Eric Frederick | Chief Connectivity Officer
Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity

Eric Frederick is the State of Michigan’s first Chief Connectivity Officer and head of the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office (MIHI). He leads the state’s push for universal broadband access and digital equity—aligning policy, funding, workforce, and local partnerships. For more than a decade, Eric has shaped Michigan’s broadband strategy: principal author of the 2018 Michigan Broadband Roadmap (and 2021 update); founder of the Connecting Michigan Taskforce during the COVID-19 response; architect of the Connecting Michigan Communities grant program; and driver of the most thorough broadband infrastructure mapping project in state history.
Eric and MIHI now oversee $1.8 billion to close Michigan’s digital divide. He has advised the Obama and Biden Administrations, the FCC, Michigan’s congressional and gubernatorial leaders, and the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, among many others. In 2024, he was the designee for Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II to serve as chair of the FCC’s Intergovernmental Advisory Committee. Eric holds a B.S. in planning from Northern Michigan University and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from Michigan State University. An Eagle Scout and recipient of the BSA Heroism Award, he serves as Scoutmaster for Troop 43 in Holland, MI.