Name
Getting Infrastructure Where It's Needed: Permitting and Regulations in the Age of BEAD
Date
Monday, November 2, 2026
Time
2:45 PM - 4:30 PM
Location Name
Neopolitan Ballroom
Description
State broadband officers played a critical role in helping our ISP members prepare for the BEAD program. As NTIA has approved the vast majority of state final proposals for BEAD and most states have selected their BEAD subgrantees, it is now time to learn about other issues that state broadband offices are working on that can benefit our members. This roundtable discussion will include State Broadband Officers, ISPs, and policymakers discussing what states can do to reduce bureaucratic hurdles and costs and support expedited network construction.
Speakers
Claude Aiken - Nextlink Internet Claude Aiken is the Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Legal Officer for Nextlink Internet, the premier provider of fixed-wireless and fiber Internet and phone services across Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois and Iowa. He leads the company’s work on strategic market development and M&A, as well as heading its legal and government affairs practices. Prior to joining Nextlink, he was President & CEO of WISPA, leading the association to significant growth in budget, membership, and industry relevance. Claude joined WISPA after nearly a decade at the Federal Communications Commission. While there, he served as advisor to Chairman Wheeler and Commissioner Clyburn. He held senior leadership positions in the Wireline Bureau and Office of General Counsel, as well as key staff attorney roles throughout the Commission. He has been recognized as a Rising Star in the wireless industry by FierceWireless and has held multiple positions on federal advisory boards under the FCC and the Department of Commerce. Claude also holds a law degree from New York Law School and an English degree from Grove City College.
Chad Bolling - Wyoming Business Council
Rachel Hack Merlo - GFiber As a leader in Google Fiber’s growing Central Region - including the Kansas City, Omaha and Des Moines markets - and Orange County, California, Rachel Hack Merlo’s passion lies in making communities better every day. She is based in Kansas City, where she manages local initiatives in the company’s first market and beyond. She also provides strategic leadership to Government and Community Affairs colleagues in other markets. Rachel is responsible for establishing GFiber’s reputation as an active, committed member of the communities in which it operates. She drives internal decision making and engages with municipal leaders to expand GFiber’s footprint across the region. She develops strategies and executes plans for meaningful community impact work primarily focused on digital inclusion, STEM, and entrepreneurship. Working with cross-functional teams, she shapes local public relations and communications plans, and adds local expertise, political engagement and leadership to other GFiber initiatives. One of Rachel’s favorite parts of her work involves providing mentorship for other members of the Government and Community Affairs team. Rachel serves on the boards of directors of the Kansas City Ballet and the University of Missouri-Kansas City Board of Trustees. She was in the inaugural class of United WE’s Kansas City Transformation Journey Groups, which empowers Black, Latina and rural women in the region to explore service on appointed boards and commissions. Among many boards and nonprofits she has engaged with during her career, she is a graduate of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s Centurions class of 2016 and is the former Chair of the Chamber’s Executive Women’s Leadership Council. In a more creative service to her community, Rachel was a 2025 “star” in Dancing With The Kansas City Stars, a major fundraiser for Cristo Rey Kansas City Charter High School. Rachel is in the 2025 class of Women of Influence, an awards program of the Kansas City Business Journal that honors local executives who elevate other women and demonstrate how they’re leading their companies. She was named to the Women We Admire Top 50 Women Leaders of Missouri list in 2024, 2025 and 2026; and received the 2024 Digital Literacy Advocacy Award from Revolución Educativa for outstanding advocacy for the Latinx community. She was an honoree in the 2016 class of 40 Under Forty and the 2016 Emerging Volunteer of the Year award from Nonprofit Connect. She was recognized in 2012 by KC Business Magazine as a Rising Star among Kansas City leaders under age 40, then again in 2014 as an Influential Women honoree, celebrating local women in the creative, entrepreneurial, and nonprofit communities. She was named to the 2015 and 2018 Kansas City Techweek 100, which identifies community leaders who have made a significant impact on the technology and innovation ecosystem. Rachel was also recognized as a 2013 Verizon Nueva Latina Estrella Community Service Award winner, recognizing emerging professional leaders who embrace diversity, integrity, and creativity while achieving success. Rachel is a proud lifelong Kansas Citian who lives with her husband, two young sons and dog. She makes a habit of setting personal goals that allow her to surprise herself on a regular basis.
Chad Bolling - Wyoming Business Council
Rachel Hack Merlo - GFiber As a leader in Google Fiber’s growing Central Region - including the Kansas City, Omaha and Des Moines markets - and Orange County, California, Rachel Hack Merlo’s passion lies in making communities better every day. She is based in Kansas City, where she manages local initiatives in the company’s first market and beyond. She also provides strategic leadership to Government and Community Affairs colleagues in other markets. Rachel is responsible for establishing GFiber’s reputation as an active, committed member of the communities in which it operates. She drives internal decision making and engages with municipal leaders to expand GFiber’s footprint across the region. She develops strategies and executes plans for meaningful community impact work primarily focused on digital inclusion, STEM, and entrepreneurship. Working with cross-functional teams, she shapes local public relations and communications plans, and adds local expertise, political engagement and leadership to other GFiber initiatives. One of Rachel’s favorite parts of her work involves providing mentorship for other members of the Government and Community Affairs team. Rachel serves on the boards of directors of the Kansas City Ballet and the University of Missouri-Kansas City Board of Trustees. She was in the inaugural class of United WE’s Kansas City Transformation Journey Groups, which empowers Black, Latina and rural women in the region to explore service on appointed boards and commissions. Among many boards and nonprofits she has engaged with during her career, she is a graduate of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s Centurions class of 2016 and is the former Chair of the Chamber’s Executive Women’s Leadership Council. In a more creative service to her community, Rachel was a 2025 “star” in Dancing With The Kansas City Stars, a major fundraiser for Cristo Rey Kansas City Charter High School. Rachel is in the 2025 class of Women of Influence, an awards program of the Kansas City Business Journal that honors local executives who elevate other women and demonstrate how they’re leading their companies. She was named to the Women We Admire Top 50 Women Leaders of Missouri list in 2024, 2025 and 2026; and received the 2024 Digital Literacy Advocacy Award from Revolución Educativa for outstanding advocacy for the Latinx community. She was an honoree in the 2016 class of 40 Under Forty and the 2016 Emerging Volunteer of the Year award from Nonprofit Connect. She was recognized in 2012 by KC Business Magazine as a Rising Star among Kansas City leaders under age 40, then again in 2014 as an Influential Women honoree, celebrating local women in the creative, entrepreneurial, and nonprofit communities. She was named to the 2015 and 2018 Kansas City Techweek 100, which identifies community leaders who have made a significant impact on the technology and innovation ecosystem. Rachel was also recognized as a 2013 Verizon Nueva Latina Estrella Community Service Award winner, recognizing emerging professional leaders who embrace diversity, integrity, and creativity while achieving success. Rachel is a proud lifelong Kansas Citian who lives with her husband, two young sons and dog. She makes a habit of setting personal goals that allow her to surprise herself on a regular basis.
