Broadband Development Conference
Minnesota, Executive Director of the Office of Broadband Development
Bree Maki serves as Minnesota’s Executive Director of the Office of Broadband Development, proudly leading a team of 10 dedicated to expanding high‑quality broadband across the state.
Appointed by Governor Tim Walz in 2022, Bree brings years of experience in federal broadband and telecommunications work, including serving as Senior Outreach Director and State Broadband Director for U.S. Senator Tina Smith and previously for Senator Al Franken. Rooted in Southeast Minnesota, Bree is driven by the belief that broadband is a modern necessity — essential for strong communities, economic opportunity, and inclusion. She is committed to building partnerships across sectors to ensure every Minnesotan has access to the digital tools they need to thrive.
Bree lives in Winona County with her partner Jeff and remains deeply engaged in her community, serving as Chair of the Lewiston‑Altura School Board, Chair of the Southeast Service Cooperative Board, and Vice‑Chair of the Minnesota State Service Cooperative Board.
What’s Gone Right, What’s Gone Wrong, and What We Don’t Know.
This panel will offer perspectives from industry stakeholders and experts on the time between the Benefit of the Bargain and putting shovels in the ground. The discussion will focus on technology selection, subgrant agreement negotiation, why provisional subgrantees are walking away, and what states are doing about it – the buildup to bringing broadband to the unserved. The panelists will also look to the future of the BEAD program and what it will take to be successful.
A dynamic discussion among state broadband officials about multiple broadband programs (BEAD, CPF, SLFRF and RDOF) converging 2026 deadlines and the collaboration required to overcome the barriers to deployment ensuring the promise of universal broadband is finally delivered.
We will discuss BEAD’s broad bipartisan support with potential to be a major win for federal, state, and local governments. Specifically, we will explore the opportunities at the local level for BEAD, and some of the challenges that still need addressing.
Federal, state, and local governments have varying authorities and roles to address barriers to BEAD deployment. We plan to examine the unique role state broadband offices can play in helping overcome obstacles related to permitting, poles, and easements.
This panel will cover:
Permitting - Permitting challenges impacting network expansion across the country. We will discuss concrete steps state and local governments can take to reduce permitting delays, and which broadband ready practices states have already taken and those outcomes.
Pole Attachments - We wil also include questions about how states should balance pole replacement funding, utility responsibility, and fair cost distribution, and what innovations in undergrounding or grid modernization can accelerate BEAD builds.
Easements and Rights of Way - Included discussion around how states can clarify or modernize antiquated easement laws to support rural buildout, and where federal and state authorities need tighter coordination.
