As the State of New Jersey’s first Broadband Director, Valarry Bullard will drive the state’s broadband strategy of equal access for all New Jerseyans and direct substantial federal and state funding that will soon become available by working with industry, communities, and agencies to ensure the greatest impact for digital literacy and inclusion. She also will focus on building out an enhanced staff and processes to manage funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed by President Biden.
Prior to this role, Valarry served as New Jersey’s first Broadband Advisor and Transparency Officer for the New Jersey Governor’s Disaster Recovery Office. There she served as the coordination point for federal, state, and local broadband-related services and programs. Valarry was also responsible for overseeing the result of a transparency website to track the State’s eligible and planned uses of any federal funds to help New Jersey residents, businesses, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and other entities to respond to or recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before joining the Governor’s Office, she served as the Senior IT Project Manager and Software Development Specialist at the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA). There, she was responsible for overseeing the modernizing of state applications and the migration of legacy applications for DCA’s Codes and Standards, Fire Safety and Housing, and Community Resources divisions.
Valarry received her undergraduate degree in International Business and a graduate degree in International Political and Economic Development from the University of Bridgeport.