Minnesota State Broadband Advocacy Tip: Talk to Staff

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 17, 2024 – Experts at WISPAPALOOZA had some advice for broadband providers looking to engage their state officials: talk to staff, and do it often.

“Don’t get disheartened and think staff-level [meetings] don’t also matter if you can’t get to the top,” said Bree Maki, director of Minnesota’s broadband office said Wednesday. “Elected officials have to know a little about a lot, but their staff people are really in the weeds every day. Make sure you are kind to them and always sharing information with them.”

Greg Guice, chief policy officer at Vernonburg Group, said having staff aware of what a company is proposing or asking for – even if they don’t agree with all of it – can be helpful in that an elected or agency official is able to ask them questions and get information.

“You can meet with the decision maker, and if the question comes to you ‘Did you talk to the staff? What did they think of it?’ and you’ve gone around them, quite often that’s sort of the end of the game. Or at least the end of that meeting,” he said. 

Colm O’Comartum, co-founder of state advocacy firm 50 State, said providers should engage policy makers even if they’re not actively looking for something. Emphasizing the work smaller ISPs are already serving hard-to-reach communities can help get them a seat at the table as things like BEAD are figured out, he said.

“What they love to see,” he said, is “someone who’s going to present themselves and say ‘We know you want to reach these people that are hard to reach. That’s what we do. We’re part of the solution.’”