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Shirley Bloomfield is chief executive officer of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association, the premier association representing nearly 850 independent telecommunications companies that are leading innovation in rural and small-town America. With more than 30 years of experience representing the country’s smallest telecom operators, Bloomfield is an expert on the role of federal communications policies in sustaining the vitality of rural and remote communities and the benefits rural broadband networks bring to millions of American families, businesses and the national economy. Bloomfield has a strong track record of leadership in aligning strategic partnerships among rural telecom companies, their larger counterparts, other rural utilities and federal agencies, advancing digital equity and economic opportunities for rural Americans. Under her leadership, NTCA has promoted public-private partnerships among rural communications providers and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and FCC, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars flowing to rural communities to advance broadband networks and help close the digital divide. Bloomfield is a strong supporter of national efforts to improve the resilience and reliability of critical electric and telecommunications infrastructure and serves as a board member of the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative and the Southeast Reliability Corporation (SERC).