Washington, D.C. –  The Rural Wireless Association (RWA) announces the results of its Board of Directors elections and its FY 2023 Board Officers. Elections were held during RWA’s Annual Meeting on September 27, 2022, in San Francisco, CA.

Allen Bennion, Supervisor in Wireless Operations for Strata Networks and Glenn Ishihara, President of NTCH, Inc. were elected to the Board of Directors.  Eric Cramer, President and CEO of RiverStreet Wireless and Mike Higgins, General Manager of West Central Wireless have been reelected.  All four will serve three-year terms.

They join Jake Baldwin, General Counsel, Bravado Wireless; Chris Townson, CEO, Advantage Cellular; Mike Laskowsky, Network Operations Manager, United Wireless; Kelley Dunne, CEO, AmeriCrew; and George Woodward, President & CEO, Trilogy Networks, Inc.

Former RWA President, John Nettles, President of Pine Belt, and Jana Wallace, President of PTCI, have termed off the Board having completed two consecutive three-year terms of service.  Both Nettles and Wallace will continue to be involved with the Board in an ex officio advisory capacity.

Jake Baldwin, General Counsel, Bravado Wireless, has been named RWA’s incoming President and CEO.  He began his term on October 1, 2022. Chris Townson, CEO, Advantage Cellular, will serve as Vice President.  Eric Cramer, President and CEO of RiverStreet Wireless, will serve as Secretary, and Mike Higgins, CEO of West Central Wireless, will continue to serve as Treasurer.

“At a time when access to wireless broadband is crucial to rural Americans, it is essential that rural wireless carriers, both fixed and mobile, rally together to expand wireless broadband coverage to rural areas that have been left behind.  RWA’s leadership buoyed by its members’ support will continue to advocate for fair competition as well as access to spectrum and funding to build critical broadband wireless infrastructure in rural America for the benefit of all Americans”, said Jake Baldwin, RWA’s President.