Pioneer Connect is excited to announce that James (Jim) Rennard has been hired as our new General Manager. Jim will replace Mike Whalen when he retires at the end of the year.
Jim comes to us with a long, successful history in the rural telecom industry, with nearly 30 years of experience. After training as a CPA and working for a private accounting firm, he served as the Vice President of Finance and Regulatory Affairs for Canby Telcom (now DirectLink) in Canby, Oregon, and then as Western Division Manager with GVNW Consulting, which provides operations and regulatory consulting to the telecom industry. Jim has also worked for two nonprofits in Oregon.
We are excited to welcome Jim, and he’s excited to come to Pioneer Connect: “I am absolutely thrilled to be the new GM at Pioneer Connect. I could not be more excited about it. I look forward to maintaining Pioneer’s commitment to service, value, and meeting customer needs. With all the regulatory changes happening, I am also eager to help Pioneer navigate and develop a long-term plan to build on the successes of the past 70 years.”
“The Board made a great choice in Jim, and I’m confident he will continue to develop the company and stay focused on serving our members,” says Mike.
In his spare time, Jim is a regular volunteer with Tax Aid, which provides tax assistance to people with low income, and is currently a board member with Northwest Mothers Milk Bank. He is married to “the most amazing woman in the world,” and has two children, two stepchildren, and two grandchildren. Jim’s first day as General Manager of Pioneer Connect will be January 4. Please join us in welcoming Jim to the Pioneer family!