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Wisconsin’s Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program has undergone major restructuring impacting eligibility, funding priorities, and community roles. This webinar will highlight key changes from the BEAD BOB (BEAD Benefit of the Bargain) round and what they mean for local broadband expansion.
November 18, 2025
2:00 PM
What We’ll Cover:
- Key updates from Wisconsin’s BEAD program and the BOB round
- How state and federal timelines are evolving
- What recent allocations mean for local areas and broadband expansion efforts
- Opportunities for communities to strengthen and enhance broadband outcomes beyond BEAD funding
Who Should Watch:
This webinar is designed for community leaders and broadband providers seeking to expand broadband access in their communities.
Our Presenters
Mark Leonard
Public Service Commission of Wisconsin
Mark Leonard is the Broadband Planning and Policy Coordinator at the Wisconsin Broadband Office (WBO) at the Public Service Commission (PSC). Mark provides outreach and technical assistance to all Tribal, County, and Municipal Governments in Wisconsin on broadband planning, access, and affordability efforts. Along with being one of the facilitators of the Governor’s Task Force on Broadband Access. Mark is the former Executive Director of Administration for the Ho-Chunk Nation where one of his main focuses was bringing broadband access to Ho-Chunk Lands and Tribal Members. Mark received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is a descendant of the Ho-Chunk Nation, Forest County Potawatomi, and Menominee Nation.
Gail Huycke
UW-Madison Division of Extension
Gail 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.
Brittany Beyer
UW-Madison Division of Extension
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.
This webinar is co-sponsored by:
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations are those of the presenter and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors.
Webinar Resources
A recording and resources will be placed here after the webinar.
We value inclusion and access for all participants. We are happy to provide accommodations to help you fully participate in this event.
