Former Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke has been appointed to a position in the U.S. Department of Commerce involving infrastructure funds being distributed by the federal government for broadband internet.
Berke’s title will be special representative for broadband, according to a news release from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, part of the Commerce Department.
The release identifies the appointment as part of the buildout of the leadership team.
“Andy Berke served as the mayor of Chattanooga, Tenn., from 2013 to 2021,” the release states. “Under his leadership, Chattanooga established several digital equity programs, including Tech Goes Home, which offers technology training, skills, and access to families. At the end of his term, Mayor Berke led a partnership to provide high-speed broadband at no cost to every family with a child on free or reduced lunch, making Chattanooga the first community in the country with such a benefit. A native of Chattanooga, Berke served in the Tennessee Senate for five years prior to his mayoralty.”
The news release quotes Berke saying, “Chattanooga has led our country in making sure that our residents have access to high-speed broadband and the skills to use it. With the funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Biden Administration is determined to make sure that every American has that same opportunity.”
– Compiled by Ricky Young