Andrew Berke

Andrew joins USDA RD with nearly three decades of experience as a political leader and elected official. He was the Mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee from 2013 to 2021 where he served more than 180,000 residents and improved the efficiency and day-to-day operations of local government. Under Andrew’s leadership, Chattanooga operated its own wastewater system and received national recognition for improving access to high-speed internet for underserved communities. Andrew was also a member of the Tennessee State Senate from 2007 to 2012. In that role, he worked with electric cooperatives and was a member of the Transportation and Education Senate Committees. Before joining RD, Andrew was a Special Representative for Broadband at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) at the U.S. Department of Commerce. He holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Chicago Law School and a Bachelor of Science from Stanford University. 

Andrew was named Municipal Leader of the Year by American City and County magazine in 2015 and City Executive of the Year by State Scoop in 2020. He was also named Digital Inclusion Trailblazer by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance in 2020.