Meet Rick Tonetta
STAFF SPOTLIGHT: RICK TONETTA, CONSULTANT II
Rick Tonetta committed to public service as a product of his upbringing, volunteering for his first political campaign at the age of 12, and successfully petitioning his city to build a skatepark at age 14. Since then, Rick has devoted his career to government service, engendering a mission statement enshrined forever in our foundational documents: “We, the people.” Rick began his career in government consulting following his exploration of each branch of state government across two states: first in New Jersey, and then in South Carolina. His government service gave him valuable insight into public service management, grants management, and regulatory compliance, setting him on a course for delivering the best he can for his client.
Tell us about yourself - how did you get into government consulting? How long have you been doing it? When did you start working for Corner Alliance, and what made you choose Corner over other consulting firms?
RT: I started at Corner Alliance in August 2021, during COVID-19. I got into consulting because I love public service, but I prefer to work in the private sector. I find that most state and local governments just cannot allocate the resources they need to attract and keep employees. I wanted to keep serving my community, and then I found Corner Alliance. I was instantly drawn to Corner Alliance’s commitments, both to their clients and their staff. Corner Alliance wants the government to succeed, and Corner Alliance wants its people to succeed. Corner Alliance will invest in your goals with as much vigor as you do, and I have found that to be absolutely true.
What client do you currently work for? What is their mission?
RT: Currently, I’m working with the Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) whose mission is to expand broadband access nationwide in the pursuit of innovation and economic growth. COVID-19 really underscored the importance of access to the internet, and highlighted the gaps in access, and NTIA is really stepping up to bridge those gaps. I am proud to support their efforts because I have seen firsthand the pitfalls of limited access.
What do you do for your client, and how does that work support your client’s mission?
RT: Presently, I am supporting the post-award management of the Broadband Infrastructure Program (BIP) which came out of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. My client is administering the BIP awards which directly contributes to the mission of the NTIA by expanding our broadband infrastructure and increasing access to affordable broadband service. My work makes it easier for my client to assist the recipients.
How does the work you do support their mission?
RT: I support the Federal program officers that are administering the grant program that was designed to assist communities with developing and improving their broadband infrastructure. The work I do directly supports the mission of the NTIA, and I am excited to see the longitudinal benefits of the program, but we are at least five years from those data. I have some hypotheses on the impacts, but that is for another time.
Tell me about a success your client had, and how you participated.
RT: One major success was our development of a risk assessment and monitoring tool. Our team is truly collaborative so I will not take credit for the product, but I like to think it is my brainchild. We have not yet rolled it out, but we have stress tested the model and have found it to be both objective and informative. I cannot wait to see it applied to our program.
What is your personal mission, and how does it support the Government?
RT: My personal mission is to help the Government deliver for the people, and it has been ever since I was young. I like to believe the Government’s mission is to deliver for the people. So in many ways, my mission is perfectly aligned with the work of consulting.
What are you excited to see the Federal Government do in the future?
RT: Oh, that is a very broad question. I suppose I would be most interested to see the Federal Government become more invested in space. I think the value of Starlink has been fully realized in the Ukrainian conflict and that just demonstrates that space is the place, so to speak, of the future. Even with the Webb telescopes images now coming in, I hope that drives more interest into space, satellites, and space stations. We will see.