This Year's Keynote Speakers
Ron Wyden
US Senator from Oregon
We are honored to have Oregon Senator Ron Wyden deliver our keynote address this year, live via Zoom. He will discuss his vision for a future where all Oregonians have access to highspeed, affordable Broadband and the tools to use it effectively.
Oregonians know Ron as a senator who listens and innovates. For example, Ron has secured landmark health care and economic wins for our workers and retirees. Always citing the need to "throw open the doors of government for Oregonians," he holds an open-to-all town hall meeting in each of Oregon's 36 counties each year. Thus far he has held more than 970 meetings, as well as several virtual town hall meetings sponsored by the nonpartisan Town Hall Project. Wyden's dedication to hearing all sides of an issue and looking for common sense, nonpartisan solutions has won him trust on both sides of the aisle and put him at the heart of so many of the Senate's most important debates. Read More ...
courtesy: wyden.senate.gov
Adam Geisler
President/COO of Tribal Ready PBC and former Division Chief Tribal Connectivity at the National Telecommunications & Info Administration (NTIA).
Until July of this year, Adam managed the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program responsible for deploying $3 billion in funding to address the digital divide in Native Communities. Adam also served as the Department of Commerce’s broadband Tribal subject matter expert for the White House Council for Native American Affairs Economic Development, Energy, and Infrastructure Committee. Adam is formally the National Tribal Government Liaison for FirstNet, a sister bureau within the Department of Commerce focused on the buildout of a Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network.
Adam is a former Tribal Leader, serving 3 terms as elected Tribal Council Secretary for the La Jolla Tribal Council, a federally recognized Tribal Government. During his time both in and out of elected office Adam has shaped national, state, and local policy and deployed infrastructure projects surrounding transportation, public health, gaming, economic development, energy, housing, emergency management and communications, and broadband.
Adam holds a Bachelor of Arts and Science degree from San Diego State University and is a recipient of the International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) under 35 Young Achievers Award for his work in bringing public safety broadband access to Native communities.
In his role at NTIA, Adam oversaw the $3 billion Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP). He will speak on his experience managing the TBCP and suggest how it might inform our approach to implementation of BEAD funding for the State of Oregon.
Adam will also be presenting via Zoom.
