Cablefax The Magazine - August 2021 - 28

OPERATIONS LEADERS
34. GREAT COMMUNICATOR
Jeff Ross | President
Armstrong Utilities
Years in Media & Broadband:
27 in Cable; 7 in Telco
Broadband
Education: AS, BS Electrical
Engineering Technology; MBA
My personal superpower is:
Stamina
From the start of the pandemic,
Ross worked closely to keep
Armstrong employees apprised
on COVID-19 news. In addition to
emails, he penned letters in the
company's internal publication and
participated regularly in Armstrong's weekly videos series. He even
worked with his marketing team on a cross-channel TV and social
media spot to share a message of caring and understanding with
customers. At the same time, Ross and his teams continued to post
impressive numbers and improve the business. Examples include
the relaunch of Armstrong's Zoom Extreme internet product, which
comes equipped with Armstrong's Enhanced WiFi service supercharged
by Plume, the rollout of 1 Gig broadband and the permanent
increase of speeds on its Zoom Express and Zoom tiers.
MY PROUDEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT OVER
THE PAST 12 MONTHS IS... Working together with our team
at Armstrong to continue to provide service to our customers and
communities so they could work and school safely from home. At the
same time keeping the team safe and dedicated to the mission at hand.
WHAT HABIT ARE YOU KEEPING POST-PANDEMIC?
Door Dash!
MY PREDICTION FOR THE FUTURE OF REGIONAL
SPORTS NETWORKS: They will have less viewers.
WHAT SORT OF BROADBAND WILL THE AVERAGE U.S.
HOUSEHOLD NEED IN FIVE YEARS? 1Gbps.
HOW MANY TIKTOK DANCES HAVE YOU LEARNED?
Zero.
WHAT'S THE FUTURE OF DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER
STREAMING LOOK LIKE? Expensive.
MY COMFORT TV BINGE? " Everybody Loves Raymond "
YOUR PANDEMIC THEME SONG? " Six Feet Apart, " Luke
Combs.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS
SUMMER? Being together with family.
LAST PODCAST LISTENED TO: " Business Wars, " Gibson vs.
Fender ■
35. WESTWARD EXPANSION
Jim Gleason | President & CEO
Vexus Fiber
Years in Media & Broadband: 35
Education: BS, Business, Southeast Missouri State University
It has been less than two years since Gleason and his executive team took ownership of
what used to be known as NTS Communications. They quickly put their own stamp on the
business, rebranding it as Vexus Fiber. But the changes are more than cosmetic. This summer,
Vexus unveiled plans to build a $200 million fiber optic broadband network for the Rio
Grande Valley area of Texas, connecting nearly 175,000 homes and businesses to its network
through a project that's expected to take about 36 months. " We believe economic growth and
prosperity are directly tied to a community's ability to reach gigacity, " Gleason says. He's a
strong advocate for mid-size operators, serving on the board of ACA Connects.
WHAT SORT OF BROADBAND WILL THE AVERAGE U.S. HOUSEHOLD NEED
IN FIVE YEARS? Fiber-based-more than 1 gig.
HOW MANY TIKTOK DANCES HAVE YOU LEARNED? None.
WHAT'S THE FUTURE OF DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER STREAMING LOOK
LIKE? Very complicated. Looks like there needs to be some aggregator-oh wait, that was cable.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS SUMMER? Being out on
the lake. ■
28
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