Connect Illinois Announces Drew Clark as Executive Director

Connect Illinois, a non-profit organization that includes partnerships with Southern Illinois University, Man-Tra-Con, and Connected Nation, announced Drew Clark as its new Executive Director.

On Wednesday, the group also unveiled BroadbandStat, a new interactive mapping tool for viewing and analyzing broadband data. Clark, the founder of BroadbandCensus.com and an experienced, independent telecom industry analyst, brings a unique public interest perspective to broadband data collection, which is vital to the effective deployment of high-speed Internet networks throughout the United States. As the state's designated entity to perform broadband mapping, Connect Illinois recently received $1.8 million in funding from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration for broadband data collection, mapping and planning activities. In 2009, led by Southern Illinois University, Connect Illinois received a start-up grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.