Summit Program Topics, Speakers, and Recordings
Co‐Moderators:
- Michael Baldino, Director and General Counsel, MBI
- Jody Jones, Senior Program Director, MBI
- Ashley Stolba, Undersecretary of Economic Foundations, Executive Office Economic Development, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
- Quentin Palfrey, Director of Federal Grants and Infrastructure, Office of Governor Maura Healey, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
- Kevin Gallagher, Senior Advisor to the Secretary, US Department of Commerce
This session will provide a brief history of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute, its new mission, and how it will navigate the new federal funding landscape.
- Michael Baldino, Director and General Counsel, Massachusetts Broadband Institute
- Stuart Freiman, Federal Program Officer for Massachusetts, NTIA
This session will look at the state of Massachusetts’ digital divide, how we got to this point, and what the barriers to adoption have been.
Moderator: Virginia Benzan, Race Equity & Justice Attorney, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
- Alister Martin, Chief Executive Officer, A Healthier Democracy
- Victoria Torres, Manager of Advocacy & Organizing, Latinos for Education
- Gina Cooper Benjamin, Deputy Director, National Digital Inclusion Alliance
Recorded remarks on the federal broadband investments coming to Massachusetts.
This session will look at what infrastructure and its build out look like for underserved and unserved communities and community anchor institutions, how they can prepare for federal funding, and the role of competition.
Moderator: Karen Charles, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable
- Stephanie Lee, Vice President – New England State and Local Government Affairs, Verizon
- Tom Flaherty, Sr., General Manager, Westfield Gas + Electric / whip city fiber
- Ian Cain, City Councilor, City of Quincy
- Tim Wilkerson, President, New England Cable & Telecommunications Association
- Courtney Dozier, Deputy Director, BEAD Program, NTIA
This session will look at how communities can build capacity for digital equity in their communities and some success stories that can be replicated.
Moderator: Josh Eichen, Program Manager, Partnerships, MBI
- Knowledge Build Hudson, Digital Equity Advisor, NTIA
- Marvin Venay, Chief Advocacy Officer, Tech Goes Home
- Matthew Summy, Vice President of Strategic Planning for Impact & Inclusion, Comcast
- Amalia Murguia, Fellow, Lead for America
This session will look at how to implement public Wi-Fi solutions in public and affordable housing.
Moderator: Melissa Quirk, Principal, Broadband And Digital Equity Practice, HR&A Advisors
- Sean Gerner, Senor Program Director, EducationSuperHighway
- Santiago Garces, Chief Information Officer, City of Boston
- Emilio Dorcely, Chief Executive Officer, Urban Edge
This session will look at what broadband expansion means for Massachusetts in terms of workforce needs, training programs, and economic opportunity.
Moderator: Wendy Lader, Regional Director, Northeast, NTIA
- Candra Szymanski, Interim Assistant Vice President, Hospital at Home Program, UMass Memorial Medical Center
- Dave Keating, Business Manager, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
- Dave Donegan, Vice President of Operations, Sullivan & McLaughlin Electrical Contractor
- David Podell, President, MassBay Community College
This closing session will look at how the Massachusetts Broadband Institute plans to foster continued engagement with its stakeholders and how they can take action to lead and participate in the development of the state’s broadband and digital equity plans.
- Gina Cooper Benjamin, Deputy Director, National Digital Inclusion Alliance
- Jody Jones, Senior Program Director, Massachusetts Broadband Institute
