Cablefax The Magazine - August 2021 - 35

OPERATIONS LEADERS
47. BUCKEYES & MAGNOLIAS
Allan Block | Chairman of the Board
Block Communications
Geoff Shook | President
Buckeye Broadband
Years in Media & Broadband: 30+
Education: University of Alabama
Block has been successfully operating newspapers and broadband companies for decades, and that includes Buckeye Broadband. Shook
has been innovative in his approach to serving Buckeye customers and reaching new residents during the pandemic, partnering with Alepo
to introduce a free ad-supported internet service. He has also introduced tools to protect its customers from scams and nuisance robocalls.
Buckeye is active in Mississippi, where it serves as Maxx South Broadband. It has been fighting the southern state's legislature to ensure
that broadband competition rules are fair for all in the marketplace. ■
48. STORMING AHEAD
Patrice Carroll | CEO
ImOn Communications
Years in Media & Broadband: 32
Education: BS, Mathematics, St. Mary's College, Notre Dame
My personal superpower is: Remaining calm and focused
during emergencies and natural disasters
In August 2020, a derecho wreaked havoc throughout the Midwest,
hitting ImOn's eastern Iowa service area especially hard. While
rebuilding a network is challenging under normal circumstances,
the pandemic made matters more urgent because customers were
relying on ImOn services to work from home. Carroll made restoring
service a priority, with 70% of customers back within two weeks. The
pandemic and the derecho drove home the importance of fast broadband,
with Carroll deciding to ratchet up ImOn's expansion in Iowa
City. She told The Cedar Rapids Gazette that the provider plans to
speed up the Iowa City expansion 10 times its current pace in 2022.
WHAT'S A HABIT YOU'RE KEEPING POST-PANDEMIC?
While working from home, I was able to establish a more regular
exercise schedule than I have ever been able to do while in the office.
As we plan to return to our offices soon, I'm also working on how to
keep my exercise routine going.
HOW DOES THE COUNTRY NARROW THE DIGITAL
DIVIDE? We need to focus on private/public partnerships. The
business case to build a fiber network and provide broadband services
in some rural areas just doesn't work economically for an independent
provider. Partnering with government entities to share costs, resources
and coordinate between utility providers is crucial.
NUMBER OF TIMES FLOWN IN THE PAST YEAR? I have
not flown in the past year. I have taken some fun road trips in the car,
though!
FAVORITE MASK? When the pandemic first started, a few of us
started sewing masks to help fill the supply gap for our field technicians.
I still wear a couple of those masks that I sewed, and I think they are my
favorites because they exemplify how the ImOn team comes together in
a crisis.
WHAT SORT OF BROADBAND WILL THE AVERAGE U.S.
HOUSEHOLD NEED IN FIVE YEARS? With the number of
connected devices per household increasing significantly every year,
and more people working from home, a reliable fiber-to-the-home
broadband connection coupled with powerful whole-home WiFi will
become the norm.
HOW MANY TIKTOK DANCES HAVE YOU LEARNED?
Not a TikToker!
MY COMFORT TV BINGE? I love mysteries - PBS offers a few
that I've really enjoyed.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS
SUMMER? Bringing our employees back at our offices and for
employee events. It's been too long since we've all been together! ■
Cablefax: The Magazine
August 2021
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Cablefax The Magazine - August 2021

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