“High-speed internet is a necessity for modern life,” Arnold said. “Connectivity means the difference between exclusion and opportunity in jobs, health care and education. No community should be left behind.”
Arnold previously served in the Biden-Harris White House as a senior policy advisor on the Infrastructure Implementation Team within the Office of the Chief of Staff. In this role, her focus was leading the $65 billion broadband portfolio, including implementation of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, the Digital Equity Act programs, and the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program. Arnold also covered the economic development portfolio, supporting efforts to spur growth in distressed communities.
Before her White House appointment, Arnold’s work centered on expanding broadband access and economic opportunity through nonprofits, government, and direct service. She has authored multiple internet policy reports for the nonprofit Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. Her most recent Benton report, Achieving Affordability: State Strategies for Getting Everyone Online, published in 2025, examines how states are leading the country in the effort to make internet networks more affordable and accessible. She served as a fellow at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)'s Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth, contributing to policy and interagency coordination. She is also an AmeriCorps alumna.
Arnold is pursuing a Master of Public Affairs (MPA) degree at Princeton University's School for Public and International Affairs, where she studies economics and domestic policy. She is from Rockbridge County, Virginia.
About Commerce’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (BEAD)
The BEAD program is working to get all Americans online by funding partnerships between states or territories, tribal nations, communities, internet providers and other stakeholders to build infrastructure where needed and increase high-speed internet adoption. The federal program provides over $42 billion for infrastructure planning and implementation nationwide. Washington will receive more than $1.2 billion in funding.
Please continue to monitor the Internet for All in Washington website for the most up-to-date information on the BEAD process. You can also subscribe to email updates on the same webpage.
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