OPERATIONS LEADERS 25. BRIDGE BUILDER Pat McAdaragh | President & CEO | Midco Years in Media & Broadband: 40 Education: BA, Accounting, Augustana University My personal superpower is: Ability to keep pace with my 3-year-old grandson Ronan McAdaragh leads a company that continuously makes headlines for investments in technology and the communities within its five-state service area. Midco spent more than $8.8 million in the FCC's CBRS auction and won several million dollars in Rural Digital Opportunity Fund support to build out service in its footprint. Since 1987, the Midco Foundation has donated more than $5 million to support the work of non-profit organizations, local governments and schools. Last year, it gave $250,000 to area food banks to address food insecurity due to COVID-19. McAdaragh is well loved by the Midco family, which expands every summer through a robust internship program that he works closely with. WHAT HABIT ARE YOU KEEPING POST-PANDEMIC? Washing my hands more frequently. HOW DOES THE COUNTRY NARROW THE DIGITAL DIVIDE? Start at the foundation by developing a precise, continuously updated mapping system that all benefactors support (dreaming). HAS THE PANDEMIC FOREVER CHANGED PROGRAMMING? No, it just speeded the changes up a bit. MY PREDICTION FOR THE FUTURE OF REGIONAL SPORTS NETWORKS: Migration to direct to consumer except for season-ending play-offs and championships. WHAT'S THE FUTURE OF DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER STREAMING LOOK LIKE? Confusing. ■ Leading with vision. Congratulations to all 2021 Cablefax 100 honorees - including our own President & CEO Pat McAdaragh. Cablefax: The Magazine August 2021 cablefaxmag.com 23https://www.midco.com/