For Immediate Release
Contact: Laura Withers, 703-351-2087, [email protected]
Arlington, Va. (November 17, 2017)—John Klatt, President/CEO of Lakeland Communications Group, LLC (Milltown, Wis.), was elected President of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association at the association’s fall board meeting.
Klatt has served on the NTCA Board of Directors for three years. With nearly 30 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, he has served on many industry boards including the Wisconsin State Telephone Association (WSTA), the Wisconsin Locally Owned Telephone Association, NTCA Futures Committee and Dues Task Force. Klatt has also received a number of awards, including the NTCA Management Achievement Award. Lakeland Communications Group, where Klatt has been at the helm for 20 years, is a nationally recognized Smart Rural Community and an NTCA Gig-Capable Provider.
The NTCA board also elected Kevin Beyer, general manager of Federated Telephone Cooperative (Chokio, Minn.), as vice president and Allen R. Hoopes, CEO/chairman of Silver Star Communications (Freedom, Wyo.) as secretary/treasurer. Don Richards of Richards, Elder & Green, LLP (Lubbock, Texas) was re-elected general counsel.
The following NTCA members will serve on the 2018 board:
Central Region
Commercial: Doug Boone, Premier Communications (Sioux Center, Iowa)
Cooperative: Ron Hinds, GRM Networks (Princeton, Mo.)
North Central Region
Commercial: John Klatt, Lakeland Communications Group, LLC (Milltown, Wis.)
Cooperative: Kevin Beyer, Federated Telephone Cooperative (Chokio, Minn.)
Northeast Region
Commercial: Mike Grisham, Shawnee Telephone Company (Equality, Ill.)*
Cooperative: Barry Adair, Wabash Communications Co-Op. (Louisville, Ill.)*
Northwest Region
Commercial: Allen R. Hoopes, Silver Star Communications (Freedom, Wyo.)
Cooperative: Don Bitz, Triangle Telephone Cooperative, Inc. (Havre, Mont.)
Southeast Region
Commercial: H. Keith Oliver, Home Telephone Co. (Moncks Corner, S.C.)
Cooperative: Fred Johnson, Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative (Rainsville, Ala.)
Southwest Region
Commercial: Russell (Rusty) A. Moore, Big Bend Telephone Co. (Alpine, Texas)* Cooperative: Bill Hegmann, Southwest Arkansas Telephone Cooperative, Inc. (Texarkana, Ark.)
*Indicates newly elected board member.
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NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing nearly 850 independent, community-based telecommunications companies that are leading innovation in rural and small-town America. NTCA advocates on behalf of its members in the legislative and regulatory arenas, and it provides training and development; publications and industry events; and an array of employee benefit programs. In an era of transformative technological advancements, regulatory challenges and marketplace competition, NTCA members are leading the technological evolution for rural consumers, delivering robust and high-quality services over future-proof networks that make rural communities vibrant places in which to live and do business. Because of their efforts, rural America is fertile ground for innovation in economic development, e-commerce, health care, agriculture and education, and it contributes billions of dollars to the U.S. economy each year. Visit us at www.ntca.org.