Aristotle CEO Elizabeth Bowles Joins Mountain Connect 2026 Panel
ABOUT THE PANEL:
The panel, “The Hidden Risks in Infrastructure Delivery: Permitting, Compliance, and the Path to No Clawbacks,” will examine the real-world challenges broadband providers and delivery partners face as BEAD projects move into their most consequential phase.
The discussion will focus on the realities of deploying compliant, auditable broadband networks, including permitting and environmental reviews, workforce and supply-chain challenges, subcontractor management, and increasingly complex state and federal reporting requirements.
Panelists will also explore how gaps between construction activity, compliance documentation, and financial controls can result in reimbursement delays, audit findings, or potential clawbacks—and how broadband providers and their partners can strengthen governance and oversight throughout the deployment process.
Panelists:
- Elizabeth Bowles – Aristotle Unified Communications LLC
- Carol Mattey – Principal of Mattey Consulting
- Nicholas Strauss – Managing Director of Alvarez & Marsal
- Aquiles (“Alex”) Trujillo – Deputy Director of Connect New Mexico
ABOUT THE EVENT
Mountain Connect 2026
August 10–12, 2026
Sheraton Downtown Denver Hotel
Denver, Colorado
The broadband industry is entering a new operating environment as the BEAD era winds down. Mountain Connect 2026 brings together ISPs, hyperscalers, data center operators, utilities, investors, and policymakers to explore changing economics, competition, critical infrastructure requirements, and the growing influence of AI compute and power demand.
The conference combines traditional broadband topics with emerging issues including data centers, grid capacity, quantum security, cybersecurity, and private capital, providing insights for the operators, investors, technologists, and policymakers shaping the future of connectivity and infrastructure.
ABOUT ELIZABETH BOWLES
A passionate advocate for the expansion of affordable broadband services in rural and underserved areas, Elizabeth has testified before Congress and the FCC and is currently serving as Chair of the FCC’s Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee, which is an independent advisory body tasked with making policy recommendations for eliminating the digital divide. A past President of the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA), Elizabeth currently serves on WISPA’s Policy Committee and is its Arkansas State Coordinator.
Elizabeth is licensed to practice law in Washington, D.C. and Arkansas, as well as before the Supreme Court of the United States and a number of U.S. Courts of Appeals. Prior to joining Aristotle’s leadership team in 2000, Elizabeth was an attorney with the Washington, D.C. law firm of Arnold & Porter, where she practiced in the fields of intellectual property and commercial litigation with an emphasis on international and technology law.
Elizabeth graduated summa cum laude from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a B.A. in International Studies and obtained her Doctor of Jurisprudence from the Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1993, where she graduated first in her class, Order of the Coif, and was awarded the Founder’s Medal. Elizabeth also received the top score on the 1993 bar exam.
Elizabeth has served on numerous boards and committees, including the Arkansas State Bank Board, Better Business Bureau of Arkansas (past President), Rotary Club 99 (Communications Chair), Central Arkansas Executives Association, City Year Little Rock/North Little Rock (Founding Board Member), YPO Chapter Chair and Regional Education Chair, Arkansas’ Quality Digital Learning Study Committee, the Arkansas Broadband Council, and Arkansas’ FASTER committee.
