For Immediate Release
Contact: Laura Withers, 703-351-2087, [email protected]
Arlington, Va. (December 1, 2016)—Bill Hegmann, Southwest Arkansas Telephone Cooperative, Inc. director (Texarkana, Ark.), was elected president of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association at the association’s fall board meeting.
Hegmann has served on the NTCA Board of Directors for two years. He also has served on the association’s legal committee, industry and regulatory policy committee, and for 20 years on the NTCA Group Health Program Trust Committee. Hegmann also currently serves or has served on many state and national industry boards including the Texas Telephone Association, Texas Statewide Telephone Cooperative, Inc., Arkansas Telecommunications Association and the Rural Telephone Finance Cooperative.
The NTCA board also elected John Klatt, president and chief executive officer of Lakeland Communications Group, LLC (Milltown, Wis.), as vice president and Kevin Beyer, general manager of Federated Telephone Cooperative (Chokio, Minn.), as secretary/treasurer.
Don Bitz, director of Triangle Telephone Cooperative, Inc. (Havre, Mont.), has joined the board following his election in June as the cooperative representative to the Northwest Region. Don Richards of Richards, Elder & Green, LLP (Lubbock, Texas) was re-elected general counsel.
The following NTCA members will serve on the 2017 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: Mark Bahnson, Bloomingdale Telephone Co. (Bloomingdale, Mich.)
Cooperative: James M. “Jim” Dauby, Perry-Spencer Rural Telephone Cooperative (St. Meinrad, Ind.)
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: Janet Britton, EATEL (Gonzales, La.)
Cooperative: Bill Hegmann, Southwest Arkansas Telephone Cooperative, Inc. (Texarkana, Ark.)
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NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing more than 800 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.