I don’t intend to use this blog as a running memorial, but there are simply some folks in the rural broadband industry lost before their time who have been top of mind for me and part of the idea behind the creation of this blog is sharing what is on my mind with whoever is gracious enough to be reading this. So here it goes.
My heart and the collective heart of NTCA certainly goes to our friends and companies that are based in the Dakotas, particularly South Dakota, which has had more than its share of loss in our industry this past year. Typically, thankfully, the biggest concern for some of these cooperatives and companies has been how early winter will start or how soon the ground will thaw for fiber deployment. But with a great deal of sorrow, we have watched leaders in the industry from the northern plains pass far too soon.
The most recent loss this week was Bryan Roth, longtime General Manager for TrioTel Communications in Salem, as well as manager of ITC in Clear Lake and longtime President for the South Dakota Network (SDN). Through his leadership, Bryan oversaw huge investments in fiber optic expansion and the deployment of the SDN data center. He was always focused on moving South Dakota forward. Bryan was also a fixture at NTCA meetings, quick with a joke as well as a programming suggestion. Bryan had a cancer diagnosis a few years ago and fought one of the toughest battles against this cursed disease as I have witnessed. From trying different medical options to ensuring that his days were filled with choices of time spent with those he loved most, Bryan was surrounded by his friends and colleagues in South Dakota who made a point to drop by his home regularly or set up FaceTime chats when it was tougher to gather in person. He passed just a few days after being inducted into the South Dakota Cooperative Hall of Fame with his family by his side.
Bryan’s passing came on the heels of our industry losing another South Dakota leader, Rod Bower, CEO and owner of Kennebec Telephone Company, who passed unexpectedly the week prior.
This loss was even more shocking to me having just seen Rod a few weeks prior while I was visiting South Dakota.
Rod was another amazing individual who found a way to fulfill as many needs as possible for his local community. Rod was known to see a void and fill it. Need an auto parts store? Rod was on it. Need to entice a movie theater to town? Rod was your man. In all, he created seven or more local businesses to enrich the lives of those he served. He was a true servant leader.
We started the year with the passing of Mark Shlanta, CEO of SDN. A longtime visionary for how community-based entities could come together to create a fiber network throughout the state of South Dakota long before fiber was a hot commodity, he positioned South Dakota for success in ways that brought large investments into the state.
All that I have been thinking about is the rest of our membership in South Dakota every day this week, knowing that these losses weigh on every single rural broadband executive and every single member of their boards at a time when there is already enough angst to be managed. I am mindful that this missive is sad, but it is important information to share with the NTCA membership given the presence that every one of these gentlemen had at NTCA meetings and in the formulation of policies and paths ahead for this industry. Take a little bit of time to reflect on the gifts that Bryan, Rod, and Mark brought to those who knew and worked with them and be grateful that we had the time together that we did.
This is also a reminder to give those we care about a hug next time our paths cross because life is indeed too short.