NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association announced the election of officers and new members of its board for 2022, including Ben Foster, President & CEO for Twin Valley, SKT, and ISG Technology – together the largest independently owned broadband and communications company in Kansas.

As the premier association representing nearly 850 independent, community-based telecommunications companies, NTCA advocates on behalf of its members in the legislative and regulatory arenas. The association also provides educational programming, training and development by publishing comprehensive industry research, conducting in person and virtual events, and offering an array of employee benefit programs.

In its Pledge made to rural communities, Twin Valley and SKT committed to building the most reliable broadband network. Industry policy and federal funding are keys to delivering on that commitment.

“NTCA is instrumental in setting industry policy and putting important legislation in front of lawmakers. With the increasing need for broadband in rural areas of our state, it’s important to have a seat at the table on a national level as decisions are being made on broadband policies and funding for underserved areas. In my role as an NTCA board member, I aim to amplify the voice of rural Kansas families, businesses, and communities.”

Ben Foster, Twin Valley & SKT President & CEO

Twin Valley and SKT have been advocating for cutting-edge communications and connectivity in rural Kansas for more than 75 years. As a fourth-generation owner of the Twin Valley family of companies, Foster brings a wealth of industry knowledge to the NTCA board, which he first served on from 2011-2014. He also serves as a board member for the Kansas Fiber Network.

In addition to Foster, other board members and officers were elected to the NTCA board for 2022. Tonya Mayer, Hemingford Cooperative Telephone Company (Hemingford, Neb.), joins Foster as a representative in the Central Region. Jim Costello, Lynxx Networks (Camp Douglas, Wis.), and Ross Petrick, Alliance Communications Cooperative (Garretson, S.D.), were elected in the North Central Region.Keith Oliver, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Home Telecom (Moncks Corner, S.C.), will serve as chairman, Barry Adair, chief executive officer of Wabash Communications Co-Op (Louisville, Ill.), will serve as vice chairman, and Mike Grisham, president and chief executive officer of Shawnee Communications (Equality, Ill.), will serve as secretary/treasurer.

“I want to congratulate Keith, Barry and Mike, as well as Ben, Tonya, Jim and Ross,” said NTCA Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield. “NTCA members are at the forefront of innovation and delivering the best possible broadband services to rural America. In the wake of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act becoming law, NTCA members are uniquely positioned to use this historic investment to expand services and connect more customers. I look forward to working with all of our board members on continuing this tremendous work.”

About NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association

NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing nearly 850 independent, community-based telecommunications companies that are leading innovative change in smart rural communities across America. In an era of transformative technological developments, regulatory challenges and marketplace competition, NTCA members are advancing efforts to close the digital divide by delivering robust and high-quality services over future-proof networks. Their commitment to building sustainable networks makes rural communities fertile ground for innovation in economic development, e-commerce, health care, agriculture and education, and it contributes billions of dollars to the U.S. economy each year. Visit us at ntca.org.