News Flash: Kelly Schlegel’s insightful leadership attracts funds for broadband connectivity for all in New Mexico
Kelly Schlegel
Director, New Mexico’s Office of Broadband Access and Expansion
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico was joined by Senior Advisor to the President and White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu and other officials at a press conference on July 6, 2023 announcing plans to expand broadband access in New Mexico after a $675 million award from the Biden Administration and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
"It is time to bring the next level of reliable, high-speed broadband internet to New Mexico," said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. "We have already been investing heavily in broadband across the state, and this new funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will allow us to accomplish our biggest goals and projects - like giving all New Mexicans a chance to access broadband in the next three years. Thank you to President Biden and New Mexico's Congressional delegation for supporting these projects by securing funding for our state."
In New Mexico today, 79 active broadband projects worth $1.2 billion are ready to make 70,000 connections. An additional $200 million in funding will focus on digital equity programs.
The funding was made available through the federal Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By the end of 2023, the state will submit a plan to the federal government detailing how the funding will be used around the state to enhance connectivity in unserved and underserved communities, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, and tribal lands.
“Access to high-speed internet is no longer a luxury – it’s a necessity to fully participate in today’s society, and President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is ensuring all Americans have access to affordable, reliable high-speed Internet service no matter where they live,” said Senior Advisor to the President and White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu. “This award is part of the single largest investment in high-speed internet in history, and it’s bridging the digital divide by building fiber-optic cable made in America – all while creating good-paying jobs for years to come. Building out high-speed internet infrastructure in New Mexico will level the playing field, spur economic growth and opportunity, and help us meet the President’s goal of Internet for All.”
"Whether you live in a city, in rural areas, or on Tribal lands, Internet access isn’t a luxury - it is a necessity," said Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information April McClain-Delaney. "Thanks to the Internet for All initiative, part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we're bringing affordable, reliable high-speed Internet service to every home and business in New Mexico.
"With the $675 million allocation at our disposal, we have the opportunity to modernize our infrastructure, expand the reach of broadband connectivity by laying new fiber, enable remote learning for our children, facilitate improved health outcomes through telehealth, and create a level playing field for businesses across the board,” said Kelly Schlegel, the Director of the Office of Broadband Access and Expansion. “This significant funding will pave the way for essential updates and advancements that will positively impact our communities, ensuring equal opportunities and a brighter future for all."
Senator Ben Ray Luján and Representative Teresa Leger Fernández also gave remarks during the press conference.
In 2022, Gov. Lujan Grisham announced Connect New Mexico, a pilot program designed to cover up to 75 percent of total project costs for network expansion in unserved and underserved areas of the state. Earlier this year, the governor made $54 million in grants and $35 million in matching funds available for broadband projects.
Estimates show 23% of New Mexico households cannot access reliable internet.
Kelly Schlegel is the recent appointee by the New Mexico Governor to the Broadband Director position, responsible for internet for all, especially in rural New Mexico. Kelly has 40 years’ experience at the Boeing Company in system engineering, software engineering, and executive program management for large military development programs.
Kelly has provided leadership and engineering to many programs over her career: ICBMs such as Peacekeeper and Minuteman, F-111C Airplane, Secure Border Initiative Network (SBInet) program for Department of Homeland Security, Ground Based Interceptor (GBI), military communications such as Family of Advanced Line of Site Terminals, which modernized military satellite communications for the Air Force, and Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) Ground Mobile Radio (GMR) for the Army. Kelly was also Software Director of The Defense Agency Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Orbital Express Advanced Technology Demonstration Program, which developed and demonstrated autonomous techniques for on-orbit refueling and reconfiguration of satellites. She helped to run a Boeing subsidiary specializing in Logistics and Data Analytics.
Kelly retired from the Boeing Company and owns a small consulting firm called SchlegelTech with her husband Bill. She has expanded her engineering consulting to include career counseling and lifestyle coaching especially for early career people. Kelly loves to give back and so she is currently using the skills she honed at the Boeing company to help two charities: Catholic Charities of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties in the area of homelessness prevention and Elsinore Valley Resource Pregnancy Center that provides resources for women in crisis pregnancy to raise their children. Kelly donates her time to many ministries at church and has a passion for young people getting started on the right foot. She also donates her time to the Boeing Innovation 2.0 program that teaches employees how to think innovatively.
Kelly graduated with a B.S. from the University of New Mexico where she was a Tri-Delta, and she holds an MBA from the University of Redlands. She has been married 41 years to Bill, a high school science teacher and has 2 sons, one who works for the State of New Mexico in small business leadership, and one who works as a Physician Assistant in Heart Surgery at St. Bernadine’s hospital. Kelly enjoys cooking and camping and holistic health studies.
Awards and Recognition:
1. Sarah Ida Shaw Award for Phi Delta Chapter - 1979
2. Amelia Earhart Society Pioneer Award - 2005
3. Outstanding Contribution to Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Engineering -2005
4. 100% Mission Success Award for the Orbital Express Satellite Program – 2007
5. Leadership California - 2010
6. National Management Association Silver Knight of Leadership Award - 2014
7. Southern California Area Council of the National Management Association Innovation Award -2015
8. University of California at San Diego (UCSD) Rady School of Management Elevate Forum Executive of the
Year Award - 2016
9. National Management Association Gold Knight of Executive Leadership Award -2017
10. TriDelta International Woman of year for Philanthropy - 2018