NTCA Supports Semmler for Second USAC Board Term
Semmler’s regulatory experience would help guide USAC, NTCA says
WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2026 – NTCA CEO Micheal Romano supported the nomination of Kara Semmler, General Counsel and Executive Director of the South Dakota Telecommunications Association (SDTA) for a second term as a representative on the Board of Directors of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC).
In a Sept. 21 letter to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, Romano said Semmler has the experience needed to continue serving on the USAC board, which oversees the administration of Universal Service Fund programs under the direction and oversight of the FCC.
The FCC appointed Semmler to the USAC board in 2023 as the representative for incumbent local exchange carriers, other than Bell Operating Companies, with $40 million or less in annual revenue. Her three-year term began Jan. 1, 2024.
NTCA represents more than 850 independent, community-based rural communications providers. The trade group said Semmler’s experience includes work at SDTA, the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission and in private practice. Those roles have given her experience working with telecommunications providers, including reviewing financial regulatory reports and monitoring compliance with regulatory programs.
Semmler’s service on the USAC board has given her additional knowledge of the federal universal service programs that the company helps the FCC administer. NTCA said that experience has given her additional knowledge of the federal programs that USAC helps the FCC administer.
USAC administers several federal universal service programs on behalf of the FCC, including programs supporting broadband and telecommunications service in rural areas, low-income communities, schools and libraries, and rural health care. The agency operates under FCC direction and oversight, a relationship NTCA has previously emphasized in filings concerning USF administration.
Romano said Semmler’s legal and telecommunications background would help USAC carry out its role in administering universal service programs. NTCA’s letter asks Carr to reappoint her to the board and offers to provide additional information about the nomination.
