Board of Directors

DOUG DAWSON

Doug Dawson is the President and founder of CCG Consulting – the largest broadband consulting firm in the country in terms of clients, with over 1200 clients. CCG offers a full range of telecom services including engineering, regulatory, business planning, strategic planning and implementation services. One of Doug’s areas of emphasis is helping clients find financing for new network expansion. Doug has worked in the telecom industry since 1978 and has both a consulting and an operational background. Doug writes a daily blog that can be found at https://potsandpansbyccg.com.

DEB WATTS

Deb Watts brings more than 15 years as a senior director of research and development for the e-NC authority/NC Broadband. In this role she was responsible for designing, funding, and evaluating national best practice models for increasing broadband Internet access and utilization, including business and technology development centers, transactional e-government utilization, grassroots connectivity strategic planning initiatives and strategic broadband policy planning. This work was especially focused on connectivity challenges in rural and underserved communities. As senior partner at Technology Development Group, a consultancy practice specializing in technology-led economic development, Watts has accumulated more than 30 years of successful experience on a state, national, and international level related to public and private sector science policy and technology-based economic development.

Watts has undergraduate and graduate degrees in molecular biology from NC State University and Emory University respectively, and at the University of NC at Chapel Hill has completed an MBA degree and all coursework toward Ph.D. in Operations Management with a focus on Innovation and Technology and has completed additional studies at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

ALAN FITZPATRICK

Alan Fitzpatrick is the CEO of Open Broadband, an ISP providing broadband internet service to undeserved communities. Prior to Open Broadband, Alan had 20 years management experience in the Telecommunications and Software industries, including COO of DC74 Data Centers, COO of VolP Services at ACN Inc., Sr. VP of Engineering for US LEC Corp, and founder and CEO of 2 software companies.

Alan is a promoter of a gigabit internet infastructure in North Carolina, and co-founded Charlotte Hearts Gigabit, widely credited with attracting Google Fiber to Charlotte. He later joined as a co-founder of NC Hearts Gigabit. Alan is also an Adjunct Professor and enjoys teaching entrepreneurship and technology courses for Central Michigan University and Johnson and Wales University.

Alan has an MBA from Vanderbilt University and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University.

CATHARINE RICE

Catharine is currently the owner of Broadband-Matters. She was formerly the Regional Community Engagement and Public Affairs Manager for TING (Alexandria, VA & Westminster, MD) and a member and past Chair Alexandria’s IT Commission. She was also the project director for the Coalition for Local Internet Choice and a broadband consultant serving North Carolina communities in planning, deploying and promoting local broadband systems and closing the digital divide, particularly in the Research Triangle area and surrounding rural counties. Catharine is known for organizing the NC fiber lunches, and co-founding NC Hearts Gigabits (previously named CLIC-NC). She spearheaded a North Carolina grassroots effort that lobbied against NC House Bill 129 to defend local community authority to offer broadband services between 2007 and 2011.

MARK BOXER

Mark Boxer is the Applications Engineering Manager for OFS. In this role, he assists customers deploying fiber in a wide variety of network design scenario and analyzes trends in telecommunications markets that drive new product development and innovation. Mark has a BME degree in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech, and has spent his 20+ year career in the fiber industry. His experience includes varied roles in fiber manufacturing and applications engineering for fiber-based products and markets. Mark has a deep background in fiber applications for cell, telephone, cable TV, and power utility companies, with a special focus assisting customers in Fiber to the Home and Cell Site deployments. He is an inventor of two US Patents and has an additional patent application in process. Mark joined NC Broadband Matters in 2019.

GREG COLTRAIN

Gregory S. Coltrain (Greg) began his career at Tri-County Telephone Membership Corporation, d.b.a.TriCounty Broadband as the Information Systems Coordinator in 1997. Prior to being named General Manager/CEO in January 2011, he held positions of Customer Service Supervisor, Customer Service Manager and Operations Manager, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company. Through a merger with Wilkes Communications, Inc., d.b.a. RiverStreet Networks, in 2018, Coltrain assumed the role of Vice President of Business Development.

In 2010, he led TriCounty through a 16 million dollar Fiber to the Home expansion project allowing TriCounty to build a 355 mile state-of-the-art fiber network passing 100% of TriCounty’s served members’ homes or businesses as well as several contiguous communities. He currently serves as Executive Director of the TriCounty Foundation (a $1.2 Million foundation), serves on the Beaufort County Community College Foundation Board, the Foundation for Rural Service Board (a $4 Million national foundation), Washington/Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce board, Cooperative Council of North Carolina Board and the North Carolina 911 Board. With over 28 years in the telecom and broadband industry, Coltrain continues to encourage the development of broadband fiber and wireless networks and advanced technologies in our rural areas of North Carolina and Virginia in an effort to enhance the quality of lives for rural North Carolinians and Virginians. He and his wife Tiffany and their children live in Eastern North Carolina on the Inner Banks of Beaufort County.

BEN FARMER

Ben is currently the Planning & Development Services Director for the Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments (UCPCOG), which is based in Wilson and serves a five-county region (Edgecombe, Halifax, Nash, Northampton, and Wilson). He has held that position since July 2022 and worked as a Regional Planner at UCPCOG since November 2019. He previously worked for the Foothills Regional Commission and the City of Asheville. His time at UCPCOG has been primarily focused on developing and maintaining the region’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, which includes a strong focus on broadband infrastructure and digital inclusion. Highlights of his broadband work include facilitating the Upper Coastal Plain Broadband Task Force, developing the Upper Coastal Plain Digital Inclusion Plan (one of the first regional digital inclusion plans in NC), and working directly with local governments to build the capacity necessary to define and advocate for their own broadband needs, which often includes introducing community leaders to various internet service providers. Ben strongly believes that residents know best about what their community’s needs truly are, and that partnership, information sharing, and collaboration across municipal and county borders are key to improving broadband infrastructure and digital inclusion networks across North Carolina.

Ben has a Master of Public Affairs (MPA), Bachelor of Science in Political Science, and a Bachelor of Science in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations, all from Western Carolina University.

JANE SMITH PATTERSON (Emeritus)

Jane Smith Patterson

Jane Smith Patterson is currently a Partner with Broadband Catalysts, based in Chapel Hill. She previously served as executive director of the e-NC Authority, an organization with a goal of bringing affordable high-speed Internet access to the citizens, businesses and institutions of North Carolina, particularly in rural areas. Prior to taking this leadership position in 2001, Jane worked for North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt through his four terms in office, first as secretary of administration, then as chief advisor for policy, budget and technology, and finally as senior advisor for science and technology and director of the office for technology

Jane’s background includes working in the private industry as vice-president of ITT Corporation- Network Systems Group, of ITT-Alcatel and Alcatel, NA. She served as a vice chancellor at UNC-Wilmington and in positions with research programs at the University of Pennsylvania and UNC-Chapel Hill. She consistently leads focused efforts, both for her state and nationally to improve technology and its application, in order to enhance the economy of North Carolina and the United States as well as to advance educational opportunities for future generations. Jane is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and has completed post-graduate degree work at N.C. State University and additional studies at Harvard University. She serves on a number of boards for nonprofit organizations, including the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. Jane joined our Board in 2018.

GENE SCOTT

(In Memoriam)

GENE SCOTT

In Memoriam: We lost our beloved Gene Scott on February 12, 2022 to pancreatic cancer. Gene Scott was formerly the General Manager OSP for Greenlight Community Broadband in Wilson, NC. Gene served in this position for more than 12 years where his duties included overseeing the design, material specifications, the selection and maintenance of the OSP portion of the City’s FTTH network as well as private fiber optic networks for corporate customers. Prior to serving for Greenlight, Gene’s career spanned 28 years in OSP Engineering for CenturyLink, where he held positions of increasing responsibility, including Senior Engineer which included the day to day management of a district engineering office. He was a graduate of East Carolina University.

Gene was a visionary whose passion was to build foundational infrastructures (whether human or physical) that would sustain and create a better world for our future. He always had time to listen and help you “figure things out.” We will sorely missed you, Gene, but we will keep your dreams alive and help make them come true.

KENNY SHERIN

Kenny Sherin is a North Carolina native. He was born and raised on a family farm in Union County. He attended NC State University in the early nineties where he earned two degrees in natural resources and forestry. After working as a consultant, he attended Campbell University where he earned a Master of Divinity Degree and met his wife Karen. In pursuing their love of rural communities, Kenny and Karen moved to Columbia, MO where Kenny earned a doctoral degree in Rural Sociology and Community Development from the University of Missouri. That degree took him to South Dakota State University Extension where he was the SDSU Extension state program leader for the Community Vitality Program. Prior to 2019, Kenny lived outside of NC for 12 years and he is glad to be back home serving as the County Extension Director for Randolph County and the Broadband Access and Education Coordinator for N.C. Cooperative Extension. He has served on the National Digital Education Extension Team (NDEET) of the Southern Rural Development Center for 5 years. He is currently the National Broadband Fellow with the Extension Foundation, working to improve broadband programming capacity within the Cooperative Extension System nationally. Kenny joined the Board in December 2021.

CHRISTA WAGNER VINSON

Economic developer Christa Wagner Vinson brings nearly 15 years of experience helping regional and national nonprofits and state and local governments create innovative, community-led solutions that drive sustainable growth, most recently through her consultancy and as co-founder of NC Hearts Gigabit, a digital platform that supports the universal availability of affordable, reliable, high-capacity Internet to create thriving local communities.

Previously, she helped launch and accelerate the Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster, a multi-sector initiative that catalyzed global recognition for the Research Triangle region of North Carolina’s clean technology sector, and was an analyst for the North Carolina Department of Commerce and SJF Institute, a positive-impact business accelerator in Durham, N.C.

JEFF SURAL

For the past 10 years Jeff served in leadership roles focused on broadband policy and
the management of broadband infrastructure and digital equity programs. As a Senior
Broadband Policy Advisor for the US Department of the Treasury he helped lead the
development of the Capital Projects Fund, distributing $10 billion in ARPA funding to
states and Tribes, leading technical assistance and stakeholder engagement. Prior to
joining the Treasury he served as the Director of North Carolina’s Broadband
Infrastructure Office where he worked closely with the state’s legislature to create and
implement a rural broadband grant program, led negotiations for the appropriation of
$750 million in ARPA funding for broadband infrastructure grant programs, and
developed the nation’s first state-led digital equity initiative.

JESS EPSTEN

Jess Epsten is a librarian working in digital equity with over ten years of project management and community organizing experience. As the Digital Inclusion Initiative Lead at NC State’s Institute for Emerging Issues, Jess works statewide to support communities in creating and implementing local digital inclusion plans. Previously with the Durham County Library, they have also worked in academic libraries, with various non-profits and small businesses, and on small farms. Jess volunteers regularly with the NC Harm Reduction Coalition and the Prison Library Support Network. She is also a zinester, plant nerd, and baseball enthusiast.