SHLB Welcomes Joseph Wender as New Executive Director

The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition appointed Joseph Wender as its new Executive Director, effective March 10, 2025, succeeding founding Executive Director John Windhausen. This transition comes at a pivotal moment in broadband policy, including a pending Supreme Court decision on the future of the Universal Service Fund (USF). Since its founding, SHLB has led efforts to ensure that every school, library, healthcare provider, and anchor institution has access to affordable, high-speed broadband. Under John Windhausen’s leadership, SHLB has become a powerful national coalition advocating broadband expansion and adoption. A longtime advocate for internet access, Wender joins SHLB after leading the Capital Projects Fund at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where he successfully oversaw billions in broadband and infrastructure investments connecting rural and urban communities. Previously, as a Senior Policy Advisor to Senator Edward J. Markey, he played a key role in shaping national broadband policy. With deep expertise in federal, state, and local broadband funding, Wender will help SHLB navigate critical policy debates affecting anchor institutions. He holds a law degree from Harvard Law School and an undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University.