MTA hires new CEO

WASILLA — Matanuska Telephone Association has hired a familiar face as its new CEO.

The cooperative hired Michael Burke at its Wednesday, Sept. 23 board meeting. Burke had been serving as interim chief executive officer since Greg Berberich retired in July.

According to a press release issued on Friday, Burke has served on the Alaska Exchange Carriers Association Board of Directors, the Alaska Exchange Carrier Association Tariff and Rate Development Committee and was the Alaska Broadband Task Force Peer Reviewer. He has a bachelor’s degree from Seattle University in business administration and is an Alaska Certified Public Accountant. According to MTA spokeswoman Carolyn Hanson, Burke has lived in Anchorage since the early 1980s.

“The Board was able to identify very quickly the best person for the position was right in front of us,” said MTA Chief Governance Officer Earl Lackey. “Michael brings a wealth of knowledge that will serve our company well as MTA transitions from a traditional telecommunications company to a 21^st century provider of integrated technology solutions to better serve its customers.”

Founded in 1953, MTA is a member-owned cooperative whose service area covers more than 10,000 square miles extending from Hiland Road in Eagle River to Clear Air Force Base near Fairbanks. The cooperative has store locations in Eagle River, Palmer and Wasilla and provides local and long distance telephone service, wireless, internet, business, director and digital TV services.