In 2023, The Wall Street Journal named Springfield the top city in the United States for remote work, and Jeff Bertholdi is one of the people helping make that possible. He’s the director of SpringNet Broadband at City Utilities (CU), where he’s worked for 25 years. SpringNet, CU’s fiber network, was established in 1997 to bring reliable high-speed internet to Springfield. “Jeff brings a creative vision and relentless dedication to everything he does,” says Dwayne Fulk, president/CEO of City Utilities. “His leadership at SpringNet goes beyond broadband. He’s laser-focused on building a more connected, competitive and resilient Springfield for the next generation.”

Bertholdi’s goal has always been to ensure Springfield was ready for economic change and positioned as a place where businesses could relocate—and where gigabit fiber was available. Bertholdi believes over the next decade, Springfield has a major opportunity to extend its thinking toward regionalism. “Springfield is far more than just a metro,” he says. “We feed off of the surrounding communities and work hard to join together to grow all of southwest Missouri.”

In addition to broadband, Bertholdi oversees the trunk radio system, which spans seven large towers across Greene County that the police, fire, sheriff and public works departments use. Bertholdi and his team are responsible for protecting that system and keeping it up and running.