Dec 2, 2019
In this Better Satellite World episode of the SSPI podcast,
Director of Development and Innovation Lou Zacharilla interviews
Richard Baldridge, Dr. Norman Jacknis and Professor Roberto
Gallardo about satellites and how satellite and broadband
connectivity provide rural citizens with opportunities to
participate in the global economy without leaving the place they
call home.
Richard Baldridge joined Viasat in April 1999, serving as our
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief
Operating Officer from 2000 and as our Executive Vice President and
Chief Operating Officer from 2002. Mr. Baldridge assumed his
current role as President and Chief Operating Officer in 2003.
Mr. Baldridge was elected to the Board of Directors of Viasat in
2016. In addition, Mr. Baldridge serves as a director of Ducommun
Incorporated, a provider of engineering and manufacturing services
to the aerospace and defense industries, and EvoNexus, a San Diego
based non-profit technology incubator.
Prior to joining Viasat, Mr. Baldridge served as Vice President and
General Manager of Raytheon Corporation’s Training Systems Division
from January 1998 to April 1999. From June 1994 to December 1997,
Mr. Baldridge served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial
Officer for Hughes Information Systems and Hughes Training Inc.,
prior to their acquisition by Raytheon in 1997. Mr. Baldridge’s
other experience includes various senior financial and general
management roles with General Dynamics Corporation.
Mr. Baldridge holds a B.S.B.A. degree in Information Systems from
New Mexico State University.
Dr. Norman Jacknis is currently Senior Fellow at the Intelligent
Community Forum. His responsibilities include leading ICF’s Rural
Imperative, building on the ideas he developed for the US
Conference of Mayors on a future-oriented economic growth strategy
for cities.
Before joining ICF, he was Director, Cisco’s IBSG Public Sector
Group (the company’s open innovation and pro-bono strategic
advisory group), where he worked extensively with states and local
government, the National Association of Counties, the US Conference
of Mayors and the staff responsible for the Federal government’s
website and citizen engagement. In addition to citizen engagement,
his focus was on economic growth, innovation, and the future of
technology. Before Cisco, he was technology commissioner for
Westchester County, New York, when it was one of ICF’s Top 7.
In addition to his regular Looking Forward blog for elected
government executives and earlier articles, Dr. Jacknis has
recently written articles and book chapters on “Beyond Smarter City
Infrastructure – The New Urban Experience”, “A New Kind Of Public
Square For Urban America, “Government’s Role In Facilitating An
Innovative Economy” and “Transformation of the Local Government
CTO/CIO”. He has been a frequent speaker at state/local government
and technology industry events, in North America, Latin America,
Europe, China, Korea and Australia. He led frequent economic
partnership missions to China starting in 1998.
He received his Doctorate, Master's and Bachelor's degrees from
Princeton University. Among several leadership positions in the
technology, education and library communities, he is President of
the New York Metropolitan Library Council.
Roberto Gallardo is Assistant Director of the Purdue Center for
Regional Development and a Purdue Extension Community & Regional
Economics Specialist. He holds an electronics engineering
undergraduate degree, a master's in economic development, and a
Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration. Gallardo has worked with
rural communities over the past decade conducting local & regional
community economic development, including use of technology for
development.
He has authored more than 70 articles including peer-reviewed and
news-related regarding rural trends, socioeconomic analysis,
industrial clusters, the digital divide, and leveraging broadband
applications for community economic development. He is also the
author of the book “Responsive Countryside: The Digital Age & Rural
Communities”, which highlights a 21st century community development
model that helps rural communities transition to, plan for, and
prosper in the digital age. Dr. Gallardo is a TEDx speaker and his
work has been featured in a WIRED magazine article, a MIC.com
documentary, and a RFDTV documentary. He lives in West Lafayette
with his wife and two daughters.