Former Associate Vice President To Fulfill Role As Federal
Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Specialist
Today, the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) announced Associate Vice President Gladys Palpallatoc’s departure from the organization. Palpallatoc has accepted a position at the U.S. Department of Commerce National Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIA) as a Federal Program Officer and Broadband Specialist in the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.
CETF President and CEO Sunne Wright McPeak said, “We are very excited about this new opportunity for Gladys to continue her work in closing the Digital Divide and seeking
Digital Equity for all Californians. Gladys knows well all regions and stakeholders throughout the state. Her experience in facilitating rural infrastructure deployment and managing technology adoption in partnership with diverse communities will be a valuable asset for NTIA.” McPeak added that “CETF and our partners will miss Gladys, but we are very pleased that additional personnel have joined the CETF Team and we will welcome working again with Gladys in her new role.”
At CETF Palpallatoc helped establish Regional Broadband Consortia, worked to secure ongoing funding for them, and supported community engagement. She worked closely with the Connected Capital Area Broadband Consortium (managed by Valley Vision) to update a major resource for Digital Equity Champions called Getting Connected Resource Guide for Local and Regional Government Leaders. She also managed the CETF Board of Expert Advisors and the launch of the CETF Digital Equity Coalition, pushing for urgent action to accelerate broadband deployment and adoption.
Palpallatoc said, “After thirteen years at CETF and more than two decades working with Sunne Wright McPeak, I am extremely grateful for the people I have worked alongside and the mission, and vision of CETF. This is not a goodbye but a ‘see you later’ as my work at NTIA will be a continuation of addressing Digital Equity challenges at a national level. Thank you all.”