Two NRTC Board Members Make the List of DC’s Most Influential

Shirley Bloomfield, CEO of NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association and NRECA CEO Jim Matheson both get a mention in the current issue of Washingtonian magazine for being among “Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People.” The magazine does an annual compilation of the most notable issue-driven experts, policy advocates and others who work outside of the government. Both Bloomfield and Matheson have seats on the NRTC board of directors.

“We sought out smart, innovative people who care about issues and spend a lot of time thinking about them,” the article says, after reporting that Washingtonian doubled the list to 500 for this year’s issue. “They have deep subject-matter expertise and significant understanding of how DC works, with the goal of getting action. They comprehend policy’s nuances and complexities. And yes, they’re all wonks in one way or another.”

The article organizes the list according to policy categories and lists the most influential names in the areas of economic policy, foreign affairs, healthcare and others. Bloomfield appears as a leader in the “Tech & Telecom” category and Matheson is among the names in the “Energy” sector.

The caption next to Bloomfield’s photo in the article says that she is “focused on securing $65 billion for rural broadband in the infrastructure package” referring to the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program Congress passed late last year. She joined the NRTC board in 2014 after the board voted to establish a permanent seat for NTCA CEOs. She has been with NTCA a total of 32 years, including the last 11 as CEO.

Matheson’s Washingtonian caption notes that he has “warned the administration that a clean-electric standard could cost rural Americans significantly more than it would the rest of the country.” He has long been an advocate for rural citizens and utilities, including as a seven-term member of the House of Representatives from Utah. He became NRECA CEO in June 2016 and assumed one of the original permanent seats on the NRTC board.