The former mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee is now administrator of the Rural Utilities Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Andrew “Andy” Berke was appointed on Oct. 6 by President Joe Biden to his new role. Recently, he was special representative for broadband at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration in the U.S. Department of Commerce, a press release said. He was Chattanooga's mayor from 2013 to 2021 and has a “history of advocating for rural communities in federal, state and local governments.”
“Throughout his career, Andy has demonstrated a clear and constant vision to improve the lives of rural Americans,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in the release. “Andy’s advocacy for better services, safer streets and improved infrastructure makes him an inspired choice for the role of Rural Utilities Service Administrator. I look forward to his continued leadership at USDA.”
As Chattanooga’s mayor, Berke established a “first-of-its-kind program” in which families with children receiving free or reduced lunches at school received free high-speed internet service, the release said. He worked to reduce poverty, improve infrastructure and use more clean energy.
The National Digital Inclusion Alliance in 2020 named Berke a Digital Inclusion Trailblazer.
Other honors include Berke being “named Municipal Leader of the Year by American City and County magazine in 2015 and City Executive of the Year by State Scoop in 2020,” his biography said.
He was awarded in 2017 the Digital Inclusion Award from Next Century Cities, the release said.
Berke served in the Tennessee State Senate from 2007 to 2012. While a senator, he was on the Senate Transportation and Education committees and “was appointed to the Governor’s State Workforce Development Board and Interagency Coordinating Council on Early Learning.” Berke received a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and a law degree from the University of Chicago Law School.
