As National Market Manager Broadband Markets & Applications for Graybar, Scott is actively involved with network operators. Scott has more than 20 years of technology and business modeling experience in Broadband, IT and telecommunications applications in the industry. In his current role at Graybar, Scott focuses on Broadband networking, applications and the supply chain for broadband network operators, utilities, wireless operators and contractors. His past roles include Service Provider, Smart Grid and Smart City as a market and business development manager.

He is currently his company’s representative for the Fiber Broadband Association, National Rural Electric Association, Utilities Technology Council, National Association of Tower Erectors and Wireless Industry Association. Scott has served as various industry technology committee chair and board of director and officer/chair positions. He also serves, or has served on, various industry tasks forces from time-to-time; currently on the Wireless Industry Association’s Smart City Task Force and as a former active participant on the Smart Grid Task Force submittal of Electri International and Michigan State University School of Planning, Design, and Construction.

Katie Espeseth joined EPB, Chattanooga Tennessee’s electric power distributor and fiber optics communications provider in 2004, bringing with her over 30 years of marketing and telecommunications experience with a national telecommunications carrier. As Vice President of New Products, Katie guides the company’s effort to maximize the value of its 100% fiber optic network with new and enhanced products for both business and residential customers. In 2019, Katie and her team also began offering support to other municipals and Co-Ops who are interested in deploying a fiber optic network for their communities through EPB Broadband Solutions.

Currently, Katie serves on the board for NCTC (National Cable Television Co-op). She has previously served on the boards for FOSA (Fiber Optics Sensing Association) and the LATAM Chapter of FBA. Katie also chairs the Fiber Deployment Advisory Group for TVPPA (Tennessee Valley Public Power Association).

Mark Boxer assists customers deploying fiber in a wide variety of network design scenarios around the world and analyzes trends in telecommunications markets that drive new product innovation in his role at OFS. Mark has a BME degree from Georgia Tech, and has spent his 30+ year career in the fiber industry. His experience includes varied roles in manufacturing and applications engineering for fiber-based products and markets. Other activities include inventor of five US Patents, member and past Secretary of the IEEE Power Engineering Society Fiber Optic Working Group, contributing member to the Fiber Broadband Association Technology Committee and Board of Directors member of North Carolina Broadband Matters.

Kim McKinley helps lead UTOPIA Fiber as its Deputy Director and Chief Marketing Officer. In 2010, she joined the network as a member of its turnaround team, and has helped cement today’s UTOPIA Fiber as the fastest-growing, highest-rated, and most-successful Open Access network in the United States. Day-to-day, Kim actively leads UTOPIA’s marketing, sales, order fulfillment, and customer service teams and works with city leaders in developing operational partnerships in Utah and throughout the U.S. In addition to being one of the industry’s most recognizable leaders, she is a Board member of AAPB (American Association for Public Broadband), and a co-Chair of the Public Officials Committee of the Fiber Broadband Association in Washington, D.C., and speaks frequently about Open Access networks on the national stage. Prior to UTOPIA Fiber, Kim worked in the hospitality marketing industry and has a B.A. in Business Administration from the College of Charleston.

Joe leads the Americas Market Development team for Corning. With 18 years of telecom experience in engineering, product management, and product development, Joe pioneers FTTx architectures, optical solution advancement, and design optimization for today’s evolving networks. This approach to optical network evolution helps make fiber based access networks more accessible by using innovation to lower barriers to deployment. His most recent areas of contribution focus on converged network architectures and defining potential impacts of next generation networks such as 4G densification and 5G on both the carrier infrastructure and investment business case. Joe obtained his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from NCSU and Executive MBA from UNC Chapel Hill.

Jimmy Todd is the CEO & General Manager for Nex-Tech, a rural cooperative communications company, based in Lenora, Kansas. He is overall responsible to strategically lead growth, innovation, and diversity. Nex-Tech was the first company in the nation to bring FTTH technology to a community and an entire telecom exchange. Today, its broadband service area is primarily fiber-optic covering approximately 10,000 square miles across Northwest and Central Kansas.

Including his military service and telecom roots originating in field service installation, Jimmy has served the communications industry for more than 35 years gaining extensive knowledge and experience in technical, operational, and managerial aspects. Rising thru the ranks, he held supervisory positions in Field Services and Network Operations at two companies in Oregon; was President for Malheur Bell, also in Oregon; and was the President/GM for MTC in Kansas. While at MTC, Jimmy was involved in the creation of the Kansas Fiber Network organization, a statewide fiber network, and he still serves on the Board today.

Jimmy has been active for many years in advocacy for fiber broadband at the State and National levels serving as a board/committee member and holding officer positions for organizations such as WTA, NTCA, and NRTC. In December 2021, he was appointed to a two-year term to serve on the FCC’s Task Force for Reviewing Connectivity and Technology Needs of Precision Agriculture in the United States. Prior to this appointment, he served two years as a Working Group Committee member for the Task Force.

Joseph Jones has spent his entire career in the telecommunications industry which has spanned over twenty-five years. JJ has vast experience from field installation services, quality assurance functions, administration roles, to operations which includes over twenty various cable and fiber broadband start-ups nationwide and direct involvement developing operational and customer service strategies that help define On Trac, Inc. in an increasingly competitive market. JJ’s previous role as Executive Vice President had him overseeing daily company operations with a focus on company strategy, profitability, and customer relationships.

Along with his responsibilities at On Trac, Inc., he gives countless volunteer hours to the Fiber Broadband Association. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors, JJ has served and chaired various committees for the past 13 years including being the Fiber Connect Conference Chairman for seven consecutive years where he oversees the Fiber Connect Conference which is the industry’s leading all fiber conference. JJ is a two-time recipient (2010 & 2020) of the Photon Award which recognizes a Fiber Broadband Association member who, through their volunteer contribution, has demonstrated a high level of dedication to the organization and contribution to the industry.

Fiber Broadband Association believes the world is a better place when women’s voices are heard. We believe companies are more successful when women are encouraged and rewarded to reach their full potential. We believe it is up to us to help identify, develop, and promote women in the Fiber Broadband industry as well as technology, telecommunications, construction and manufacturing. We pledge to use this forum to help women succeed in the Fiber Broadband industry.

Value Proposition

To the FBA and the Industry

• Demonstrate the verifiable link between women in leadership and improved business performance. Identify our own potential leaders.
• Represent women in fields where women are not often well-represented.
• Highlight different career paths for women within fiber, telecommunications and technology.
• Identify challenges particular to women in the workforce in these industries and possible solutions.

To The Member Companies and Individual Members

• Networking: Provide opportunities for connections, networking, and building relationships with other women in fiber of all areas and experience.
• Professional Development & Leadership: Deliver professional development and leadership opportunities. Emphasize pathways for success and advancement.
• Workplace Education: Identify relevant everyday workplace issues for discussion and education. Learn to navigate challenges, varied situations, and problem solving. Find solutions.
• Recognition: Create opportunities to recognize different career paths held by women in fiber. Highlight those who demonstrate dedication and hard work within the field, the leadership of industry veterans, the talent and potential of developing leaders, and the stories that inspire us.

Women in Fiber Committee Leadership, Subcommittees, and Meetings

Our leadership team is led by Chairperson Alexa Edens, Senior Director of Cloud Service Providers at KGPCo. Ashley Brown, Senior Director of Field Marketing at Adtran, serves as the FBA Board Liaison.

Supporting Alexa are our Co-Vice Chairs, Tamara Davis Brown, CEO and Co-Founder of Last Mile Broadband LLC, and Holly Ruser, Manager of Comm Data Business at Graybar. Together, they collaborate closely with the co-chairs of our five subcommittees.

Candy Riem, VP of Marketing & Customer Solutions at Midwest Energy & Communications, serves as our Executive Assistant, further strengthening our team.

We are dedicated to advancing the role of women in the fiber industry and look forward to your involvement and support.

The Women in Fiber Committee meetings occur bi-monthly on the third Wednesday at 4 PM Eastern.

Committee members are invited to participate in the following subcommittees:

• Association Partnerships
• Events
• Professional Development & Mentorship
• Social Media & Marketing
• STEM Promotion for Women & Girls

Each subcommittee has separate monthly meetings. More information will come from these subcommittees – stay tuned!

FBA member company employees and FBA Woman in Fiber members may join the Women in Fiber Committee. Individuals may participate in organized activities and/or general committee meetings, and there is no requirement to join a subcommittee in order to be a member of the overall Women in Fiber committee.

2024 Women in Fiber Spotlights

Women in Fiber Mentorship Program

FBA member company employees may participate in the Women in Fiber Mentorship Program. Mentors and mentees are accepted on a rolling basis. Please click here to sign up. Women in Fiber Committee members will follow up with you on the next steps.

Women in Fiber Mentorship

Please contact Kim Rickard with any questions or to inquire about FBA membership status.

The Fiber Broadband Association’s Fiber Certification recognizes members for their commitment to ensuring customers receive the fastest, most reliable broadband services—connectivity delivered over “future-proof” fiber networks.

Why become a certified fiber network operator?

Consumers and businesses everywhere are clamoring for the fastest, most reliable broadband service. Fiber broadband is the proven gold standard. This certification program is designed to help our fiber network operator members highlight the critical work they are doing to bring all fiber connectivity to those they serve. It’s a way to identify those who are truly bringing the best to their communities.

Is my network eligible?

To be eligible for All Fiber Certification, network operators must be a member of the Fiber Broadband Association and must have marketed fiber networks to 90% or more of customers in a community or territory, delivered either through PON or Active Ethernet, and exhibited a high-level strategic commitment to all fiber deployment. If a network operator member has not marketed 90%, but has marketed to at least 70% of customers, they are eligible for a Fiber Certification.

“Strategic Commitment” is defined as the ratio of the total number of residential households to which fiber services are marketed divided by total residential households to which services are marketed, all within the operator’s entire local access network. Ex: if you market fiber to 90,000 households within a 100,000 household network, you are qualified to be All Fiber.

Apply for Certification

Once your application is accepted and eligibility confirmed. FBA will contact you with your  All-Fiber Nework Operator Certificate, badge logo, and media kit.

If you are already an All-Fiber Certified Network Operator, please contact member services at membership@fiberbroadband.org.

Meet our Certified Network Operators!

Alpine Communications

Elkader, IA

Bridgenet Communications

Burlington Telecom

Burlington, VA

CDE Lightband

Clarksville, TN

Centranet

Stillwater, Oklahoma

Certto Telecom

Cascavel, Brasil

connectSCP by South Central Power

Consolidated Communications

CTC

Brainerd Lakes Area, MN

DFN

East Shore of Virginia Broadband Authority

Empower

Holland Board of Public Works

KWIKOM Communications

Lumos

LUS Fiber

Massillon Cable TV

MAW Communications Inc.

Midwest Energy & Communications

MTC

New Hope Telephone Cooperative

Northland Communications

Omni Fiber

Point Broadband

Rainbow Communications

South Hadley Electric Light Department

Summit Broadband

ThinkBig Networks

Utilities Board City of Sylacauga

Velocity Net Communications

West Wisconsin Telcom Cooperative

Wilkes Communications RiverStreet Networks

Associate Membership

Our Associate Members are engaged in support industries related to fiber deployment. Associate membership is open to not-for-profit associations, post-secondary educational or philanthropic public institutions, small consulting firms, and other professional service businesses (typically under 20 employees), and federally recognized tribes within the United States.

Benefits

• FBA Event Registration Discounts – Reduced registration for all in-person FBA events including Fiber Connect, the largest all-fiber event featuring top industry expert speakers, inspiring keynotes, in-depth training sessions, and peer networking.
• Members database Access for networking and business development
• Access to all past FBA webinar recordings
• Our extensive resource library, composed of exclusive industry research, case studies and much more
• Post position openings on FBA Job Board
• Submit company news to be featured on our Optics Newsletter
• CFHP & OHP Certification Exams

Pricing

For all membership-related questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Member Services.