Andy Berke Email & Phone Number

Washington, Dc, Us

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

Thanks to President Biden's leadership, the Rural Utilities Service sits at the intersection of two major infrastructure priorities: high speed internet and clean energy. With $10.7 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act, I led the design and implementation of 2 new opportunities expected to build almost $40 billion of clean energy in rural America. Because of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Agency has funded more than $2.5 billion of new high speed internet projects. These bills added additional work to an agency that already is the biggest funder of electricity, telecommunications, and water in rural Amercia. As Administrator, I approve all loans and grants; communicate with external and internal stakeholders on behalf of the agency; execute policy decisions; and manage the executive team, including the heads of the Electric, Telecommunications, and Water divisions.

Washington Dc-Baltimore Area

High speed internet (broadband) is essential infrastructure in the modern world. Because Chattanooga has been first in this area in so many ways -- first universal fiber to the home, first to make internet free for every family with a child on free or reduced lunch -- I came to the federal government to work on implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, a tranformative bill championed by President Biden. First, I helped draft the funding opportunities for the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment Act (BEAD) as well as Digital Equity. Each state and territory had to make an affirmative decision to sign up for both initiatives, so I criss-crossed the country, talking to Governors, State Legislators, local officials, and leaders in the space. With more than $45 billion at the Department, stakes were high, and we needed to ensure partisanship did not interfere with deploying this crucial infrastructure. We were successful, as every single Governor elected to participate in both BEAD and Digital Equity, an enormous bipartisan accomplishment. In addition, I was able to award enornously important grants to Native American lands from tribal funds at the Department.

Working with a variety of clients ranging from startups, large corporations, and local governments, I advised clients on growing their businesses. For private sector clients, I gave strategic advice on how to obtain the necessary permissions from governmental entities or to establish a sales presence in new markets. Governments needed assistance on strategic plans and how to implement them, and I met regularly to ensure their goals were met.

Nashville, Tennessee, United States

Vanderbilt, one of America's great universities, is located in the center of Nashville, a city boasting one of the country's best economies. To make those gains sustainable, and to enhance high growth areas, like health care and technology, I advised the Chancellor and leadership team on economic development. Pulling together leaders from metro Nashville, non-profits, the private sector, and inside the university, I helped put together new plans and systems for wage and job growth in Middle Tennessee.

During my two terms as Mayor, I served as the CEO of the 2700 employee organization charged with building and maintaining infrastructure, bringing economic development to the area, and providing essential services. Through our municipal electric utility, Chattanooga built out the first universal fiber network to every resident, and we used it to establish an Innovation District, put together an urban test lab, and make internet free for every family with a child on free or reduced lunch. On economic development, I negotiated numerous deals to bring jobs to the area, including Volkswagen vehicles and a paint plant to the area's lowest income census tract. We built a new solar array to power the wastewater treatment plant, source of half of city government's carbon emissions, and a new microgrid for resilience for our first responders. To help those who served our country, I started a new push to end homelessness for vetwerans, which we accomplished in 2016. All the while I ensured we were fiscally responsbile, putting together the operating and capital budget without a tax increase while obtaining a AAA bond rating.

As managing partner at a family firm, I successfully tried numerous cases to conclusion, including years-long, multi-million lawsuits. I also argued several cases before the appellate courts, including the Tennessee Supreme Court and the Sixth Circuit.

Elected twice, I served on the Transportation and Education Committees, writing and enacting legislation on government efficiency, prisoner reentry, and the use of unemployment insurance. Under the leadership of Governor Bredesen, I worked in small group of legislators to write and then co-sponsor educational landmark legislation First to the Top, which won the U.S. Department of Education’s Race to the Top competition, and the Complete College Tennessee Act, which overhauled the funding and structure of higher education.

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Bs, Political Science