Critical Access: Broadband Expansion in Minnesota

Cathy McLeer is the AARP Minnesota State Director, leading the Northstar State’s work as a wise friend and fierce defender of the 50+ and on behalf of Minnesota’s 630,000 AARP members, through advocacy, community engagement, and volunteer engagement. Cathy has been with AARP since 2005, serving first as the Associate State Director for Communications in the South Dakota State Office, then as a Senior Advisor for the Central Region. Cathy came to AARP after more than a decade in broadcast news in both the Sioux Falls, SD and Minneapolis, MN markets.

Christopher Mitchell is the Director of the Community Broadband Networks Initiative with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) in Minneapolis. Mitchell is a leading national expert on community networks, Internet access, and local broadband policies. Mitchell built MuniNetworks.org, the comprehensive online clearinghouse of information about local government policies to improve Internet access. Its interactive community broadband network map tracks more than 600 such networks. He also hosts audio and video shows online, including Community Broadband Bits and Connect This! Public Knowledge presented Christopher with its Internet Protocol award in 2021, which honors those who have made significant contributions to Internet policy. In 2019, the Coalition for Local Internet Choice gave Mitchell its Indispensable Award and the Blandin Foundation of Minnesota presented him with a Courageous Leadership award. In 2015, the White House used Mitchell’s research as building blocks in a National Economic Council report encouraging community networks. He was honored as one of the 2012 Top 25 in Public Sector Technology by Government Technology, which honors the top Doers, Drivers, and Dreamers in the nation each year. Christopher helped to found Next Century Cities and served as Director of Policy for its first five years. He tweets @communitynets He earned a Master's degree in Public Policy from the Hubert Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Macalester College.

Lori Vrolson has more than 27 years’ experience in the field of aging. Currently, she is the executive director of the Central MN Council on Aging (CMCOA), serving the 14 counties in the central region of Minnesota. The Area Agency on Aging assists individuals to age successfully and develops the capacity of communities to care for an aging population. CMCOA administers the federal Older Americans Act funding program for non-medical in-home services, provides Senior LinkAge Line® information and assistance and develops innovative services and programs. Current focus areas include developing Lifetime Communities, expanding evidence-based chronic disease self-management resources, and assisting older adults as they transition across health and long-term care settings. Lori serves as past president of the Minnesota Gerontology Society and past chair of the MN Association of Area Agencies on Aging. Lori holds a Master of Science Degree in Gerontology with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Political Science with a minor in Public Administration.