Saenz appointed Rio Grande Valley Broadband Coalition program manager

1 month ago 72

WESLACO, Texas – The Rio Grande Valley Broadband Coalition has its first program manager.

He is Ricardo Saenz, MPA, from Donna, Texas. News of his appointment came in a newsletter sent out by the group’s director, Jordana Barton-Garcia.

“Please join me in welcoming Ricardo Saenz as our new program manager for the Rio Grande Valley Broadband Coalition. He is based in the RGV and will be a great point of contact for you locally,” Barton-Garcia wrote, in a newsletter to coalition members and supporters.

Barton-Garcia, who is also senior fellow at Connect Humanity, provided a bio on Saenz bio.

Ricardo Saenz is Connect Humanity’s Rio Grande Valley Broadband Coalition Program Manager.

He brings extensive experience in nonprofit program management, community outreach, and community health initiatives. A lifelong resident of the Rio Grande Valley, Ricardo has dedicated his career to empowering underserved populations through various health and community projects.

At MHP Salud, he advanced from Program Manager to Senior Program Director, leading diverse teams and managing programs focused on nutrition, health insurance, and ageing in place. Ricardo’s leadership in these roles has driven significant community impact and strengthened partnerships across multiple grants and counties.

Previously, Ricardo oversaw a digital equity program in the Rio Grande Valley and Maverick County, focusing on bridging the digital divide among underserved older adult populations, earning certification as a Digital Navigator.

Ricardo holds a Master of Arts in Public Affairs from The University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley. He is passionate about advancing digital inclusion as a catalyst for social change and making a meaningful impact in his community. Outside of work, Ricardo enjoys spending time with his family, going to movie theaters, and playing with his dog, Kovu.

In the group’s newsletter, Barton-Garcia said it is time for the Rio Grande Valley Broadband Coalition to meet more regularly.

“It has been great to work with some of you one-on-one to nail down necessary partnership details for our RGV Broadband and Digital Opportunity Plan,” Barton-Garcia said. “We’re expecting to be able to release the document in mid-August.”

Barton-Garcia was also full of praise for the young people that have helped in the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA)-A Resource In Serving Equality (ARISE) Adelante Digital Ambassador Program. Under the program, students taught digital skills to colonia residents. “This is one of the programs we’ll seek to expand through grant funding,” she said.

Click here to see a story about the Adelante Digital Ambassador Program.

In other news, Barton-Garcia said the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has just announced the first opportunity to apply for Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Federal Funding for digital equity programs. She said applications for the NTIA Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program are due on Sept 23, 2024.

“The goal of the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program is to fund initiatives that ensure communities have the access and skills to fully participate in the digital world, regardless of their background or circumstances, Barton-Garcia said.

“They are looking for regional collaborative partnerships as we expected—so we will prepare a joint RGV submission.”

Barton-Garcia said this is the first funding opportunity from the $1.25 billion Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program and is the third of three Digital Equity Act programs.

“The Digital Equity Act provides $2.75 billion to establish three grant programs that promote digital equity and inclusion. We expect the Texas Broadband Development Office (BDO) to announce its BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment) and Digital Opportunity grant applications later in the fall,” Barton-Garcia said.

“We will select a date for our in-person coalition meeting and times for ‘office hours’ in the RGV as we prepare the application with you and your grant teams.”

Barton-Garcia also provided an update from the BDO. She said is thrilled to learn that Willacy and Starr County have been selected by BDO to participate in its Technical Assistance Program.

“Great news. Congratulations to Willacy and Starr Counties. They applied for and were selected by BDO to participate in the TAP program which will provide them with a Strategic Engineering and Feasibility Study for the expansion of broadband infrastructure and digital opportunity/workforce programs that meet their economic development and digital and health equity goals,” Barton-Garcia wrote in her newsletter.

“Cameron and Hidalgo Counties already completed their plans. All the four county plans will be incorporated into our comprehensive regional plan that will guide our applications for funding.”

Barton-Garcia said she and Saenz will reach out to set up the RGV Broadband Coalition’s meeting schedule and its plan for grant submission.

“Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions,” Barton-Garcia said.

Here are their contact details: