Board of Directors

Joseph Jones, President, On Trac, Inc. (Chairman of the Board)

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. 

Jimmy Todd, CEO & General Manager, Nex-Tech (Vice Chair)

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.

Kim McKinley, Chief Marketing Officer, UTOPIA Fiber (Secretary)

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.  

Mark Boxer, Technical Manager, Solutions and Applications Engineering, OFS  

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.

Katie Espeseth, Vice President of New Products, EPB 

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).

Scott Jackson, National Market Manager - Broadband, Graybar

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.    

Gregg Logan, VP of Engineering, Telapex, Inc. (corporate parent of the C Spire companies)

Gregg Logan is truly a telecommunications pioneer. After attending the University of Mississippi, he joined C Spire’s affiliate, Franklin Telephone Company, as an equipment installer and technician in 1982. Gregg has risen through the ranks and has accomplished several telecommunications milestones throughout the years including the first fiber optic interconnection from an independent telephone company in Mississippi. During his tenure, Gregg has served in various leadership positions for Telapex, Inc. - the parent company of C Spire - and its affiliates, primarily focused on building out rural wireless markets and directing the development of the company’s fiber optic broadband network that consists of thousands of miles of fiber optic cable throughout Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana and Florida. C Spire’s network provides wireless and Internet telecommunication services to its customers, other carriers, Internet Service Providers, universities, government agencies, hospitals and businesses. In 1988, Gregg was one of a team of nine charter C Spire (formerly Cellular South) employees who launched the first cellular wireless network on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and brought wireless service for the first time to many other parts of Mississippi. And, in 2014, Gregg led C Spire’s ground-breaking efforts to deploy 1 Gigabit FTTH services to communities throughout the state of Mississippi.

Ariane Schaffer, Public Policy and Government Affairs Manager, Google Fiber   

Ariane Schaffer serves as Public Policy and Government Affairs Manager for Google Fiber and has worked for the company since 2018. In this role, she focuses on broadband public policy, state and federal government relations, digital equity efforts and business expansion. Prior to joining Google Fiber, Ariane was Executive Briefer to the Governor of New York. Ariane holds a bachelor's degree from American University’s School of Public Affairs in Washington, DC and currently lives in New York City.

Gary Bolton, President & CEO, Fiber Broadband Association  

Gary Bolton serves as president and CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association — the largest trade association in the Americas dedicated to all-fiber-optic broadband. With more than three decades in the telecom industry, Bolton joined the Fiber Broadband Association as president and CEO in 2020 after serving on the association’s board as vice chairman, treasurer and vice chairs of public policy and marketing committees.

Prior to taking the leadership role at the Fiber Broadband Association, Gary spent 11 years at ADTRAN serving as vice president of global marketing and government affairs. ADTRAN is a top three global provider of broadband infrastructure solutions. At ADTRAN, Gary was responsible for all aspects of marketing for the company worldwide as well as regulatory and government affairs. Gary has been highly involved in Washington, particularly on FCC and Congressional proceedings and international trade issues.

Prior to ADTRAN, Gary held executive management positions at two successful venture-backed high-tech start-ups as well as at large publicly traded companies in marketing and product line management. Gary served as the chairman at the Huntsville Chamber of Commerce, co-chairman of BITAG (Broadband Internet Technology Advisory Group), a board member at Huntsville Botanical Garden and at the Chamber Foundation, president for SORBA-Huntsville and an MIT CEO mentor at Hudson Alpha, Leadership Alabama, Leadership Huntsville and serves on the University of Alabama in Huntsville college of business executive advisory board.

Gary is currently an adjunct professor in business administration and management science at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and he holds an MBA from Duke University and a BS in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina State University.

Tom Cohen, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP (Corporate Counsel, Ex officio)

Thomas Cohen is a partner in the firm's Washington, D.C. office. His practice focuses on matters involving communications, including telecommunications, wireless and media, the Internet, privacy and government relations.  

Tom has more than 30 years of experience in the communications/telecommunications industry sector, first as a government policy maker, serving for over a decade as assistant general counsel for legislation at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and as senior counsel for the Senate Commerce Committee. He then was a founder and principal in firms assessing and developing communications/telecommunications properties and advising businesses. At Kelley Drye, Tom assists clients with a variety of aspects of communications law, including federal and state administrative and legislative advocacy, business-related legal matters and litigation.

Chair: Mike Hill, Senior Consultant, On Trac, Inc. 

Mike Hill has over 50 years in the telecommunications industry. Mike began a 30-year career with Sammons Communications in 1969 as a lineman and service technician and ultimately had responsibility for operations all over the United States from their Corporate office in Dallas, TX. After Sammons sold in 1995, Mike went to work for Atrex, Inc., a telecommunications contracting firm based in Florida.

The last 20 years of Mike Hill’s career were co-founding On Trac, Inc. and serving as its CEO and fulfilling key leadership roles in the Fiber Broadband Association (formerly Fiber-to-the-Home Council NA). Mike was first elected to the Board in 2006 and faithfully served in that role for 14 years, being the longest tenured board member in the history of the Association. His experiences as a Board member included chairing the annual conference in 2007 and 2010 and being chosen by the Board to serve as Chairman in 2008, 2011, and 2016. During his tenure on the Board, he was the recipient of the Photon Award in 2014 and the Chairman’s Award in 2018. Mike currently serves on the Senior Council Committee with the Association.

Mike’s current role with On Trac is Senior Consultant where he provides consultation to the Executive Team and assists with special projects.

Kevin Morgan, Chief Marketing Officer, Clearfield

Kevin Morgan served as the 2015 Board of Directors Chair for the FTTH Council Americas. He was first elected to the Board in 2010 and is past Chair of the Government Affairs committee and Marketing committee for the FTTH Council. Kevin is the Chief Marketing Officer at Clearfield, the preferred supplier specialist in fiber management and connectivity platforms for communication service providers. Morgan has held various senior marketing positions at ADTRAN and spent nearly a decade at telephone operating company BellSouth, now a part of AT&T, where he worked as the lead product evaluations resource of broadband technologies in the Science & Technology department. Over his career, he has gained extensive experience in advanced communications technology, fiber optic systems, and business product marketing. Kevin holds an Electrical Engineering degree from Auburn University and an MBA from the University of Alabama.