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20 <br /> Page 1 of 2 William SAM Byassee <br /> Volunteer Application <br /> Orange County Advisory Boards and Commissions <br /> Name: William SAM Byassee <br /> Name Called: <br /> Home Address: 637 Brookview Drive <br /> Chapel Hill NC 27514 <br /> Phone: 919-275-0440 <br /> Email: byassee@gmail.com <br /> Year of OC Residence: 1996 <br /> Township of Residence: <br /> Zone of Residence: <br /> Gender Identity: Male <br /> Ethnic Background: White <br /> Age Range: 60+ <br /> Community Activities/Organizational Memberships: <br /> - Bicycle Alliance of Chapel Hill (advocacy for improved cycling infrastructure) <br /> - Spoken Revolutions (program to broaden experiences and perspectives of <br /> disadvantaged youth) <br /> - The Nature Conservancy <br /> - Electronic Frontier Foundation <br /> Past Service on Orange County Advisory Boards: <br /> None <br /> Boards/Commissions applied for: <br /> Orange County Broadband Task Force <br /> Background, education and experience relevant to this board: <br /> I served on the Chapel Hill Information Technology Advisory Committee that recommended the <br /> town work with NC DOT to lay fiber cable when the traffic signal system was upgraded and I was <br /> the project manager on the North Carolina Next Generation Network project through UNC in <br /> coalition with Duke, NC State and Wake Forest along with Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Durham, <br /> Winston Salem and Raleigh. Our goal was to bring broadband to all of the participating <br /> communities at a reasonable price. Separately, I have worked on numerous technology planning <br /> projects through UNC, Old Dominion, and Florida State. <br /> Reasons for wanting to serve on this board: <br /> In today s economy, broadband needs to be treated like any other utility. Children need it for <br /> school, entrepreneurs need it to do business, everyone needs it for healthcare, paying bills, and <br /> generally living their lives. I have the educational background and the professional experience to <br /> help make it a reality. <br /> Contribution to the diversity of viewpoints on this board: <br /> The committee needs to know what the Commissioners want to accomplish and then provide 2- <br /> 3 scenarios for how that goal can be accomplished. The only diversity issues I am aware of for <br /> this matter is cost and location. Any solution needs to be affordable for the lowest income levels <br /> in the county without any reduction in quality/access. And that must be the case regardless of <br />