Broadband Breakfast on January 21, 2026 - State BEAD Roundtable

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State broadband offices are now deep into BEAD implementation, managing billions in federal funding while navigating deployment timelines, subgrantee oversight, and compliance requirements. This roundtable aims to bring together state broadband directors and program leaders to share lessons learned, troubleshoot common challenges, and discuss emerging best practices from the field. The conversation will also address how states are measuring progress, ensuring speedy and thorough deployment, and adapting strategies as ground-level realities meet original plans.

State Broadband Officers Still Face Delays in BEAD Approval, Implementation

Approvals by the National Institute of Standards and Technology are delaying deployment, officers said, although most don’t expect long permitting delays

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Panelists

• Bree Maki, Executive Director, Minnesota Office of Broadband Development
• Alyssa Kenney, State Broadband and Digital Equity Director, Public Service Commission of Wisconsin
• Claire Shiverdecker, Program Manager, Utah Broadband Center
• Christine Hallquist, Executive Director, Vermont Community Broadband Board
• Bryant Clayton, Director, Broadband Development Office, Texas
• Brian Newby, State Broadband Director, North Dakota
• Connor Perry, Executive Director, Delaware Broadband Office
• Drew Clark (moderator), CEO and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast

Bree Maki was appointed by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz in October of
2022 to serve as the Executive Director of the Office of Broadband Development. She previously served as a Senior Outreach Director and the State Broadband and Telecommunications Director for Minnesota U.S. Senator Tina Smith, and prior for Senator Al Franken. She previously worked as the Office Administrator for Winona County Soil and Water Conservation District. In 2023, she was appointed to serve on the Governor’s Infrastructure Resiliency Advisory Board and in 2024 appointed to the Minnesota Advisory Council on Infrastructure.

Alyssa Kenney is a motivated professional with extensive background in broadband strategy, community technology, digital inclusion, youth development, child care, community building and fundraising. She operationalizes complex plans, build collaboration with diverse partners and successfully manage challenging projects. She is a strategic and analytical thinker with a deep commitment to lifelong learning and social justice.

Claire Shriverdecker is currently working as a Program Manager at the Utah Broadband Center, which is located in the Utah Department of Transportation and was previously located in the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity. In this position, she collaborates with stakeholders across the state to increase broadband access and adoption for Utahns. Prior to joining the Utah Broadband Center, she worked as a Program Coordinator at the Utah State University Office of Health Equity and Community Engagement. 

Christine Hallquist is an executive innovator and leader with vast experience driving operational technology, business development, renewable energy and utility transformation. She has pioneered new technologies including fiber-optic communications; led some of most innovative US firms. Served as CEO, CIO, and expert advisor to C-suite on business and technology strategy development. Advised global corporations in business process improvement and is among the first in U.S. to adopt lean manufacturing.

Bryant Clayton serves as the Texas Broadband Development Office director within the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Clayton first joined the Comptroller’s office in 2011 after beginning his career in the banking sector. A trusted leader, he has represented the agency in front of legislative bodies, at statewide commission hearings and in interviews with local and national news outlets.

Brian Newby is the State Broadband Director for North Dakota, where he leads the state’s broadband office and oversees more than $175 million in federal investments to expand high-speed internet access through BEAD and ARPA programs. He brings extensive experience in infrastructure-driven economic development, intergovernmental collaboration, and grant administration, with prior executive leadership at the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and in state and local government. Newby also spent nearly two decades at Sprint in senior strategic planning and business development roles, giving him a strong public-private perspective on deploying broadband at scale to support economic growth and community access.

Connor Perry is the Executive Director of the Delaware Broadband Office. A dedicated public servant and experienced policy professional, Perry brings both strategic insight and a deep personal commitment to expanding broadband access across the First State.

Breakfast Media CEO Drew Clark has led the Broadband Breakfast community since 2008. An early proponent of better broadband, better lives, he initially founded the Broadband Census crowdsourcing tool to collect and verify broadband data left unpublished by the Federal Communications Commission. As CEO and Publisher, Clark presides over the leading media community advocating for higher-capacity internet everywhere through topical, timely and intelligent coverage. Clark also served as head of the Partnership for a Connected Illinois, a state broadband initiative.

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