CarolinaLink Board of Directors

The CarolinaLink Board of Directors consists of the Chief Executive Officers of the nine member Companies.  Collectively, the group has more than 225 years experience in the telecommunications industry.  They include:

• Jimmy Blevins
  Jimmy, a graduate of North Carolina State University, was named Chief Executive Officer of SkyLine TMC on July 1, 2008. He joined the company in 1985 after working as a project engineer for the consulting firm Black and Veatch in Asheboro, NC. Prior to his appointment as CEO, Jimmy held various leadership positions with SkyLine including Staff Engineer, Chief Technology Officer, and Chief Management Officer. He holds a Professional Engineering (PE) license for the state of North Carolina. Jimmy is active in a number of industry organizations and serves on the Board of Directors of Carolina West Wireless. He serves as Secretary/Treasurer of Access/On Multimedia Inc., and President of SkyBest Communications, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SkyLine Telephone. Locally, he is involved in coaching youth sports and enjoys bicycling and hiking. Jimmy, his wife Judy and son Jacob are members of Friendship Baptist Church.
  http://www.skyline.org/

  
  

• Mitzie Branon
  Mitzie Branon became General Manager of Yadkin Valley TMC in 2010. She grew up in the Yadkin Valley area and attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she graduated magna cum laude with a degree in accounting. She has over twenty years of experience with Yadkin Valley TMC and is on the Board of Directors of several industry organizations. She currently lives in Falls Creek with her husband Mitchell. They have a son, Mason, currently a student at NC State University, and a daughter, Sydney, in high school.
  http://www.yadtel.net/
  

• Frankie Cagle
  Frankie Cagle is the General Manager for Randolph Telephone Membership Corporation in Asheboro, North Carolina. He has worked for the cooperative for 27 years in a variety of capacities, including Technology Director, Central Office Manager and in the areas of installation, marketing and settlements. Frankie also serves as General Manager of Randolph Telephone Company, a regulated telephone company. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Telecommunications Industry Association, AccessOn and other telecommunication boards. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from University of North Carolina – Charlotte.
  
  Frankie lives in Seagrove, North Caroline with his wife Jennifer. They have two grown children, Heather and Josh. He is active in Union Grove Baptist Church, and currently serves as Church Clerk and as a Deacon. In his free time, he enjoys raising Santa Gertrudis and Black Angus cattle.
  http://www.rtmc.net/
  

• Eric Cramer
  Eric Cramer began working for Wilkes Telecommunications in January of 2005 when he was hired as the company’s CFO and he was then promoted to CFO and Assistant General Manager in August of that same year. He was named CEO and General Manager in March of 2010. He has more than 15 years of experience in the telecommunications industry. Prior to coming to Wilkes he worked as a Telecom Consultant for John Staurulakis, Inc. located in Greenbelt, Maryland for more than eight years. During this time he worked with small rural companies like Wilkes Telecommunications across the country, specializing in financial and strategic management and planning. Mr. Cramer is originally from Crofton, Maryland and holds a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, and graduate degrees including a Master of Science in Telecom and Technology Management and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) – both from the University of Maryland.
  http://www.wilkes.net
  

• Lyman M. Horne, Jr.
  Lyman was named Executive Vice President and General Manager of Star TMC in October of 2000, following 20 years of service with Star in a variety of jobs including Marketing Manager, Commercial Manager, Director of Revenues and Assistant General Manager. A graduate of Campbell University, he also attended N.C. State University and completed continuing education courses in Basic Electronics, Computer Programming and Intermediate Computers. Lyman is active in many civic and industry organizations and has served as an instructor at Sampson Community College. You can view his website at
  http://www.stmc.net/
  

• Allen Russ
  A native of Brunswick County, Mr. Russ was named Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and General Manager of ATMC in 2006. He joined the company in 1999 as Purchasing Agent, following his retirement from BellSouth after 33 years of service. Prior to his promotion to CEO and General Manager of ATMC, Mr. Russ also served as Executive Officer, Plant Operations and as Chief Operating Officer and Assistant General Manager. His telecommunication career started in 1966 with Southern Bell. Throughout his career with BellSouth, he held numerous management positions in Wilmington and Charlotte as well as BellSouth’s corporate headquarters in Atlanta. He and his wife, Sheila Sellers Russ, live in Supply, N.C. and have 3 children and 4 grandchildren. You can view his website at
  http://www.atmc.net/

• Greg Coltrain
  On January 1, 2011, Gregory S. Coltrain assumed the position of CEO/General Manager of TriCounty Telecom. Greg began his career at TriCounty in November 1997 as the Information Systems Coordinator. Prior to coming to TriCounty, he worked with Down Home Satellite Programming in Belhaven.
  
  Greg grew up in Pantego and graduated from Northside High School. He received a degree from Beaufort County Community College in Business. He has attended numerous seminars and workshops in telecommunication technologies. He currently serves on the North Carolina Telecommunications Industry Association Network Operations Committee and has previously served as president of the Belhaven Community Chamber of Commerce.
  
  Greg resides in Schooner Point and has three children, Mara, Austin and Kaylyn. He is an active member of the Wilkinson Church of Christ. In his spare time, he enjoys singing and spending time with his children.
  www.gotricounty.biz/
  

• Curtis R. Taylor
  Curtis was named as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Surry Telephone Membership Corporation in May of 2009. He has worked for the cooperative for the past 28 years. Curtis began his career with Surry in 1981 as the Central Office Engineer and has held positions of increasing responsibility including the positions of Chief Engineer, Plant/Engineering Manager and Chief Technology Officer.
  
  He is active in his community currently serves as a board member of other communications companies and industry associations. Those Board memberships include Carolina West Wireless, Access/On Multimedia, Inc., Carolina/Virginias Telephone Membership Association (CVTMA), the Visions West Board of Managers, the North Carolina Telecommunications Industry Association (NCTIA) and the North Carolina Telephone Cooperative Coalition (NCTCC). Curtis is also a member of the Surry County Planning Board. He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Old Dominion University.
  
  Curtis and his wife, Jan, have two daughters, and they reside in Lowgap, N.C. http://www.surry.net/