Economic Development Program

---

 

Tuesday May

01, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Kick Off the Economic Development Program with Our Blue Ribbon Panel

Expect a fast and furious discussion from our well-informed and very opinionated group of broadband champions.

Leader:
Lev Gonick– CIO, Arizona State University

Presenters:
Christopher Mitchell – Director, Community Broadband Networks, Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Nicol Turner-Lee, Ph.D. – Fellow, Governance Studies, Center for Technology Innovation Brookings Institution
Will Rhinehart – Director of Technology and Innovation Policy, American Action Forum

4:10 pm – 5:00 pm
Minnesota Busts the ‘Broadband Is Too Expensive’ Myth

The myth that broadband in rural areas is too expensive has been debunked in five communities in Minnesota and tracked in the report “Understanding the Community Impact of Investment in Rural Broadband,” commissioned by the Blandin Foundation. The report compares local public funding and return on investment in each community by looking at data and trends and interviewing local residents. Hear more about the study’s conclusions and the lessons learned from rural communities that are thriving by putting better broadband at the heart of their economic development strategies.

Presenters:
Bernadine Joselyn – Director, Public Policy & Engagement Program, Blandin Foundation
Ann Treacy - Member of the Broadband Team, Blandin Foundation

 

Wednesday May 02

8:00 am – 8:50 am
Future of Work: Policies that Work

As the world of work rapidly changes, local and state policy-makers are intent on ensuring that workers and organizations can have a thriving work economy. But beyond policy that favors broadband deployment, what kinds of laws and regulations can encourage healthy work ecosystems? Hear answers learned from work with government decision makers from around the country by a convener of “TechTables.”

Presenter:
Gary Bolles– Co-Founder, eParachute; Partner, Charette LLC

9:00 am – 9:50 am

Future of Work Continued: How to Use Your Network to Become a Hub for Remote Work

Hubs are a winner for workers who want to stay in place to maintain a high quality of life in less expensive areas – and for employers, who can get access to those skilled workers. Come hear how communities use their broadband networks to become platforms for work performed for employers in other locations.

Leader:
Gary Bolles – Co-Founder, eParachute; Partner, Charette LLC

Presenters:
Patrick McKenna – Partner, High Ridge Venture Partners
Nick Smoot - Founder, Innovation Collective

10:00 am – 10:50 am
New Developments in Partnerships

When it comes to deploying broadband, not all partnerships are public-private ones any longer. Let’s all get together to learn about the latest trends in joining forces.

Leader:
Joanne Hovis – President, CTC Technology & Energy

Presenters:
Jim Loter – Director of Digital Engagement, City of Seattle
Aaron Bean – Operations Manager, Westfield Gas + Electric Light Department (WG+E) and Whip City Fiber
Jeff Christensen – President, EntryPoint, Salt Lake City, Utah
Jordana Barton, MPA – Senior Adviser, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Creating a Tech Ecosystem

It’s not just the economic development that broadband deployment brings. There’s also the human side of the effort, and this panel explores it: supporting start-ups, a tech workforce, investors, incubators, accelerators and youth/adult tech programs. We will explore how these drivers influence local economies, government innovation, digital divide, telemedicine, IoT and community wellbeing.

Leader:
Christopher Mitchell – Director, Community Broadband Networks, Institute for Local Self-Reliance

Presenters:
Jory Wolf – Vice President of Digital Innovation, Magellan Advisors
Robert Wack – City Council President, Westminster, MD
Rick Usher – Assistant City Manager for Entrepreneurship and Small Business, City of Kansas City, MO

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Key Legal Issues Affecting Broadband/Economic Development Projects

From coping with state barriers to entry to acquiring timely pole attachments to complying with regulatory requirements to qualifying for E-Rate subsidies, critical legal issues affect every broadband/economic project. How a community addresses them can have a huge impact on the success of its project. In this session, our legal experts review and update the latest legal developments that are likely to arise in your project.

Presenters:
Sean Stokes – Principal, Baller Stokes & Lide PC
Casey Lide – Principal, Baller Stokes & Lide PC

Thursday May 03

8:00 am – 9:00 am
A New Model for Economic Development

The old models of economic development - building industrial parks or pursuing a large employer - are no longer working for most communities. This session offers new strategies that recognize the realities of the new economy – and that includes making fiber an important component. You’ll hear real-life examples of communities that are leveraging fiber in new ways.

Leader/Presenter:
Doug Dawson – President, CCG Consulting

Presenters:
Will Aycock – General Manager, Greenlight Community Broadband, Wilson, NC
Alan Fitzpatrick – CEO, Open Broadband, LLC

9:10 am – 10:00 am
ABC’s of Funding

Joint Session with the Rural Broadband Development Track

USF, RUS, CAF, FCC, E-Rate – It’s an alphabet soup of sources when you’re looking for funding for your broadband network. And that’s not even counting the municipal finance sector. Join this show me the money discussion: where to find it, how to access it, what sources are best for you, presented jointly by the Rural Broadband and Economic Development Tracks.

Leader:
Jeff Sural – Director, Broadband Infrastructure Office, NC Department of Information Technology, Raleigh, NC

Presenters:
Tim Herwig – District Community Affairs Officer, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Tim Riley – Service Provider Partnership Manager, Education Super Highway
John Graham, PhD – Senior Investigator, North Carolina Institute for Public Health; Adjunct Assistant Professor, Public Health Leadership Program, University of North Carolina
Jose DeLeon – General Field Representative, Rural Development, Rural Utilities Service, USDA

9:10 am – 10:00 am
5G

Next Century Special Session
Panelists will share the struggles and successes of bringing 5G infrastructure to their communities. The perspective of both municipalities and vendors will be shared. Additionally, permitting, ordinances, and vendor agreement best practices will be discussed.

Leader:
Debra Socia – Executive Director, Next Century Cities

Presenters:
Mitsuko Herrera – Cable Communications Administrator, Montgomery County, Maryland
Rebecca Hunter– External Affairs, Corporate Development & Strategy, Crown Castle
Jim Loter – Director of Digital Engagement, City of Seattle
Rondella Hawkins - Officer, Telecommunications & Regulatory Affairs, City of Austin, TX
Michael Render – CEO and Principal Analyst, RVA LLC Market Research and Consulting

10:10 am – 11:00 am
Serving Our Most Vulnerable Populations

Joint Track with the Rural Broadband Track

Good broadband has increasingly become a necessity of modern life, but America has yet to meet the challenge of serving our most vulnerable populations well. How and where are we falling short? What more needs to be done? This session explores these questions, focusing on the needs of older adults, Native Americans, Americans with disabilities and lower-income individuals and families.

Leader/Presenter:
Nicol Turner-Lee, Ph.D. – Fellow, Governance Studies, enter for Technology Innovation Brookings Institution

Presenters:
Tim Will – Principal, Catalpa
Matthew Rantanen – Director of Technology, Southern California Chairmen’s Association (SCTCA)
Alex Glazebrook – Director of Technology and Learning, Older Adults Technology Services (OATS)

11:10 am – 12:00 pm
Power Play: Co-ops Step Up

Joint Track with the Rural Broadband Track
There’s a surge in co-ops stepping up to the plate in areas where the usual Wall Street-driven business case for broadband deployment is less than optimal. It’s both an economic and rural issue, and our Rural Broadband and Economic Development tracks have joined forces to highlight co-ops that have used broadband deployments to serve their communities.

Leader:
Catharine Rice - CLIC Project Director

Presenters:
Jonathan Chambers – Partner, Conexon
Eric Cramer – President/CEO, Wilkes Communications/River Street Networks, Wilkesboro, NC
John Donner – Vice President, Electric Distribution Banking Division, Co-Bank/ACB, Minneapolis, MN

11:10 am – 12:00 pm
Get Smarter about Smart Cities

Next Century Cities Special Program
Learn how municipalities have turned themselves into Smart Cities. Panelists on this Next Century Cities session will discuss everything from the necessary prerequisites for adopting smart cities applications to their thinking about the future of Smart Cities.

Leader:
Debra Socia – Executive Director, Next Century Cities

Presenters:
Ken Lucas – Councilmember, Centennial Colorado
Bob Bennett – Chief Innovation Officer, Kansas City Missouri
Michael Render – CEO and Principal Analyst, RVA LLC Market Research and Consulting

1:10 pm – 2:10 pm
Future of Work: Becoming a Maker City

The Maker Model has proven to be a successful catalyst for municipalities that are building entrepreneurial ecosystems. Come hear case studies of successful Maker-driven initiatives that have benefited from connectivity and community engagement.

Leader:
Gary Bolles – Co-Founder, eParachute; Partner, Charette LLC

Presenter:
Peter Hirshberg - Co-author, Maker Cities