WTA Elects New Officers and Board of Directors
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – (OCTOBER 2, 2013) – The Western Telecommunications Alliance (WTA) is pleased to announce the election of its new officers for the coming two years: Mark M. Gailey, President/GM Totah Communications in Ochelata, OK as President; Paul Kelly, CEO/GM of Cordova Telephone Cooperative in Cordova, AK as Vice President; Brad Veis, Director of Finance for 3 Rivers Communications in Fairfield, MT as Secretary-Treasurer; and James Woody, CFO of Union Telephone Company in Mountain View, WY as Past President. Additionally, Jack Keen, CEO of WNM Communications in Silver City, NM; Steven Sanders, Jr., President/GM of NATCO Communications in Flippin, AR; John Lundren, Vice President of Volcano Telephone Co. in Pine Grove, CA; Mark Feest, CEO of CC Communications in Fallon, NV; Jerry Piper, Assistant Manager of Cambridge Telephone Co. in Cambridge, ID; and Robert DeBroux, Director of Regulatory Affairs at TDS Telecom in Madison, WI were elected to serve on the Executive Committee.
“I am humbled by the fact that the WTA Board of Directors is entrusting me to lead the association over the next couple of years,” said Mark Gailey. “This is a crucial time for rural telcos and their customers. A lot is at stake and we need to work together to ensure that all our customers have fair access to advanced telecommunications services at affordable rates. I look forward to working as hard as possible to represent the interests of the WTA members,” said Gailey.
The WTA membership elected the following members who will serve three year terms on the Board of Directors: Steve Metts, Valley Telecom Group (AZ); Judi Ushio, Sandwich Isles Communications (HI); Mike George, Northeast Louisiana Telephone (LA); Pat Morse, FairPoint Communications (MO); Emory Graffis, Northeast Nebraska Telephone Co. (NE); Robert Johnson, Dickey Rural Telephone Coop. (ND); Robert DeBroux, TDS Telecom (OR); Steve Hanson, Tenino Telephone Co. (WA); Matt Gilbert, Mapcom (Associate Member); and Dana Baker GVNW (Associate Member). Archie Macias, Wheat State Telephone (KS), was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Board.
