Project Team
The core of the Thundercloud, Inc. effort is its Board of Directors who have each and all worked closely together on these and other economic development issues. The Board of Directors will have clear lead responsibility under the ARC grant to ensure that the deployment project proceeds on track, and that the fiber deployment integrates with economic and community needs. These board members include:
- Marshall University’s Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer
- Mountain Health Network’s Chief Information Officer (a Member of the WV Broadband Enhancement Council)
- Marshall Health / Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine’s Chief Information Officer for Marshall Health and the Joan C. Edwards Medical School
- Marshall University Research Corporation’s Director of Economic Development (also a member of the WV Broadband Enhancement Council).
- Vice President at Alpha Technologies, the organization that is building the first synchronous, broadband-to-the-premises gigabit services to the Charleston and South Charleston business districts, in a new 35-mile fiberoptic ring, showing how it can be done in greater Huntington as well.
Beyond the board, Thundercloud’s project team will include:
- Huntington Mayor Steve Williams, who has inspired the community to move forward as the pilot “Gigabit City” in West Virginia, and leveraged that aim to help win the national America’s Best Community Prize in 2017.
- The Chair of the Huntington Gigabit City Task Force, who himself led the state’s Broadband Council for years. The Gigabit City Task Force worked directly with Thundercloud to form this initiative proposed here, and issued a 2020 milestone report on fostering public-private partnerships to enhance access, speed and adoption of broadband which specifically endorsed Thundercloud. The Gigabit City Task Force consists of many of the top experts on broadband communications in the region and state.
- The President of the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce, a member of the WV Broadband Enhancement Council, who will seek to boost, enhance, and attract business with this good broadband news.
- A WV state delegate who serves as Vice Chair of the WV House Committee on Technology & Infrastructure, and as a member of the WV Broadband Advisory Council.
- Economic development organizations and leaders working in Huntington, surrounding communities, and the overall Advantage Valley region. This delegate is likely to join the Mayor’s Gigabit City Task Force as well.
- A team of procured expert consultants including Blue Ridge Advisory Group Services (guiding efforts on broadband in Wayne County), CTC Technology (consulting guide to Huntington Gigabit City Task Force), and expert consulting engineers.
Thundercloud has received support from many public and private sectors. Just a sampling of the endorsements received include:
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
City of Huntington – Mayor Steve Williams
City of Kenova, WV – Mayor Timothy Bias
Town of Ceredo – Mayor Paul Billups
Village of Barboursville – Mayor Chris Tatum
County Commission of Cabell County – Commission President Kelli Sobonya
County Commission of Wayne County – County Administrator Jim Boggs
WV Delegate Daniel Linville – Ex Officio Advisory Member of the WV Broadband Enhancement Council West Virginia Military Authority, Director Chris Cmiel
Congresswoman Carol Miller
Senator Shelley Moore Capito
Senator Joe Manchin
TASK FORCE & NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
Coalfield Development Corporation – CEO Brandon Dennison
Gigabit City Task Force – Chairman Tony Simental
HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS
Mountain Health Network – President & CEO Michael Mullins
Marshall Health – CEO Beth Hammers
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS
Advantage Valley – Executive Director Terrell Ellis
Huntington Municipal Development Authority – Executive Director Cathy Burns
Huntington Area Development Council – President & CEO David Lieving
Wayne County Economic Development Authority – Executive Director Park Ferguson
WV Region 2 Planning & Development Council – Executive Director Chris Chiles
BUSINESS LEADERS
Intuit – Executive Chairman of the Board, Brad D. Smith
Appalachian Power – President & COO Chris Beam
Strictly Business Computer Systems – President Michael Owens
Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce – President & CEO Bill Bissett
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
Cabell County Schools – Superintendent Ryan Saxe
Marshall University – President Jerome Gilbert