Greg Conte was born and raised right outside Boston, Massachusetts, but he came to Texas in 2010 as an active duty US Army soldier. After his service obligations, Greg left Fort Bliss and headed to Austin to enroll in graduate school at the University of Texas, earning a masters degree in Public Affairs and an MBA concurrently. He was employed at the Texas Comptroller’s Office in 2016, where he served in several leadership positions before becoming the director of the Broadband Development Office and continuing his passion for public service by closing the digital divide in Texas. While he enjoys traveling back to New England when he can, Greg now calls Texas his home with his beautiful wife and his newborn daughter. The Texas Broadband Development Office was established by House Bill 5 (PDF)External Link: undefined, 87th Legislative Session. In accordance with the legislation, the office will: -Create an accurate broadband map of eligible vs. ineligible areas for financial assistance. The map will have a challenge process to dispute any perceived inaccuracies. -Establish a long-term, statewide plan that addresses strategies and goals for expanding access to and further adoption of broadband service. -Award grants or other financial instruments to meet the goals of the plan. -Set the effective threshold speed for broadband service (25 Mbps download/3 Mbps upload). -Engage in outreach to communities regarding the expansion. -Address barriers for future expansion efforts.