendent of Manhattan-Ogden USD 383. Yunk received his bachelor’s and master’s in secondary education, as well as his doctorate in educational administration from Kansas State University.

Joanne Budler, Topeka, has been the Kansas State Librarian since January 2010. Previously, Budler was the Ohio State Librarian. She holds a master’s in library science and a master’s of fine arts in Writers’ Workshop, both from the University of Iowa.

Additionally the state’s Secretary of Agriculture Josh Svaty and Secretary of Commerce Bill Thornton will join the task force along with four members of the legislature.

The executive order can be found at http://governor.ks.gov/issues-a-initiatives/executive-orders.

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Rahul Gaitonde has been writing for BroadbandBreakfast.com since the fall of 2009, and in May of 2010 he became Deputy Editor. He was a fellow at George Mason University’s Long Term Governance Project, a researcher at the International Center for Applied Studies in Information Technology and worked at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. He holds a Masters of Public Policy from George Mason University, where his research focused on the economic and social benefits of broadband expansion. He has written extensively about Universal Service Fund reform, the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program and the Broadband Data Improvement Act

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