Jonathan Spalter is President and CEO of USTelecom – The Broadband Association, representing the nation’s leading broadband providers. USTelecom’s members range from local providers serving rural communities to global communications companies operating across all 50 states, U.S. territories, and globally.

Spalter brings a global track record of leadership across the technology, media, and policy sectors in the United States, Asia-Pacific, and Europe. Prior to joining USTelecom in 2017, he served as founding chair of Mobile Future, the national wireless technology association. He was previously CEO of Snocap, the digital content services company founded by the creators of Napster, and CEO of Atmedica Worldwide, the online healthcare affiliate of Vivendi Universal, the Forbes 100 media and communications group. During his tenure at Vivendi, he served as Senior Vice President for Global Public Policy and Executive Vice President for Business Development and Strategy at VivendiNet, the company’s internet subsidiary.

Earlier in his career, Spalter held senior national security and technology leadership roles in the U.S. government, including positions at the White House National Security Council and the Department of Defense. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Associate Director of the United States Information Agency, where he also served as Chief Information Officer, overseeing the agency’s global technology resources.

Spalter graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University and earned an M.Phil. in International Relations from the University of Cambridge. He lives in Washington, D.C. with his family.

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Dr. Scott Linklater, a native of Washington’s apple and cherry country in Okanogan, is a recognized expert in the field of trust in business. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Washington State University, a Master’s in Adult Education from the University of Idaho, and a PhD in Leadership Studies from Gonzaga University, where he specialized in trust in business.

Dr. Linklater’s expertise bridges research and practice. He has published books and scholarly work on leadership, employment, organizational development, and trust-based relationships. He also brings extensive leadership experience, having directed learning and leadership initiatives at Monte Carlo Resort & Casino (now MGM Park), Red Lion Hotels Corporation, Northwest Farm Credit Services, and AgWest Farm Credit.

In 2023, Dr. Linklater founded TrustBuilder, where he serves as CEO and principal consultant. TrustBuilder helps organizations and teams measure and build trust-based relationships to achieve peak performance. The company conducts large-scale and customized research projects, organizational consulting, and team development across industries including finance, agriculture and natural resources, sports, and non-profits.

Interested in building more trust with your team? Email [email protected].

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Joshua Sizemore serves as an advisor to Senator Daines. Born and raised in Billings, Montana, his legislative portfolio includes Tech/Telecommunications, Commerce, Science, Energy and Natural Resources.

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Misty Ann Giles currently serves as the Director of the Montana Department of Administration and state’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) under Governor Greg Gianforte. She also leads the state’s ConnectMT broadband program. She was appointed in December 2020 and confirmed during the 2021 and 2025 legislative sessions. In her role as Director and COO, Giles oversees government operations that provide business services to other state agencies. In addition, her purview includes broadband, information technology, the regulation of banks and other state financial institutions and operates to provide a wide range of additional services to citizens, businesses, and other government entities. While serving as Director, Giles has worked to streamline agency operations and continues to lead renewed efforts to bring better and more efficient services to Montanans. She also serves on the Executive Committee as an At-Large Director for the National Association of State Chief Administrators (NASCA). Giles has over a decade of state and federal government experience. Before assuming the COO and Director role, Giles served as the Chief of Staff for Rural Development at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Before joining USDA, Giles served in leadership roles under former governors Sonny Perdue and Nathan Deal in the state of Georgia. Giles holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of San Diego and a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts from Georgia Southern University.

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Chris Dorrington now serves as the Director of the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT), appointed by Governor Gianforte in June 2024. To fulfill MDT’s mission, Director Dorrington is focused on organizational excellence, clear and consistent communication, and accountability. He is actively advancing efficiencies and effectiveness of MDT programs while honoring our most valuable assets – our people. In July 2022 Governor Gianforte also appointed Director Dorrington as the Chair of the Housing Task Force, with an objective of quickly researching and then proposing improvements that both the Montana Legislature, Executive branch and locals could implement to address Montana’s housing crisis. Prior to his current role as MDT Director, he led the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) as Director for 3.5 years, and the Air, Energy, and Mining Division at DEQ for 4.5 years prior. He started his state career at MDT, working for 10.5 years in the Planning Division. In total, Director Dorrington has nearly 19 years in leadership with the state and six in private industry. He earned his Bachelor’s of Science in mechanical engineering from Gonzaga University, and a master’s degree in transportation policy, operations and logistics from George Mason University.

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Amanda Kaster is the Director of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. Appointed by Governor Gianforte, she has officially served in this capacity since January 2021. Kaster has nearly 15 years of experience working on energy and natural resources issues. Prior to being appointed as the DNRC Director, she served as the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management at the U.S. Department of the Interior. She was also the Acting Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor at the Bureau of Land Management and an Advisor in the Secretary of the Interior’s Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs. Kaster has also previously worked for Congressman Ryan K. Zinke of Montana, the Bipartisan Policy Center, and Senator Olympia J. Snowe of Maine.

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Sonja Nowakowski serves as the Director of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and is the Chair of Governor Gianforte’s Energy Task Force. Under Sonja’s leadership, DEQ continues to protect Montana’s environment and to work toward a healthy and thriving way of life for all Montanans today and into the future. For the last three years, Sonja served as the Administrator for the Air, Energy, and Mining Division at DEQ. Prior to joining the DEQ team, Sonja worked for the Montana Legislature for 15 years. She served as a nonpartisan research analyst in the Legislative Environmental Policy Office and as the Research Director for the Office of Research and Policy. Sonja’s nonpartisan work for the Legislature focused on environment and energy policy. She staffed Energy and Natural Resources standing committees and in the interim assisted both the Environmental Quality Council and the Energy and Telecommunications Interim Committee.

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Ian Doescher is the Director of Media and Story for Pivot, a rural broadband-focused marketing agency based in Portland, Oregon. He is also the Managing Editor of Telecompetitor, a news website for the rural broadband industry. Ian has two sons, the youngest of whom will graduate from the University of Montana next year (go Grizzlies!). Outside of his day job, Ian is the author of 20 books, three of which were New York Times bestsellers.

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As President and Managing Partner of Peak Insights, Erik Iverson has more than two decades of political and public affairs experience. Erik brings a strategic approach to opinion research that delivers actionable data to his clients, which include members of the U.S. Senate and House, governors and other state and locally elected officials. A nationally recognized pollster and focus group moderator, Erik also provides strategic counsel and opinion research expertise to corporations, trade associations, hospitals and non-profits across America. From managing multiple U.S. Senate and House races, to serving as Chairman of the Montana Republican Party, Erik brings unique, hands-on experience to opinion research. That experience includes serving as lead pollster to Senator Tim Scott’s Presidential campaign and numerous top targeted races around the country for candidates as well as the National Republican Congressional Committee, the Republican Governor’s Association, and the Congressional Leadership Fund. Erik also provides polling services and strategic advice to the National Republican Senatorial Committee as well as multiple Republican state legislative caucuses.

A graduate of Montana State University-Bozeman and the University of Oregon School of Law, Erik is based out of Peak’s Missoula, Montana office where he spends his free time enjoying all that Big Sky Country has to offer.