Nominee Questionnaire

Please provide a short bio for voters to get to know you.  

After working as a distributor in another industry for roughly 13 years, I joined AFL about 10 years ago. In my time at AFL, I have managed our Customer Service teams, been responsible for Distribution Channel Management, and for the last five years, held responsibilities for AFL’s Rural Fiber to the Home (RFTTH) initiative which includes a deep connection to the BEAD initiative. I have recently transitioned into our Market Development organization as the Director of Broadband Ecosystem Development. 

On a personal level, I’ve been married for 21 years and have two children: a daughter who is a junior in high school and a son in 7th grade. 

Please summarize why you consider yourself an excellent candidate for the FBA Board of Directors?  

Having previously served on other boards, I have a reputation for bringing a collaborative approach to complex problems and driving to a solution. I find it exciting that the makeup of this Board would include my competitors, customers, as well as those with which I don’t have a direct professional relationship. All these groups coming together for the common good of driving the industry forward in a manner where all ships rise as the water level rises is something I would take great pride in.  

Specific to our company, AFL has deep roots in the Energy and Broadband markets, and we have become a significant player in the Hyperscale / Data Center market. These markets are heavily reliant on fiber as a solution, and the background I have in these markets would provide guidance and expertise to the FBA.  

There are plenty of qualified candidates, but I would add that I also bring the energy and eagerness to work with other board members, FBA staff, and the membership at large to promote and grow our industry.  

Describe your current position and functional responsibilities to your company. 

I have recently transitioned over to a team with strategic responsibilities for the overall direction of the Broadband market relative to opportunities for AFL. This is a mix of being customer-facing, market-facing and driving internal initiatives to support the customers and markets. 

Examples of market-facing activities would include commitments like attending FBA events, presenting at industry events and serving on industry committees and boards. Thus, the commitment to the FBA would be fully supported by AFL.   

What was your previous position, and how long did you hold that position before transitioning to your current one?  

Previous position was Commercial Sales Director, with a focus on Rural Fiber to the Home (RFTTH). We focused on program management for multi-year RFTTH projects that employed an AFL solution for cable, connectivity, and hardware and accessories where applicable. For AFL, RFTTH represents a mix of T2/T3 service providers and telephone cooperatives, as well as electric cooperatives.  

Do you have any experience as a member of a Board of Directors? If so please provide name of the entity and number of years of which you served.  

Served on the Thornblade Club Board of Governors from 2020 – 2025 (ending in May), where I was Secretary for two years, Vice President for one year, and President of the Board for the final two years. 

Served as a Governing Elder on the Session of my church for 3 years, where I held the office of Treasurer. 

Currently serve on the United Way Community Impact Board for my area, where I am in the first year of service.  

How many years has your company been a Fiber Broadband Association Member?

Members since 2009.  

How many years have you participated in Fiber Broadband Association activities?  

I became involved with the Fiber Broadband Association around the time RDOF funding became a hot topic, so I believe that was Fall of 2020. 

Please indicate any Fiber Broadband Association Committees or working groups you have participated on including position and years served. 

I first served on the Marketing Committee a few years ago. I have recently joined the Public Policy Committee, including the Public Policy Manufacturing working group and the Public Policy State working group.  

Please list any Fiber Broadband Association Contributions (activities supported, assets developed, documents drafted, webinars presented, etc.) I have attended numerous Fiber Connect events. Volunteered for Policy committee.

In the past, I have participated in FiberConnect as a member of a Keynote Panel (Orlando, 2023), participated in Fiber Day on the Hill in Spring 2025, and will attend the Legislative Fly and Regional FiberConnect events this fall. I have attended FiberConnect 4 of the last 5 years, beginning with Nashville in 2021. As I recall, that was one of the first big industry gatherings post-COVID.  

Please provide a short overview of your experience with telecommunications, fiber optics, and FTTH technologies.  

I have worked in the industry for the past 10 years, having the opportunity to touch all of AFL’s markets while serving as the Distribution Channel Manager. This would include Energy, Service Provider and Enterprise markets.  

My most significant contributions have come in RFTTH, with focus on Electric Coops providing RFTTH with an ADSS architecture and distributed split to reach rural areas by following their power infrastructure. In the Service Provider market, my focus was primarily T2/T3 with a more traditional Broadband suite of products. Distributors and other partners were certainly involved in these efforts as well.  

Please describe the goals you would like to accomplish during your term as Fiber Broadband Association Board Member.  

• Execute on BEAD – We have come too far as an industry and as an Association to see BEAD not bring a major impact to our industry. It has been frustrating, to say the least, which also makes it easy to lose focus. Providing a Broadband solution driven by fiber optic infrastructure to the unserved and underserved must not be sacrificed. Perseverance is critical.  

• Incorporate AI into opportunity for FBA members – I believe that the AI / Data Center / Hyperscale movement has significant staying power and significant fiber demand. It is imperative that our Association begins to understand how all parties, not just some large Hyperscalers, can benefit from the opportunities associated with AI. It is already apparent that those opportunities will include Data-Center Interconnect and Ultra Long Haul for Service Providers, but how else can our industry participate? That’s a key question facing our industry and Association.  

Please describe the level of commitment (in terms of time and effort) that you intend to make to the Association during the three-year term. 

I have the bandwidth and commitment from AFL to allow me to meet and exceed the requirements of the Board of Directors and would want to dive in with both feet! This would include board meetings, committee requirements, FiberConnect, Regional FiberConnects, Member Mingles, etc.  

Please use this space to include any additional information you feel is important to share with voting members.   

Between this questionnaire and the video, I hope it is clear that I believe we have a strong industry and a great association with a lot of active members and abundant opportunities for all of us. I believe in this industry, and I believe in the leadership of the FBA. My hope is to work with the Board, the FBA leadership and the membership to ensure that fiber continues to provide the industry with ample opportunities to drive solutions to our neighbors and provide sustainable careers for all of us that call this industry home! 

I look forward to serving!