Joe Rivera is the Manager of Broadband Access for the State of New Jersey by way of the Office of Broadband Connectivity (OBC) located at the NJBPU. In this role the OBC will be leading efforts to ensure that the State of New Jersey achieves Digital Equity and connectivity across the state. His belief is that focusing on the connectivity needs of unserved, underserved, and community anchor institutions will pave the way for increased health initiatives, education, training, employment, and economic development. New Jersey is overdue for a renaissance and believes it can & will be digital.
Born, raised, and educated in the City of Trenton, he is formally the City of Trenton’s 1st Chief Technology Officer. Some accomplishments include, having made headlines for stopping two cyber threats during Covid-19, recovering over $1M. He also led efforts by creating portals for testing and vaccinations during the pandemic, leading to the City of Trenton to assist the state with the vaccination efforts.
Joe has over 20 years of experience in IT, and is skilled in Blockchain, entrepreneurship, strategy, marketing, and content creation as well as community engagement. He has worked for the N.J. State Police, the N.J. Office of Information Technology, N.J. Office of Administrative Law, and the City of Trenton. He has volunteered and served on many community and charitable boards as well.
Some other accomplishments include assisting Trenton in being the second municipality in the state of NJ to have 5G approved with two major carriers. During the pandemic he also ensured the City of Trenton continued critical services remotely and has delivered increased results in communication & information being delivered to constituents.