Incumbents retain MTA board seats

PALMER — Incumbents Roxie Mayberry and Larry Wiget held their seats on the Matanuska Telephone Association board.

Mayberry received 2,034 votes and Wiget 1,995. Challenger Pete Christopher, Mat-Su Miners general manager since 2002, received 1,350 votes.

The annual meeting featured reports from the registrar Clay Hightower, of the CPA firm Sramek Hightower, reports from the Chief Governance Officer Catherine Fosselman and CEO Michael Burke. MTA also awarded 19 scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, door prizes, and answered questions from members. About 10 percent of available MTA voters cast ballots. Prior to the annual meeting, MTA provided a tech show to provide demos of new gadgets and streaming services available to members.

MTA employs 372 people, up 50 to 60 employees from last year, according to Burke. MTA also supports 170 local charitable organizations and events. The consolidated owner equity percentage is at a high not seen since 2014 of 68 percent. The all-time high was recorded in 2013 at 70 percent.

“In last two years, we’ve had many advancements in products that service our membership. We’ve been able to implement truly unlimited internet that is affordable and we are also able to revamp business services so businesses or customer can call and we can have a specialized team help service their needs,” said Mayberry, who was elected to a three-year term. “I believe that both of my opponents are qualified to be on the board and that either one of them would've been a great contribution to the MTA board.”

Wiget has been on the board since 2011 and was elected to a two-year term.

“I think since 2011, MTA has really become a forward-thinking, innovative, customer-centered management team headed by our CEO. Of course we are supported by a dedicated group of engaged employees and governed by a board of directors that is a fiscally responsible and strategic policy setting board,” said Wiget.

Burke will make nearly a half-million dollars as CEO of MTA. A total of $4.7 million in revenue was recorded in 2017, which is down from 2016. However, Burke is confident about where the company is at. MTA had a one-time sale of assets in 2016 that boosted revenue.

Members questioned the board about television channels, internet services, and other issues that have come up using MTA’s products. Director of Community and Public Affairs Jackie Kenshalo stated that MTA would address each individual concern in communicating with their customers. Kenshalo is also excited about a new program rolling out: ‘Girls Who Code.’

MTA is in the process of laying fiber throughout their 10,000 square-mile service area. Questions as to how long that would take came up during member comments. Engineers have told Burke that the expected timetable is 25 years, but Burke hopes to speed up that process. MTA is laying fiber all around Big Lake, up to the Matanuska Glacier and Chickaloon with about 20 different crews spread all around the Valley. Burke is confident that nowhere else in the state are companies pushing to lay fiber like MTA, and describes them as the Silicon Valley of Alaska. Burke saw losses of a million dollars in 2015 when he joined the company, but has since revamped the direction of MTA.

“We’ve really turned this place around. We’ve added 50 to 60 new employees, plus a bunch of contractors now that are also employing people,” Burke said. “We’ve added a lot of bodies and skill and a lot of work in the Valley that wasn’t happening. We’re spending about 25 million a year right now, which is probably double what we were spending three years ago. There’s a lot of money being injected in the economy.”

Burke has high hopes for the company in the next 365 days. He hopes to roll out new products for home internet solutions to ease customer problems and expects something new each quarter.

“We’re going to see much faster internet being rolled out to 5 to 10,000 new customers,” Burke said. “We’re going to have a dramatic impact on our economy.”