Cablefax The Magazine - August 2021 - 54

OPERATIONS LEADERS
91. CUSTOMER CARING
Laura Dechant | Head of Support | Philo
Years in Media & Broadband: 7
Education: University of Notre Dame
My personal superpower is: I'm a fast
learner and good at learning on the fly
Dechant guided the Philo support team through
a seamless transition to work-from-home during
the pandemic. Of course, she's a pro at major
pivots. In her five years at the vMVPD, she
scaled support from an in-house, email-only
support team to the multi-site, multi-channel
organization it is today. Her international team
of customer service representatives consistently
92. SPRAWLING SERVICE
Drew Petersen | SVP, Corporate Affairs
TDS Telecom
Years in Media & Broadband: 24
Education: MBA-University of WisconsinMadison
My
personal superpower is: Naming old TV
theme songs, a dubious distinction
2020 was yet another year in which Petersen
helped TDS expand its internet capabilities
throughout rural America. Since March, a new
community was constantly being connected to no less than 1Gig
of internet in Wisconsin, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Tennessee and other
states. Fiber expansion beginning in August brought 1Gig internet to
93. THE CLOSER
Andy Kober | CFO | Vyve Broadband
Years in Media & Broadband: 31
Education: BS, Accounting
My personal superpower is: My family
It was a mega year for Vyve Broadband's CFO,
with Kober working long hours to close the
operator's sell to GTCR/MegaBroadband. Major
acquisitions sometimes see top leaders exit
post-deal, but Kober stayed put and is assisting
with the Vyve mission of bringing cutting
edge services to rural America. That includes
54
more than 1,200 addresses. The company even joined Wisconsin's
Task Force on Broadband Access in July. An ACA Connects board
member, Petersen can be counted on to thoroughly explain TDS' mission
in the communities it serves and beyond.
MY PROUDEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT OVER
THE PAST 12 MONTHS IS... Securing municipal entry into the
over two dozen locations where TDS is building fiber in new states and
new markets.
WHAT HABIT ARE YOU KEEPING POST-PANDEMIC?
Peloton.
NUMBER OF TIMES FLOWN IN THE PAST YEAR? Twice,
both recreationally to St. George, UT, and Marco Island, FL.
FAVORITE MASK? Butler University Swimming. My daughter
swims for them in the Big East conference. ■
expansion, with Kober helping with Vyve's purchase of FamilyView
Cablevision in South Carolina.
HOW DOES THE COUNTRY NARROW THE DIGITAL
DIVIDE? Allow those investing private capital to do so without
government interference while opening up federal funds for those
areas where it would be cost-prohibitive for private investment to
make an adequate return. For those with readily available broadband,
permanently expanding EBB for those that need it is similar to the
lifeline program for telephone.
HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC FOREVER CHANGED
PROGRAMMING? Accelerated and expanded the audience for
binge watching. Quality programming should always find a way to the
right audience.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS
SUMMER? Time on the water with my family. ■
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August 2021
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receives 90+% Customer Service Satisfaction scores. Her support
for employees extends to customers as well. When unemployment
and furloughs started to soar due to COVID, Dechant and her team
created a coupon program allowing agents to provide a free month
to customers who asked for an extension on their bill.
WHAT HABIT ARE YOU KEEPING POST-PANDEMIC?
Rock collecting and working with geodes. I want to take a lapidary class
post-pandemic.
FAVORITE MASK? Discovery sent merch to some of our marketing
folks, and I snagged an HGTV mask from a coworker's package. It is the
most comfortable of all my masks!
WHAT SHOW/MOVIE HASN'T BEEN REBOOTED THAT
YOU WISH WOULD BE? Is it too soon to ask for a " Game of
Thrones " reboot so we can have the final season we deserve? ■
Cablefax The Magazine - August 2021

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