WISPA Applauds POTUS RUS Nominee, Dr. Basil Gooden

The following statement may be attributed to Louis Peraertz, VP of Policy for WISPA – Broadband Without Boundaries:
 
Washington, DC, September 13, 2023 – WISPA applauds the White House’s nomination of Dr. Basil Gooden for Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development.  If confirmed by the Senate, Dr. Gooden would oversee the Rural Utilities Services (RUS), a core, longstanding USDA program working to bring essential connectivity to America’s rural communities.  
 
Dr. Gooden is well regarded in the USDA community, having held positions as Virginia State Director for Rural Development, and most recently as the Director of State Operations for Rural Development. Further, he has intimate knowledge of the challenges and opportunities of rural life, being raised on the cattle farm his family still operates in Buckingham County, Virginia.  He is well-suited for the job before him.
 
We look forward to working with Dr. Gooden, especially as it relates to spreading the success of RUS to non-traditional stakeholders – such as rural broadband ISPs – helping RUS become more inviting to truly small players who provide reliable, high-speed Internet access to millions of rural Americans.

About WISPA – Broadband Without Boundaries
WISPA’s approximately 1000 members provide fixed broadband connectivity, and include equipment suppliers, support services, and other industry partners and stakeholders. Our members provide broadband access to millions of residential and business customers in rural, urban, and Tribal areas across America.
 
Contact
Mike Wendy
WISPA
202-763-5257
mwendy@wispa.org