For Immediate Release
Contact: Laura Withers, 703-351-2087, [email protected]
Arlington, Va. (January 2, 2014) – NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association today issued the following statement from Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield regarding the appointment of Chris Nelson, vice chairman of the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, to serve as Chair of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Telecommunications Committee, succeeding John D. Burke of the Vermont Public Service Board.
“NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association and its members have had the privilege of seeing John Burke in action for years now, both as a member of the Vermont Public Service Board and as the chair of NARUC’s Telecommunications Committee. NTCA particularly appreciates his thoughtful leadership and common-sense calls for action on issues ranging from call failures to universal service contributions. We therefore congratulate Commissioner Burke as he completes his term as Chair of NARUC’s committee, and we look forward to continuing to work with him on the many issues that affect telecom consumers both in Vermont and across the country.
“At the same time, we are delighted to learn of the appointment of Chris Nelson of South Dakota to succeed Commissioner Burke as the telecommunications committee Chair. Commissioner Nelson of course has great familiarity with the challenges of serving consumers in rural areas, and we are eager to work more with him to ensure that small rural providers can succeed in their mission to deliver affordable, high-quality services for the benefit of consumers in our nation’s hardest-to-serve markets.”
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NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing nearly 900 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 exploding technology, deregulation and marketplace competition, NTCA’s members are leading the IP evolution for rural consumers, delivering technologies 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 and commerce, education, health care, government services, security and smart energy use. Visit us at www.ntca.org.