Fiber Broadband Association Recognizes Kathryn de Wit for Transformative Leadership in Broadband Access

Fiber industry leader honored for advancing U.S. broadband access initiatives

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today at Fiber Connect 2025, the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) presented Kathryn de Wit, Project Director of the Broadband Access Initiative at The Pew Charitable Trusts, with the 2025 Chairwoman’s Award for outstanding contributions to the fiber broadband industry. De Wit’s efforts are transformative and instrumental in shaping equitable, data-driven broadband policies nationwide.

“Kathryn’s visionary leadership, commitment to transparency, and dedication to digital equity has advanced the broadband ecosystem. Her efforts influence policy at the federal and state levels and empower local communities to bridge the Digital Divide,” said Ariane Schaffer, Chair of the FBA Board of Directors and Head of Federal and State Policy at GFiber. “We are thankful to have Kathryn beside us, while we work to ensure everyone can access high-quality broadband service. It is an honor to present this award to Kathryn this year.”

As project director at Pew, de Wit works to accelerate efforts to connect millions of Americans to affordable, reliable high-speed internet. De Wit leads comprehensive research about state broadband policy implementation, identifying best practices and systematic gaps. Her advocacy includes encouraging states to set higher service standards and adopt fiber infrastructure, emphasizing the long-term value and cost of inaction over short-term savings.

De Wit’s work addresses the broadband industry holistically. She emphasizes the importance of digital skills development and devices in enabling communities to truly benefit from connectivity and ensuring access is inclusive and effective. Additionally, she launched the Broadband Education and Training Initiative (BETI) to provide no-cost technical assistance and peer-to-peer learning opportunities for state broadband offices. It addresses information gaps and equips officials with the tools needed to effectively administer broadband funds.

Before joining Pew, de Wit was an associate with Booz Allen Hamilton, where she focused on broadband deployment, organizational management, and public affairs. She was also a senior fellow with the Heinz Endowments, leading projects on youth philanthropy and community engagement.

FBA presented the 2025 Chairwoman’s Award to de Wit on Monday, June 2, during general sessions at Fiber Connect 2025. To learn more about Fiber Connect 2025, visit here or subscribe to FBA’s Fiber Forward Weekly newsletter here to stay updated on the latest industry news. View the 2024 Fiber Broadband Association Award Winners here.

About the Fiber Broadband Association

The Fiber Broadband Association is the largest and only trade association that represents the complete fiber ecosystem of service providers, manufacturers, industry experts, and deployment specialists dedicated to the advancement of fiber broadband deployment and the pursuit of a world where communications are limitless, advancing quality of life and digital equity anywhere and everywhere. The Fiber Broadband Association helps providers, communities, and policy makers make informed decisions about how, where, and why to build better fiber broadband networks. Since 2001, these companies, organizations, and members have worked with communities and consumers in mind to build the critical infrastructure that provides the economic and societal benefits that only fiber can deliver. The Fiber Broadband Association is part of the Fibre Council Global Alliance, which is a platform of six global FTTH Councils in North America, LATAM, Europe, MEA, APAC, and South Africa. Learn more at fiberbroadband.org.