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SUPPORTING STATEMENTS FROM 
CONNECT TO COMPETE PARTNERS
Today, Chairman Genachowski joined executives and non-profit leaders from across the broadband 
ecosystem at the Pew Charitable Trust in Washington, D.C., where he applauded Connect to Compete. 
This is a first-of-its-kind national effort to address the barriers to broadband adoption, digital literacy 
and closing the employment skills gap.
Following the Chairman’s remarks, Connect to Compete partners delivered brief statements about their 
commitments to help meet the broadband adoption challenge.
Kelley Dunne, CEO of One Economy, said, “We have never had a time where technology, policy and 
unprecedented need and opportunity have aligned to enable something that could be truly extraordinary.
We are very honored to take a leadership role in continuing to make this dream a reality for all Americans 
and to create a network of digital inclusion and opportunity by focusing in on the neighborhoods that we 
are carving in versus carving out and creating digital opportunity where the digital divide used to reside.”
George Sherman, Senior Vice President of Best Buy Services, said, “Geek Squad is honored to bring 
our companywide-commitment to providing access for people to one another and the things they love 
through technology. Our Geek Squad Agents look forward to helping families use technology to close the 
gaps in distance, learning and opportunity.”
Sig Behrens, General Manager of U.S. Education at Microsoft, said, “Microsoft supports the FCC’s 
‘Connect to Compete’ initiative that strives to bring all Americans access to broadband, computers, 
software and the knowledge needed to learn, connect and compete in the global market. Knowing how to 
communicate and share ideas using technology is a critical factor to being qualified for many high-paying 
jobs that even today are going unfulfilled.”
Hope Gurion, Chief Development Officer at CareerBuilder, said, “Even with millions of Americans 
unemployed, our recent survey found that nearly three-in-ten employers say they have open positions for 
which they can't find qualified candidates. We are committed to helping job seekers across the country 
identify the most in-demand positions using our new ‘Skills Gap Monitor,’ which will help ‘reskill’ them 
and connect with the companies looking to hire."
David Zaslav, President and CEO of Discovery Communications, said, “Educating and making a 
difference has been at the core of Discovery’s mission of satisfying curiosity since day one. Discovery 
Communications and our Discovery Education division are proud to honor that commitment through our 
partnership with FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and other like-minded organizations as part of the 
Connect to Compete initiative. We look forward to contributing broadband video and digital educational 
content to this effort and to working with partner organizations to build additional resources to empower 
parents and caregivers with content and infrastructure to support our children’s academic and social 
achievements.”
Patrick Manzo, Executive Vice President of Monster.com, said, “For many Americans, having access 
to technology and resources to identify suitable opportunities is a powerful way to help close the 
employment gap.  There are millions of open positions available right now; the trick is having the data, 
insight and tools to connect with those opportunities, and to do it more quickly.  We are confident that we 
can make a meaningful impact with Monster’s expertise, knowledge of the labor market and unique job 
search and matching capabilities. We’re pleased to support the FCC’s initiative along with a group of 
like-minded companies.”
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Susan Hildreth, Director, Institute of Museum and Library Services, said, “A primary goal of the 
Institute of Museum and Library Service is to ensure equitable access to information.  Today, digital 
literacy is a basic skill for success and essential for full civic and economic participation in American 
society. I am pleased that libraries' roles as community anchors are recognized as this partnership is
launched and developed.  A recent study estimated that more than 77 million people used library 
computers last year for training, education, job and health information and much more.  The capacity of 
libraries -- their technology, staff and physical presence in communities across the country -- are 
tremendous assets in this effort.”
Paula Ellis, Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, 
said, “Two years ago, the policy recommendations of the Knight Commission on Information Needs put 
broadband access on the national agenda. Connect to Compete is an opportunity to build on these 
recommendations and create real change to help ensure that all Americans can use the Internet to improve 
their lives and their community."
Angela Selden, Co-Chairman of Arise Virtual Solutions for Arise Virtual Solutions, said, “By 
supporting broadband access across America, including in rural communities, the FCC is enabling the 
future of work through virtualization and online digital training.  As the world’s leading provider of 
virtualization services, Arise is proud to support Connect to Compete by offering a virtual classroom 
platform and to contribute its own instructors to provide hundreds of hours of live, online training to help 
job seekers develop the customer service and interpersonal skills required to succeed in the new global 
economy.”
Brian S. Lee, President and CEO of MetrixLearning, said, “Metrixlearning is proud to participate in 
the Connect to Compete program. Our goal is to help Americans get back to work by allowing the 
unemployed the opportunity to upgrade basic job skills via the Internet.”
Francesco Lecceso, BrainFuse Director, said, “Our JobNow service as helped thousands of people 
across the country find jobs, but many of the people who would benefit most from JobNow are those who 
are least able to afford it. For this reason, we’re excited to work with Connect to Compete to ensure that 
everyone, regardless of income, has access to JobNow’s online career coaches and resume experts.”
To learn more about the Connect to Compete program, visit www.connect2compete.org or  
www.fcc.gov
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