Tribal

Broadband Breakfast on May 31, 2023 – Tribal Broadband Deployment

How are Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program projects progressing, and how will they interact with BEAD projects?

Broadband Breakfast

May 19, 2023 — 3 min read

Secretary Raimondo at Net Inclusion 2023 from NDIA's Twitter

See Tribes Must Be Ready to Challenge State Broadband Maps: Tribal Ready, Broadband Breakfast, May 31, 2023

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Wednesday, May 31, 2023 – Tribal Broadband Deployment

As the NTIA continues to issue awards from the first round of the $3 billion Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, how are the funded projects progressing? How will they interact with the other ongoing broadband initiatives, such as the Middle Mile and Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Programs?

Panelists

Lori Adams, Vice President of Broadband Policy & Funding Strategy, Nokia
Joe Valandra, CEO and President, Tribal Ready
Megan Beresford, Director of Broadband Programs, Learn Design Apply
E.J. John, Senior Research Analyst, American Indian Policy Institute
Drew Clark (moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast

Panelist resources

American Indian Policy Institute, Arizona State University

As senior director of broadband policy and funding strategy, Lori Adams is a key member of the Nokia Government Affairs Americas Team. She is responsible for developing strategies and tools to enable increased company participation in state, federal, and international programs supporting infrastructure deployment by several of Nokia’s business organizations. Additionally, she focuses on external government relations and communications with stakeholders at all levels of government through direct engagement, filings, and participation in public forums.

Before leading Tribal Ready, Joe Valandra served as the executive director of the Native American Contractors Association (NACA). He also served as the managing director of VAdvisors, LLC, a specialty advisory firm in Washington, DC, and as the chief of staff for the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC), a federal regulatory agency with Indian gaming oversight responsibilities. Joe has served in senior executive roles in private and public sectors, including as a board member of numerous companies in multiple industries.

Megan Beresford is the director of broadband programs at Learn Design Apply Inc (LDA). She joined the company mid-pandemic as the digital divide became glaringly evident. Since then, she and her team have helped states, public entities, tribes, and private internet service providers secure over $300 million in broadband infrastructure and digital equity funding.

E.J. John is the senior research analyst at the American Indian Policy Institute at Arizona State University. He is a member of the Navajo Nation who uses his experience working in Tribal government and policy research to promote digital equity for Tribal communities.

Drew Clark (moderator) is CEO of Breakfast Media LLC. He has led the Broadband Breakfast community since 2008. An early proponent of better broadband, better lives, he initially founded the Broadband Census crowdsourcing campaign for broadband data. As Editor and Publisher, Clark presides over the leading media company 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.