Bend man named to state broadband council

Governor John Kitzhaber has appointed three new members to the Oregon Broadband Advisory Council.

The members of the Council are community leaders representing Oregon’s cities, counties, telecommunications service providers, Native Tribes, educators, economic development organizations, public safety agencies, healthcare providers, e-government, the Public Utility Commission, and the Oregon State Legislature.

The mission of the Council is to encourage coordination and collaboration between organizations and economic sectors to leverage the development and utilization of broadband for education, workforce development and telehealth, and to promote broadband utilization by citizens and communities.

The new appointees to the Council are:

* Christopher Denzin, Portland, Vice President and General Manager at CenturyLink, representing telecommunications and Internet service providers;

* Wade Holmes, Bend, Vice President of Technology at BendBroadband, representing telecommunications and Internet service providers; and

* Julie Pearson-Ruthven, Salem, Chief Information Officer at State of Oregon, representing eGovernment.

“The appointment of Mr. Denzin, Mr. Holmes, and Ms. Pearson-Ruthven is great news for the citizens of Oregon,” said Joe Franell, General Manager and CEO of Eastern Oregon Telecom, and the Chair of the Council. “The presence of such qualified people on the Broadband Advisory Council will greatly assist us in making sure that Oregon remains a leader in the deployment and use of broadband.”

For more information, please contact: Chris Tamarin, Telecommunications Strategist, Business Oregon, 503-508-0178 or christopher.tamarin@state.or.us .