RWA announces the results of its Board of Directors elections and its FY 2020 Board Officers. Elections were held during RWA’s Annual Meeting on September 24, 2019, in Denver, Colorado.

Mike Higgins, Jr., General Manager of West Central Wireless in San Angelo, TX, and Eric Cramer, President and CEO of RiverStreet Wireless in Wilkesboro, NC were elected to the Board of Directors.

RWA President and CEO Mike Kilgore, CEO of Montana-based Sagebrush Cellular, completed two three-year terms of service on the Board of Directors. Board members are pleased that Mr. Kilgore will continue to participate on RWA’s Board of Directors in an ex officio advisory capacity.

Bert Potts, Wireless Manager of Strata Networks, has been named RWA’s incoming President and CEO.  He will begin his term October 1, 2019. Jana Wallace of Panhandle Telecommunications System, will serve as Vice President, having been re-elected to serve a new 3-year term.  Jake Baldwin, General Counsel of Bravado Wireless, will serve as Secretary, and Roger Schmitz, CEO of Telsasoft, will continue to serve as Treasurer. RWA members also re-elected John Nettles, CEO of Pine Belt Wireless for another 3-year term.

“Whether fixed or mobile, rural wireless broadband carriers face the same challenges:  access to spectrum; universal service funding; burdensome regulations; the constant threat of unbridled consolidation that only seems to benefit the profits of large corporations, and all too often abandons rural consumers who need to be connected.  Now more than ever, rural wireless carriers need to rally together and continue the fight for what is right,” noted outgoing CEO and President, Mike Kilgore during his State of the Association address during RWA’s Annual Meeting.

RWA’s newly formed Rural National Security Council also held its first meeting to discuss its advocacy strategy focused on national security issues related to the communications network supply chain.  The RNSC is chaired by John Nettles.