For Immediate Release
Contact: Lauren Gaydos, 703-351-2015, [email protected]
Arlington, Va., (December 3, 2020)—NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association today announced the election of new board officers for 2021: J. Frederick “Fred” Johnson, chief executive officer of Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative (Rainsville, Ala.) as chairman, H. Keith Oliver, senior vice president of corporate operations for Home Telephone Co. (Moncks Corner, S.C.), as vice chairman, and Barry Adair, chief executive officer of Wabash Communications Co-Op (Louisville, Ill.), as secretary/treasurer.
Johnson has served on the NTCA board since 2014. He has served as the CEO of Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative, Alabama’s largest member-owned telecommunications provider, since 2002. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Business Administration from Southern Wesleyan University and an MBA from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. His career spans over 34 years in the fields of public accounting, rural electric distribution and telecommunications.
“It is truly humbling to be given the opportunity to serve the members of NTCA as together they go about making a substantial and beneficial impact on the quality of life in their communities across rural America,” said Johnson.
“I want to congratulate Fred, Keith and Barry and thank them for their service to the rural broadband industry,” said NTCA Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield. “I look forward to working with the entire NTCA board next year to continue to help our members deliver the best possible services, to reach more Americans and to upgrade existing networks for those already served today.”
The following NTCA members will serve on the 2021 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, Acira (Chokio, Minn.), Farmers Mutual Telephone Company (Bellingham, Minn.) and 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: Roxie Mayberry, Matanuska Telephone Association (Palmer, Alaska)
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.)