AULANDER, N.C. ( March 15, 2022) -- Roanoke Electric Cooperative is pleased to announce the addition of two employees who have joined the team of Roanoke Connect Holdings, LLC, a co-op subsidiary providing broadband internet service to the region.
Angela Washington has been named director of broadband sales and marketing, and Jeremy Whitley will serve as director of broadband network engineering.
Bo Coughlin, Roanoke Connect’s chief operating officer, said that with the added staffing, “member-owners and subscribers can expect an increased level of customer service and an improved broadband experience from Roanoke Connect.”
Washington is an accomplished marketing executive with in-depth expertise in marketing and customer relationship management. She joins the Roanoke team following her role as vice president of marketing for Shentel, a diversified telecommunications holding company providing telecommunications services in the southeastern United States. She has also held positions at JetBroadband Holdings and Cox Communications.
"I am honored to be a part of the Roanoke family,” Washington said.
“It is my passion to work with the team to bring the best high-speed internet service using the latest technology to our member-owners and residents in the areas that we serve.”
Whitely also brings years of experience as principal engineer for Charter Communications and as a network engineer for Amazon.com.
Additionally, he has held engineering leadership roles at Time Warner Cable, Cisco Systems, and Connexion Technologies. A former solutions architect for Tucows, a Canadian-based tech company, Whitley championed “Wavelength Division Multiplexing.” That technology increases bandwidth by allowing different data streams to be sent over a single optical fiber network, which maximizes fiber's usefulness and optimizes the network investments.
“I am pleased to join the team at Roanoke Electric Cooperative,” Whitley said. “As a proud native North Carolinian, I desire to see our state and the residents of our state positioned for success. Access to broadband internet connectivity is essential to our children's education and our state's economic development. I hope to be a small part of that path to success by my assistance in bringing a premium high-speed Internet service to an area that has been at a disadvantage due to the lack of fast, reliable Internet connectivity in the past.”
Co-op President and CEO Marshall Cherry said the staff expansion underscores the co-op’s longstanding commitment to bringing broadband service to the region. “Acquiring this level of talent of more than 40 years of combined industry experience is a testament to the level of investment we have in the success of this initiative.”
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About Roanoke Electric Cooperative:
Roanoke Electric Cooperative provides service to 14,500 members in Bertie, Hertford, Halifax, Northampton, Gates, Perquimans and Chowan counties. Chartered in 1938 to provide light and power to farms, the co-op today serves as an engine of economic development and provides educational, recreational and community assistance services to enhance the quality of life of its member-owners throughout the diverse communities it serves. Roanoke Electric Cooperative is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
About Roanoke Connect Holdings, LLC:
Roanoke Connect, an initiative spearheaded by Roanoke Connect Holdings, LLC, a subsidiary of Roanoke Electric Cooperative, is building their broadband network to provide high-speed internet to Bertie, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, and Northampton counties in North Carolina. Roanoke Connect offers residential and business customers broadband internet, voice services, and smart grid energy efficiency capabilities. Living a fully connected and enhanced quality of life is Roanoke Connect’s commitment to the communities they serve. For more information, please visit www.RoanokeConnect.com.