San Antonia — Feb. 26, 2025 — During the 2025 RTIME, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association recognized eight rural telecom leaders who have shown exceptional commitment to their communities and the broadband industry.
The NTCA Excellence Awards recognize broadband providers who have exceeded expectations to support their customers and community members and to advance communications services in rural America. Winners are selected by the association’s Awards Committee comprised of NTCA members. The NTCA Excellence Awards are sponsored by JSI and Mid America Computer Corporation. The awards ceremony can be viewed on the NTCA Facebook page.
“The rural broadband industry has no shortage of innovative and community-focused individuals, and I am always excited to celebrate their successes as part of the NTCA Excellence Awards,” said NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield. “Our 2025 winners exemplify the values of our industry: commitment to community, service excellence, and innovation. I want to congratulate and thank each of them for their contributions to NTCA and their communities.”
The 2025 Excellence Awards winners are:
Associate Member Outstanding Achievement Award: Darren Dierbeck, co-founder of Vantage Point Solutions (Liberty Hill, Texas), helped build a bold company that invested early in customer relationships and has served other NTCA associate members throughout many years of active involvement in the rural broadband industry. Twenty-two years after its founding, Vantage Point Solutions now serves hundreds of broadband providers, has 11 brick-and-mortar offices, employs nearly 550 people and is a trusted voice in national regulatory and technical discussions. Dierbeck has been a critical voice for NTCA associate members for decades and has made a profound impact on everyone he encountered in the industry.
Community Outreach Award: Stephanie Arnold, marketing supervisor at Strata Networks (Roosevelt, Utah), established a cyber-bullying awareness campaign, demonstrating Strata’s belief that community-based broadband providers have an opportunity to advocate for and educate their customers about safe online practices. This included a #KindOnline social media series, in-person and online message boards where community members could post positive messages, and a new video and blogs on cyberbullying
Heroism Award: Aaron Howing, install and repair technician at Premier Communications (Sioux Center, Iowa), risked his safety to help others in his community after Spencer, Iowa, experienced record-breaking flooding in June 2024. Howing and his brother learned that their aunt and uncle were stranded on the roof of their house and put their boat into the rising floodwater to shuttle their family to safety. They continued to work throughout the day, supplementing the efforts of the National Guard and first responders, ultimately rescuing over 30 stranded citizens.
James L. Bass Director Life Achievement Award: Joe Roper, director at Ben Lomand Connect (McMinnville, Tenn.), has served on the Ben Lomand board for 44 years and played an instrumental role in transforming the company into a leading gig-certified broadband provider. From the introduction of fiber optic technology to the establishment of subsidiary companies, Roper’s forward-thinking approach has helped Ben Lomand Connect stay on the cutting edge, establish partnerships and secure grants to bridge the digital divide and promote economic development.
James L. Bass Manager Life Achievement Award: Trevor Bonnstetter, CEO at WK&T Telecommunications Cooperative (Mayfield, Ky.), has served WK&T for 27 years, growing the company to serve four states with 100% of cooperative customers served by gigabit connectivity. Bonnstetter prioritizes the human side of the business, focusing on employee and customer retention. Under his leadership, WK&T purchased Mid Continent University to develop the WK&T Technology Park, which now includes offices, incubator spaces for startups, retail space, restaurants, classrooms and more. He also was instrumental in the launch of IRIS Networks, a state-wide network that now serves over 250 communities.
Key Employee Award: Mike Pollock, chief operating officer at Nex-Tech (Lenora, Kan.), has served Nex-Tech for 24 years with a passion for IT and commitment to his community. Pollock’s oversight of the Operations team has led Nex-Tech’s core service footprint to grow to over 11,000 square miles, all served with fiber. He has also built Nex-Tech’s cybersecurity team, previously served on NTCA’s Cyber Working Group and is an industry leader on cybersecurity best practices. Pollock is also committed to growing the skills of current and future employees and partnered with the North Central Kansas Technical College to restart its telecommunications program and create a technology education sponsorship program.
Innovation Award: Jason Gibbs, director of network operations at Twin Valley Communications (Miltonvale, Kan.), blends technical excellence with a deep understanding of community needs to support the schools, businesses and government agencies in Twin Valley’s 4,000 square mile territory. Under Gibbs’ leadership, Twin Valley was one of the first broadband providers to deploy 400-gig rings for the company’s backbone network, making it more reliable and resilient. This advanced network architecture dramatically reduces the risk of outages and supports high-capacity 100-gig and 10-gig circuits.
Outstanding Marketing Achievement Award: Megan Harper, director of marketing and sales at Twin Valley Communications (Miltonvale, Kan.), led Twin Valley through a time of transition following the acquisition of another company. Harper led the development and execution of a rebrand and refresh, launched a new website that garnered a 50% increase in traffic and improved the customer experience and brand perception, achieving a Net Promoter Score that is 12 points above the industry benchmark.
