NTCA members govern the NTCA benefit plans through trust committees appointed by the NTCA Board of Directors. The committees hire expert advisers to assist them in fulfilling their fiduciary duties. Through these committees, members are assured that their voices are heard and that benefit plans are designed to meet the needs of rural telecommunications employers.
As a member-driven organization, we take pride in the fact that our members' voices and opinions inform everything we do to further our mission. This includes the important work of the NTCA benefits program trust committees. If you are a participating member in the NTCA Group Health Program (GHP) or the NTCA Retirement & Security (R&S) Program and/or Savings Plan, you don't want to miss out on some opportunities to become more involved in these member-run plans.
Each year, the trust committees look forward to sharing updates with members on their priorities, key results and future initiatives for the benefit plans. Here is a video message from the NTCA Deferred Compensation Plans, Group Health Program, and R&S Program and Savings Plan Trust Committee chairs, shared at the most recent RTIME event.
Watch the video message presented at RTIME 2026
Group Health Program Trust Committee
- Kristi Westbrock (Chair)
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Chief Executive Officer/General Manager
Consolidated Telecommunications Company - CTC
Brainerd, Minnesota - Russell Kacer (Vice-Chair)
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President
Ganado Telephone Co., dba YK Communications
Ganado, Texas - Wendy Goodrum
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Human Resources Manager
Kanokla Networks
Caldwell, Kansas - Mark Harvey
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General Manager
CS Tech
Eldridge, Iowa - Josh Netland
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Chief Executive Officer/General Manager
Emily Cooperative Telephone Company
Emily, Minnesota - Toney Prather
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President
Totelcom Communications LLC
De Leon, Texas - Cheryl Rue
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Chief Executive Officer/General Manager
Tri-County Communications Coop. Inc.
Strum, Wisconsin - Kimberly Shepherd
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Chief Executive Officer
SkyLine Membership Corporation NC
West Jefferson, North Carolina
Retirement and Security Program and Savings Plan Trust Committee
Alternative Funding Trusts Trust Committee
- Dustin Durden (Chair)
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Executive Vice President
Pineland Telephone Cooperative
Metter, Georgia - Holly Utke (Vice-Chair)
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Chief Executive Officer/Internal Operations Officer
Dakota Central
Carrington, North Dakota - Jimmy Todd
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Chief Executive Officer/General Manager
Nex-Tech
Lenora, Kansas - Kevin Beyer
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General Manager/Chief Executive Officer
ACIRA
Chokio, Minnesota - Karen Furman
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Chief Executive Officer
West Kentucky and Tennessee Telecommunications Cooperative
Mayfield, Kentucky - Crystal Morley
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Chief Financial Officer
Vernon Communications Cooperative
Westby, Wisconsin - Thomas E. Preston
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Chief Executive Officer/Executive Vice President
Duo County Telephone Cooperative
Jamestown, Kentucky - Candace Wright
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Chief Executive Officer
Blue Valley Technologies
Home, Kansas
Deferred Compensation Plans Trust Committee
- Eric Cramer (Chair)
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Chief Executive Officer
Wilkes Telephone Membership Corporation
Wilkesboro, North Carolina - Lance Tade (Vice-Chair)
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Chief Financial Officer
West Carolina Rural Telephone Cooperative, Inc.
Abbeville, South Carolina - Sarah Ledesma
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Chief Financial Officer
Pioneer Communications
Ulysses, Kansas