At the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association’s (NTCA) Rural Broadband Association RTIME 2024 event, held from February 11–14 in Tampa, FL, the Women in Telecom session spotlighted the strides women are making in the rural telecommunications sector. This year’s session, part of the annual kickoff for the rural broadband industry, focused on encouraging more women to pursue careers in broadband and highlighted the efforts of companies like Big Bend Telephone Company of Alpine, Texas, in fostering an inclusive workplace culture.
During the session, convened by NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield, industry leaders from JSI in Greenbelt, Maryland, and Big Bend Telephone shared insights into their initiatives aimed at supporting female employees and promoting gender diversity within their organizations. The panelists discussed the importance of creating a supportive work environment and the role of male allies in advocating for their female colleagues.
Steve Meltzer, president of JSI, emphasized his personal commitment to making his company a place where his daughters would want to work, highlighting the significance of a family-friendly workplace culture. Similarly, Lauren Sanders, Chief Financial Officer at Big Bend Telephone Company, underscored the critical role of women in leadership positions in mentoring and advocating for women in the early stages of their careers. “As females, when you’re in a leadership role, it’s also our responsibility to help women in lower positions come up and foster those relationships and mentor them and bring them around and make sure they’re also seen and heard,” Sanders remarked.
The NTCA Women in Telecom program, through events like the one at RTIME, aims to showcase the progression, creativity, diversity, and contributions of women in the telecommunications field. It provides a platform for women to connect, share their challenges and successes, and encourage one another to take on active and upward roles in their workplaces and communities.
Big Bend Telephone Company’s participation in the session reflects its dedication to advancing gender diversity and inclusion within the rural telecommunications industry. With leaders like Sanders at the helm, the company is setting a precedent for how organizations can support the growth and visibility of women in tech and leadership roles.
For more information about the NTCA Women in Telecom program and insights from the RTIME 2024 event, visit NTCA’s Women in Telecom.
Big Bend Telephone Company continues to be at the forefront of these efforts, embodying the essence of female leadership and advocacy in rural telecommunications.
