NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association today announced the election of board officers for 2024. Mike Grisham, president and CEO of Shawnee Communications (Equality, Ill.), will serve as chairman. Roxie Jorgenson, director at MTA (Palmer, Alaska), will serve as vice chair. Ben Foster, president and CEO at Twin Valley Telephone Company (Miltonvale, Kan.), was elected secretary/treasurer.
Grisham has served as the Northeast Region Commercial Director on the NTCA Board of Directors since 2018. He has worked at Shawnee Communications since 1993, serving first as its chief financial officer, then transitioning into his current role as president and CEO. He graduated in 1996 from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and became a Certified Public Accountant in 1998.
“I am honored to serve as the next chairman of the NTCA board,” said Grisham “In an ever changing and evolving industry, NTCA’s over 850 independent, family-owned and community-based telecommunications companies are leading the way in connecting rural Americans with fast, affordable and reliable broadband services.”
In addition, Jennifer Prather, CEO of Totelcom Communications LLC (De Leon, Texas), and Craig Cook, CEO of Hill Country Telephone Cooperative Inc. (Ingram, Texas), were welcomed as new members of the board. Jennifer will serve as Southwest Region Commercial Company Director, replacing Big Bend Telephone (Alpine, Texas) General Manager and Chief Operating Officer Russell Moore. Craig will be the Southwest Region Cooperative Director, replacing Southwest Arkansas Telephone Cooperative, Inc. (Texarkana, Ark.) General Manager William Hegmann.
Barry Adair, CEO of Wabash Communications CO-OP (Louisville, Ill.), was re-elected as the Northeast Region Cooperative Director, and Grisham was re-elected as the Northeast Region Commercial Director.
“I want to congratulate Mike, Roxie, Ben, as well as Jennifer and Craig on their new roles,” said NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield. “As we head into NTCA’s 70th year, I look forward to working with all of our board members to ensure that our members can continue to deploy, maintain and sustain high-quality, affordable broadband services in rural America.”