The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition announced both a new board member and the chairs for its 2022 policy working groups.
SHLB, a nonprofit broadband advocacy organization, confirmed that Philip Neufeld, executive officer of technology services for Fresno Unified School District in California, will begin a three-year term on the group’s board of directors effective January 1, 2022. Neufeld was elected by SHLB membership.
“Philip Neufeld demonstrates a true passion for closing the digital divide through community anchor institutions. He has been a leader in deploying private LTE using ‘schools-as-towers’ to support Fresno Unified students’ at-home learning during the pandemic, and leads the Fresno Coalition for Digital Inclusion,” said John Windhausen Jr., executive director of the SHLB Coalition. “His wealth of experience as an education leader and commitment to improving internet access for underserved community members will be the perfect addition to our Board. We look forward to having his expertise as we work with policy-makers to implement the new federal broadband funding programs.”
“I’m equally delighted to welcome the SHLB Coalition’s 2022 Policy Group Chairs,” Windhausen continued. “These experts play a critical role in shaping SHLB’s policy recommendations and help us tackle the broad range of issues influencing community anchor institution broadband.”
The 2022 Policy Group Chairs are:
- Broadband Mapping Policy Group: Stephanie Jane Edwards, senior GIS analyst and digital inclusion liaison for North Carolina Research and Education Network; and Jenny Miller, vice president of state and industry relations of Connected Nation.
- E-rate Policy Group: Roy Hoover, principal at Hoover Technology Consulting; and Beverly Sutherland, president and CEO of EdTechnologyFunds.
- Higher Education Policy Group: Aimee Edwards, community affairs director at Western Governors University; Steve Smith, CIO of University of Nevada, Reno – Office of Information Technology; and Joan Wodiska, consultant for Western Governors University and CEO and founder of Pioneer Management Consulting.
- Legislative/Infrastructure Policy Group: Shawn Chang, partner at Wiley Rein LLP; and Tom Reid, consultant for Southern Ohio Health Care Network.
- Pole Attachments/Rights-of-Way Policy Group: Marc Paul, vice president of policy at Charter Communications; and Ovidiu Viorica, broadband and technology program manager at New Mexico Public School Facilities Authority.
- Spectrum/5G Policy Group: Chip Byers, chief technical strategist for MOREnet; and Mark Colwell, director of telecommunications strategy for Voqal.
- Telehealth Policy Group: Rob Jenkins, director of broadband services at Colorado Hospital Association; and Anne Turner, director of compliance and regulatory affairs at ENA Healthcare Services.
