Moderator: Benoy Jacob

Benoy Jacob is the Director of Extension’s Community Development Institute and Affiliated Faculty with UW-Madison’s LaFollette School of Public Affairs and Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture.  He studies local government, particularly how policies are both designed and  implemented to impact public finance, state and local relationships, and social diversity and equity.

His academic career has included faculty positions at University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Public Policy, The School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado, Denver, and at the School of Politics and Economics at Claremont Graduate University.

Beyond his role with Extension, Benoy also serves on the Executive Committee for ASPA’s Section on Intergovernmental Administration and Management, the editorial board for the State and Local Government Review.

Contact: benoy.jacob@wisc.edu

Session B: Building Broadband Capacity through Partnerships 

Three communities who partnered with Extension on broadband projects will share their experiences. Taylor County will discuss their journey to address the lack of broadband service. Tribal members from Lac du Flambeau will explain multiple steps which ultimately led to receiving funding to become an independent Internet Service Provider. Forest County will lay out the elements of their groundbreaking digital navigator program to support rural community members. UW Madison Division of Extension’s Broadband Team will highlight expanding broadband resources available to communities. Participants will have an opportunity to identify local and regional broadband needs, as well as help shape future Extension programing.

Presented By: 

Extension’s Broadband Team and community partners from Forest and Taylor Counties and the Lac du Flambeau Tribe. 

Brittany Beyer is a Community Economic Development Specialist with UW Madison, Division of Extension. Brittany brings her decades of experience to the team, with positions that have spanned arts and culture management, economic development, rural prosperity, and community engagement. She is a member of the statewide broadband support team with a focus on Relationship Procurement. Broadband became a focus of her work as the director of Grow North Regional Economic Development Corporation (2018-2022), leading her to be named the inaugural Chair of the Governor’s Task Force on Broadband (Chair 2020-2022, continued membership) and working as a Senior Broadband Consultant for HealthTech Solutions / Solarity on multiple projects around the country. Brittany is also the recipient of the 2021 Wisconsin Idea Award.

Contact: brittany.beyer@wisc.edu

Michael Bub has served in local government for more than two decades.  He is a member of the Taylor County Board of Supervisors where he currently chairs the County Broadband Committee.  He is a member of the Medford City Council and has served in past on the Medford School Board, where he was president for eight years.  Mike graduated from UW- Lacrosse with Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science.  Early in his career he worked in the food industry in positions at Tombstone Pizza, Kraft Pizza and Nestle Pizza Division where his focus was on developing handheld, wireless computer systems for corporate sales.  He lives in Medford.

Brian Gauthier is the Lac du Flambeau Community Natural Resources and Economic Development educator for the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. Brian has approximately 30 years of experience in the area of community development, planning and organizational development programming in tribal communities. Brian has a Bachelor of Science in public administration and policy analysis/planning along with a Bachelor of Science in political science with an emphasis in human resources.

Contact: brian.gauthier@wisc.edu or (715) 588-4251

Michell Grimm is Extension’s Community Educator in Taylor County. Michelle focuses on organization and leadership development, local food systems, and broadband. Michelle has a Master of Science in human and community relationship and adult education from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and a Bachelor of Science in earth science from Winona State University.

Contact: michelle.grimm@wisc.edu or (715) 748-3327 x2

Gail Huycke is a Professor of Practice with the University of Wisconsin Extension where she serves as a Broadband Specialist. Gail has 39 years of experience in delivering community outreach programs in family and community economic development. She joined the Broadband Education Center in 2015 serving as Director for the Connected Aging Communities Initiative. Connected Aging Communities is a groundbreaking initiative that’s uses a unique “high tech, high touch” holistic, community development approach to enable aging residents to live independently at home. Gail’s current broadband efforts center heavily on community planning for broadband access. She is a member of the National Digital Extension Education Team and has played a key role in the development of broadband community planning curriculum, training Extension staff at a national level. Gail has developed training materials for the National 4-H Council’s Tech Changemakers- Digital Ambassador program on digital inclusion. Over the last two years, Gail has served as a member of the Wisconsin’s Governor’s Task Force on Broadband.

Contact: gail.huycke@wisc.edu or (608) 957-5539

Chris Stark is the Digital Equity Outreach Specialist for UW-Madison, Division of Extension. Based in Eagle River, he is responsible for working with Wisconsin communities to improve broadband access, affordability, and adoption for all Wisconsin residents. A believer in the power of the internet to transform people’s lives, Chris is focused on building the conditions to help all generations of Wisconsinites learn digital skills.

Prior to taking this role in 2022, Chris was a Community and Economic Development Educator for Vilas and Forest County Extension offices for 10 years. Prior to joining UW- Extension, Chris worked as a NASA Contractor and was a state and local economic development practitioner.

Contact: christopher.stark@wisc.edu or (715) 525-1449

Steve Watson is the Digital Navigator for Forest County’s Digital Navigator Program. Working with UW-Extension and the Forest County Broadband Committee he and the other members of his program have created a county-wide initiative designed to address the digital divide and empower residents with the skills and confidence to thrive in the online world. Thanks to partnerships with local libraries, schools, Tribal organizations, and many others the program has been able to reach hundreds of Forest County residents.  

Launched in 2023 with grant funding from the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, the program offers a comprehensive support system to bridge the digital gap. It focuses on assisting community members with internet access, teaching digital skills, device assistance, and even providing devices for those who need them.