Michael V. Berry is a policy advisor in the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago's community development and policy studies division and the managing editor of the Chicago Fed's community and economic development publication, ProfitWise News and Views. Berry also serves as a consultant to the Federal Reserve Board's Community Advisory Council, and prepares the council's published, semiannual meeting record. Prior to joining the Chicago Fed, Berry worked in the market research group at The RESCORP Companies, a real estate development and consulting organization created by a consortium of over 50 financial institutions that specialized in community revitalization, and in the investment research group of Balcor, a (former) subsidiary of American Express.

Berry holds a BA degree in political science from Susquehanna University and an MBA degree with finance concentration from DePaul University.

David Oppedahl is a senior business economist in the Economic Research Department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Oppedahl conducts research on the agricultural sector and rural development, as well as analyzes business conditions and the regional economy. He directs the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s survey of agricultural banks on agricultural land values and credit conditions and publishes the results in AgLetter—the Chicago Fed's quarterly agricultural publication. In addition to his research, he regularly briefs the Chicago Fed's president on the agricultural economy and organizes the annual Agriculture Conference.

Before starting his career at the Chicago Fed as an associate economist in 1998, Oppedahl was a consultant in the Economic Research Department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. While at the Dallas Fed, he provided research support in the area of econometrics.

Oppedahl received a BS in mathematics from Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois, and an MS in statistics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He also completed graduate-level course work in economics while attending Southern Methodist University.

Matt Schmit serves as director of the Illinois Office of Broadband within the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity and chair of the Illinois Broadband Advisory Council. In these roles, Schmit oversees administration of the Connect Illinois Broadband Grant Program, as well as related programming in digital equity, local planning, and regional engagement.

Prior to his service in Illinois, Schmit engaged public policy from various perspectives and by wearing different hats: as a Minnesota state legislator, leading on such issues as infrastructure and economic competitiveness; as a University of Minnesota researcher, published author, and graduate school instructor; and as an independent consultant.

While in office, Schmit led the push for ubiquitous broadband access through the creation of Minnesota’s Office of Broadband Development and related Border to Border Broadband Grant Program.

Throughout his career, Schmit has enjoyed consulting, collaboration, and research primarily in the areas of technology deployment, infrastructure investment, and economic development. Integration of twenty-first-century infrastructure is a primary focus of his work—and his research. For the past decade, Schmit has maintained active membership with the Transportation Research Board, a branch of the National Academy of Sciences.

Gigi Sohn is a Distinguished Fellow at the Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law & Policy. She is also a senior fellow and public advocate at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. Sohn is one of the nation’s leading public advocates for open, affordable, and democratic communications networks. For nearly thirty years, she has worked across the country to defend and preserve the fundamental competition and innovation policies that have made broadband internet access more ubiquitous, competitive, affordable, open, and protective of user privacy.