CHAD RUPE

Chad is Managing Member of Rural America Strategies L.L.C. He provides strategic consulting services for rural communities to bridge the digital divide and for a resilient and reliable electric grid. He has led incumbent voice and competitive data service providers for over 10,000 subscribers in the western US. He served as chairman of the California Communications Association, a consortium of California small ILECs and CLECs, dealing with one of the most onerous public regulatory bodies in the nation. He developed Montana's state broadband program. However, he is most proud of serving as the 21st Administrator of USDA’s Rural Utilities Service during President Trump's first term. Chad led the ReConnect broadband program and implemented the 2018 Farm Bill changes to rural broadband, including Smart Grid deployment of fiber for rural electric cooperatives’ distribution networks. In his time as Administrator he deployed over $18 Billion in federal loans and grants for rural broadband, rural electric cooperatives and investor-owned utilities, and rural drinking water systems throughout the United States for over 8,000 utility borrowers. He served as Secretary Sonny Perdue’s representative to the FCC Precision Agriculture Task Force and co-chaired the American Broadband Initiative for 23 federal agencies. Chad also led coordination with the US Department of Energy for deployment of developed emerging technology to improve resiliency, reliability, affordability, and security of the electric grid. Prior to that time, Chad served as USDA Rural Development State Director in Wyoming, where he worked with the State of Wyoming in delivering its State Broadband Plan following recently passed state legislation. He has over 16 years of commercial banking experience and is a veteran of the US Army following his graduation from the United States Military Academy. He earned his MBA from the University of Phoenix and holds a Top Secret security clearance.