Since his arrival at CoBank, Andy Smith, managing director in CoBank’s communications banking division has excelled in this position by immersing himself in the rural telecommunications industry through his work with independent and cooperative telecommunications providers, many of whom are NTCA members, and his participation in NTCA and other telecom industry events. He is keenly aware of the opportunities and challenges that NTCA members face and continues to work diligently to help the industry tackle these opportunities and challenges in his capacity as a financial expert.
In 2018, Smith completed a three-year stint on the NTCA Associate Member Advisory Committee (AMAC). His years of service on the AMAC can best be summed up by one of his many achievements. He developed the vision for and played a significant role in the implementation of the NTCA RTIME EXPO Plus, an opportunity for new associate members to spend time with telco general managers as a means of helping those new associate members find opportunities to serve the rural broadband community. The AMAC administers this program by fielding applications of associate members that are new to NTCA and then leverages its network of NTCA telco members to facilitate face-to-face meetings with the most relevant decision makers depending on the selected associate members. This was a very selfless initiative for Smith as his employer (CoBank) is a well-established associate member and did not participate in the EXPO Plus meetings.
Smith provided vision and leadership to ensure the idea was fully developed, in keeping with the objectives of the AMAC, and executed in a way that both benefited the new associate members and the general managers that participated.
Smith is active in other associations, such as Telergee Alliance, that are dedicated to the success of the rural broadband community, and he continues to help other associate members find opportunities within the rural broadband community.
While Smith is no longer a member of the AMAC, he remains a strong presence at NTCA conferences and programs and is a tireless advocate for associate membership. His view on excellence is that “when you see something that you think needs to be done and picking up and being a leader and doing it.” He actively encourages collaboration between associate members in order to fulfill the congruent missions of CoBank and NTCA.
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About the eXcellence Awards
The eXcellence awards are the highest recognition of individual achievement in the industry and pays tribute to individuals in eight categories. By nominating someone for an NTCA eXcellence Award, you help NTCA provide national recognition for those who have shown commitment to their community and our industry. You also promote awareness of rural achievements and highlight positive impacts on your community. Recipients receive recognition during the association's largest annual conference, RTIME, and in NTCA media.
