Blake Callaham was born and raised in Frederick Oklahoma and currently resides in Kingfisher, OK.  He began his professional career in 1998 with Pioneer Telephone Cooperative as a Construction Lineman and spent nearly 15 years in the local operations department where he held various titles including Combination Technician, Local Manager & Local Service Administrator throughout Southwest & Central Oklahoma.  Since that time, Blake has served as Department Manager of Facilities Engineering, Division Manager of Marketing & Customer Service and has had the privilege of serving as General Manager since 2022.  Blake obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Administrative Leadership at the University of Oklahoma and concluded his educational journey with a Master of Business Administration at the University of Central Oklahoma.  Being outdoors or on a beach with his family (especially his two granddaughters) is what Blake enjoys doing to relax and enjoy life.

Brian Whitacre is a Professor and the Jean & Patsy Neustadt Chair in the department of Agricultural Economics at Oklahoma State University. He received his Ph.D. from Virginia Tech. Brian’s main area of interest is rural economic development, with a focus on the role that technology can play. He has published over 80 peer-reviewed journal articles, with many exploring the relationship between internet access and rural development. He has developed innovative outreach programs that help small towns benefit from the internet. Brian has won regional and national awards for his research, teaching, and extension programs. In 2025, he won OSU’s Land Grant Award in recognition of his work promoting the mission of the University. Dr. Whitacre also serves as the chair of Oklahoma’s Broadband Expansion Council.

Cliff Johnson is the Director of the NRECA’s Broadband Initiative, where he is responsible for working across the organization to lead the program’s design, development, and operation. Cliff joined the NRECA in January 2024 following six years at Bloomberg, where he led the marketing, product design and solutions consulting teams for Bloomberg Government. Cliff holds an M.B.A. from The McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University and a B.A. in Law and Society from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Gigi Sohn is the Executive Director of the American Association of Public Broadband (AAPB) and a Benton Institute Senior Fellow & Public Advocate. She is one of the nation’s leading public advocates for open, affordable and democratic communications networks. In recognition of her expertise and dedication to the public interest in communications, President Biden nominated her to serve on the Federal Communications Commission in October 2021. Gigi serves as the Chair of the Board of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the leading nonprofit defending privacy, free speech and innovation. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC.From 2013 to 2016, Gigi was Counselor to the former Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Tom Wheeler. Singled out by Chairman Wheeler as “the conscience of the Chairman’s office” for her tireless advocacy on behalf of American consumers and competition, the Daily Dot named Gigi one of the “Heroes Who Saved the Internet” in recognition of her role in the adoption of the FCC’s 2015 Network Neutrality rules.From 2001-2013, Gigi served as the Co-Founder and CEO of Public Knowledge, a leading communications and intellectual property policy advocacy organization serving the interests of consumers in Washington. She was previously a Project Specialist in the Ford Foundation’s Media, Arts and Culture unit and Executive Director of the Media Access Project, the nation’s first public interest communications law firm.Gigi has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors for her work. Among her most recent honors include the Digital Equity Institute’s Impact Award (March 2024) and the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School’s Louis H. Pollak alumni award for a career advancing social justice through service in the public interest (May 2023).Gigi lives in Washington, DC with her wife Lara Ballard and their daughter Maxie.Gigi Sohn is the Executive Director of the American Association of Public Broadband (AAPB) and a Benton Institute Senior Fellow & Public Advocate. She is one of the nation’s leading public advocates for open, affordable and democratic communications networks. In recognition of her expertise and dedication to the public interest in communications, President Biden nominated her to serve on the Federal Communications Commission in October 2021. Gigi serves as the Chair of the Board of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the leading nonprofit defending privacy, free speech and innovation. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC.From 2013 to 2016, Gigi was Counselor to the former Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Tom Wheeler. Singled out by Chairman Wheeler as “the conscience of the Chairman’s office” for her tireless advocacy on behalf of American consumers and competition, the Daily Dot named Gigi one of the “Heroes Who Saved the Internet” in recognition of her role in the adoption of the FCC’s 2015 Network Neutrality rules.From 2001-2013, Gigi served as the Co-Founder and CEO of Public Knowledge, a leading communications and intellectual property policy advocacy organization serving the interests of consumers in Washington. She was previously a Project Specialist in the Ford Foundation’s Media, Arts and Culture unit and Executive Director of the Media Access Project, the nation’s first public interest communications law firm.Gigi has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors for her work. Among her most recent honors include the Digital Equity Institute’s Impact Award (March 2024) and the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School’s Louis H. Pollak alumni award for a career advancing social justice through service in the public interest (May 2023).Gigi lives in Washington, DC with her wife Lara Ballard and their daughter Maxie.Gigi Sohn is the Executive Director of the American Association of Public Broadband (AAPB) and a Benton Institute Senior Fellow & Public Advocate. She is one of the nation’s leading public advocates for open, affordable and democratic communications networks. In recognition of her expertise and dedication to the public interest in communications, President Biden nominated her to serve on the Federal Communications Commission in October 2021. Gigi serves as the Chair of the Board of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the leading nonprofit defending privacy, free speech and innovation. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC.From 2013 to 2016, Gigi was Counselor to the former Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Tom Wheeler. Singled out by Chairman Wheeler as “the conscience of the Chairman’s office” for her tireless advocacy on behalf of American consumers and competition, the Daily Dot named Gigi one of the “Heroes Who Saved the Internet” in recognition of her role in the adoption of the FCC’s 2015 Network Neutrality rules.From 2001-2013, Gigi served as the Co-Founder and CEO of Public Knowledge, a leading communications and intellectual property policy advocacy organization serving the interests of consumers in Washington. She was previously a Project Specialist in the Ford Foundation’s Media, Arts and Culture unit and Executive Director of the Media Access Project, the nation’s first public interest communications law firm.Gigi has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors for her work. Among her most recent honors include the Digital Equity Institute’s Impact Award (March 2024) and the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School’s Louis H. Pollak alumni award for a career advancing social justice through service in the public interest (May 2023).Gigi lives in Washington, DC with her wife Lara Ballard and their daughter Maxie.

Mike Sanders was hired as executive director of the Oklahoma Broadband Office in March 2023. 

Since taking the reins of the office, Sanders has quickly built out the professional staff and is setting the course for productive and streamlined operations. 

Prior to taking the position, he started and operated his own business, Sanders Strategy and Consulting Group. 

Sanders served six terms in the Oklahoma House of Representatives beginning in 2008. He chaired the House Utilities Committee and Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Transportation and served as House Majority Leader. 

Prior to his legislative service, Sanders worked in the White House for President George W. Bush as Director of Interns. He managed more than 1,000 interns and put policies and procedures in place that returned the White House Intern Program back to prominence. 

Additionally, for Sanders’ dedicated service to the White House and nation on September 11, 2011, he was awarded the Distinguished Honor Service Award by President Bush. 

Sanders continued his service in the Bush Administration in senior management at the United State Department of Agriculture as senior advisor to the chief of the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and as deputy chief of staff in USDA Rural Development. 

Sanders earned his undergraduate degree in History and Pre-Law from Oklahoma Christian University and attended Georgetown University to work on a Master’s degree in Government. 

Sanders is a native of Kingfisher, where he lives with his wife, Nellie, and sons, Davis and Walker. 

Brian O'Hara joined NRECA in October 2017 as Senior Director Regulatory Affairs focusing on telecommunications and broadband issues. In this position, he develops and directs association regulatory policy on telecom and broadband issues for over 900 electric cooperatives, many of whom are offering, deploying or exploring broadband business opportunities.  Brian has more than 20 years of telecommunications and broadband industry experience. He previously worked for the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association, and the National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA). Brian went to St. Mary's College of Maryland for undergrad and Johns Hopkins University for a master’s in government.

Brian Ford is the Vice President – Federal Regulatory at NTCA and has been with the association since March 2013.  He advocates on behalf of NTCA’s RLEC members at the FCC, with a focus on a variety of issues such as the Universal Service Fund, broadband mapping, IP transition, NG911, E-rate, ACP and Lifeline, net neutrality, video, robocalls, and other rulemaking proceedings.  Brian is the staff liaison to the NTCA Technical Committee, and he is the association’s representative on a number of industry working groups and standards body task forces.

Brittany Hodak is an award-winning entrepreneur, author, and customer experience speaker who helps businesses turn customers into superfans. She’s delivered keynotes to hundreds of organizations around the world, including American Express, Benihana, and Keller Williams. Her trademark SUPER Model™ framework has empowered teams in every industry to transform customer apathy into advocacy. 

A former Chief Experience Officer at Experience.com and co-founder of The Superfan Company, Brittany has worked with beloved brands and entertainers like Walmart, Katy Perry, and Dolly Parton. When her debut book, Creating Superfans, was released, Forbes declared: “If you have customers, you need this book. Period.”

James is the CEO of South Central Indiana REMC and Accord Telecommunications Collaborative.  He is an advocate for rural America and promotes both traditional and emerging relationships between rural providers of all kinds.

Jill Kuehny is the CEO of Kanokla, a member-owned rural broadband cooperative serving south-central Kansas and north-central Oklahoma. With a career rooted in cooperative leadership, Jill focuses on how locally owned utilities can be powerful catalysts for rural economic development, housing growth, workforce retention, and community vitality.Under her leadership, Kanokla has expanded high-speed connectivity across some of the most rural parts of the region while staying true to cooperative principles—local decision-making, long-term stewardship, and service over scale. Jill is a strong advocate for using infrastructure investment as a tool to strengthen rural places, not just keep up with them.In addition to her work at Kanokla, Jill is actively involved in regional initiatives that support rural innovation, digital inclusion, and community-led development. She brings a practical, on-the-ground perspective to conversations about the future of rural cooperatives and the role they play in shaping resilient rural economies.

Tonya Witherspoon is Founder and CEO of MindScapes, where she helps broadband providers, public-sector organizations, and technology companies apply AI to network deployment, operations, and workforce transformation. With more than 30 years of experience spanning technology, higher education, and entrepreneurship, she focuses on turning emerging technologies into practical, scalable infrastructure solutions.Previously, Tonya served as Associate Vice President for Industry Engagement and Applied Learning at the Wichita State University Innovation Campus, where she helped lead the partnership that established Kansas’s first carrier-neutral Internet Exchange Point. The $5 million facility now strengthens regional connectivity, improves network resilience, and supports distributed compute and AI workloads closer to users and edge networks.She recently co-convened the AI Interconnection Summit in Wichita, bringing together network operators, infrastructure providers, and AI practitioners to examine how automation, intelligent monitoring, and distributed architectures can reduce latency, optimize performance, and lower operational costs. https://www.ixp.us/eventsThrough MindScapes, Tonya works directly with broadband and infrastructure leaders on using AI for network planning, deployment optimization, operational visibility, and talent readiness. Her work centers on building resilient, regionally distributed networks that scale efficiently and expand access across rural and mid-sized markets.

Lance Browder serves as the Senior Tribal Broadband Officer for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, where he leads the strategy, funding, deployment, and long-term operation of broadband infrastructure across tribal lands. His work is focused on expanding access to fast, affordable, and reliable connectivity in rural and underserved communities, ensuring that homes, schools, healthcare facilities, and businesses have the digital foundation necessary to thrive.

With more than two decades of experience in telecommunications, infrastructure delivery, and enterprise technology leadership, Lance has designed and deployed large-scale fiber and fixed wireless networks nationwide. He holds PMP and ITIL certifications and is recognized for building resilient, community-first broadband models that transform connectivity into measurable opportunity.

Lukas Pietrzak is the Public Policy Director for the Fiber Broadband Association.

Luke Oborny is a telecommunications marketing strategist with more than 26 years of sales experience and 19 years in the telecom industry. Throughout his career, he has worked closely with broadband providers to drive subscriber growth, strengthen customer engagement, and improve market positioning in competitive environments.Luke specializes in strategic marketing, customer experience, and revenue focused campaign execution. He has led initiatives ranging from fiber launches and broadband expansion campaigns to digital advertising strategy and community based growth efforts. Known for blending practical field experience with data driven decision making, he helps organizations turn strategy into measurable results.He is passionate about supporting rural communities, building strong teams, and creating marketing systems that produce long term impact.

Rishabh Sandhir is the Regional Vice President of Sales Engineering at Calix, where he leads the regional pre sales engineering organization and drives strategy for Network Solutions. He has held this role for over four and a half years, partnering closely with customers and sales leadership to align technology solutions with business outcomes.  Prior to joining Calix, Rishabh served as Chief Technology Officer for North America at Ribbon Communications, where he was responsible for the overall strategy of the IP/Optical business across North America.  With a career spanning more than two decades, Rishabh began his professional journey at BSNL, a broadband service provider in India, and went on to hold technical and leadership roles at Verizon, Nokia, and Adtran. His experience across both service providers and vendors has given him a deep, end to end understanding of technology evolution and its real world applications.

Jeff Glasco has spent two decades at the intersection of technology and business transformation — helping organizations cut through complexity and build things that actually work. Today he leads product strategy for Apolloware, Bandera Electric Cooperative's energy feedback and DERMS platform. BEC is reshaping how distributed energy resources interact with the grid. Most recently, Apolloware earned qualification as the second Virtual Power Plant accepted into ERCOT's ADER program — a significant achievement that puts Bandera Electric alongside the most innovative energy organizations in the country. Before energy, Jeff led product and strategy at companies including Accenture, Archer Technologies, RSA Security, and KCAS Bio. Jeff holds a BS in Industrial & Systems Engineering from Kansas State University.

Blake Stegall is the Vice President of Telecommunications at Southwest Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation located in Brownsville, Tenn.

Nick Shumaker is the Manger of System Engineering at Oklahoma Electric Cooperative, located in Norman Oklahoma.   Nick serves as the National Chair of NRECA’s Transmission and Distribution Engineering Committee (TDEC) as well as National Chair of TDEC’s Subcommittee for System Reliability.  His team at OEC has reduced outages by 75% in the last 15 years, making OEC the most reliable electric utility in the state.  Nick is also the co-founder and CEO of GridVantage, a total reliability platform that uses OEC's knowledge base with priority AI training to actionable results using real-time data on a SOC 2 compliant ecosystem.

Mr. Pepper has dedicated over two decades to public service, with a distinguished 24-year career in the U.S. government. For the past 12 years, he has been an integral part of the USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Telecommunications Division, where he currently serves as the Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Loan Origination and Approval Division. His tenure with RUS includes serving as the Telecom Senior Policy Advisor,  Field Staff Branch Chief and a General Field Representative for Kansas, Alaska, Maine, and Oklahoma, where he worked closely with stakeholders to expand rural broadband access.Before joining USDA, Mr. Pepper spent 12 years with the Department of the Army, both in uniform and as a civilian. His last assignment was as the Real Estate Management and Disposal Chief for the Pittsburgh District Army Corps of Engineers. In this capacity, he managed federal land leasing and oversight across a five-state region in the Upper Ohio River Valley.

Jeremy Stubblefield is the Chief Technology Officer for Cookson Hills Electric and its broadband subsidiary Cookson Hills Connect, LLC serving eastern Oklahoma.  With over two decades in the IT and telecommunications industry designing, building, and managing large scale IP/Optical transport networks throughout rural Oklahoma and Missouri specifically with rural electric cooperatives, Jeremy's career has been dedicated to providing rural electric cooperatives, communities, and businesses with high-speed connectivity and services.  

Jeremy attained his Bachelor of Science in Business Information Technology with a minor in Networking from Rogers State University.

On January 14, 2019, Blayne Arthur was sworn in by Governor Kevin Stitt as the Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture—the state’s first female to hold the position. She acts as Governor Stitt’s chief advisor on policy development and implementation related to agriculture, food and forestry, and holds the titles of Oklahoma Commissioner of Agriculture and the President of the Oklahoma State Board of Agriculture. Secretary Arthur grew up in Chickasha, Oklahoma, where her family raised horses, cattle, wheat, alfalfa and soybeans. Upon graduating from Oklahoma State University in 2004, with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics, Sec. Arthur took a role in small-business financing for Rural Enterprises, Inc. Secretary Arthur began her tenure at the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry in 2009 working for Secretary Terry Peach and later as the Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture for Secretary Jim Reese where she stayed from 2011 to 2016. In 2016, she served as the Executive Director for the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation until her appointment by Governor Stitt.Secretary Arthur married Jerrod Arthur in 2006 and they have two children, Kelton and Kennedy. The Arthur family lives east of Stillwater and raise show cattle for 4-H and FFA members.

Ravindra Singh is a Senior Principal in Distribution Automation at NRECA’s Business and Technology Strategies department, helping electric cooperatives adopt emerging grid technologies. He has extensive experience in distribution automation, ADMS, DERMS, cyber-security, and microgrids. Previously, he worked at Argonne National Laboratory, Honeywell, and ABB Corporate Research Center on key projects related to power systems. He actively contributes to IEEE initiatives, serving in leadership and editorial roles. He holds a Bachelor of Technology in Electrical Engineering from HBTI Kanpur, a Master of Science (Engineering) from the Indian Institute of Science, and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College London.

Jeff Pollard has more than 21 years of experience in the electric cooperative industry, leading initiatives in distribution automation, system engineering, large load and capacity management, GIS, field design, metering, IT and fleet management. He currently serves as Vice President of Engineering at Indian Electric Cooperative. A Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Oklahoma, Jeff holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Engineering and Technology Management from Oklahoma State University.

Doug Payauys has spent over 25 years holding diverse positions in electric utilities, internet service providers, IT, and business development, all with companies supporting critical infrastructure and broadband solutions. His expertise includes outside plant construction, public-private partnerships, grant funding, network deployment, and broadband service delivery. Doug’s experience with utility smart grid projects, carrier ethernet, and fiber-to-the-home systems has fueled his commitment to resolving America’s broadband gaps and adding genuine value for service providers. He was instrumental in the formation of the Ohio IX Internet Exchange in 2015 and remains active on its board to advance its mission. At Adtran, Doug collaborates closely with industry partners offering software and services that improve operations and simplify service delivery.

Sales professional with a unique blend of experience in sales leadership, instructional design, and executive-level communication. With 20+ years of proven success leading teams, managing client relationships, and driving performance across industries, I specialize in turning complex goals into actionable strategies that deliver measurable outcomes.Currently serving as the Manager of Sales at Coosa Valley Technologies, I lead high-performing teams, drive market expansion, and manage strategic partner relationships. My background also includes over two decades of organizational leadership—developing people, optimizing systems, and communicating vision with clarity and impact.Skilled in sales strategy, training and development, customer engagement, and cross-functional collaboration, I bring a people-first mindset and a business-growth focus to every role. Whether guiding a team, closing an account, or launching a new initiative, my approach is grounded in integrity, adaptability, and consistent results.

Prior to joining Centranet in 2020, Mark spent 21 years in the defense industry. In his most recent position as VP of Manufacturing and Operations for FLIR, he ran operations at four U.S. sites overseeing production, customer support and training of 50+ complex electro-mechanical systems cold into the CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiation, Nuclear, Explosives) threat sector. He has led professional sales teams located across the world to exceed sales targets for multiple years in a row. Prather holds his bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Oklahoma State University.