Thank you to our Generous Sponsors!

Premier

Breakfast

Hospitality Hour

Luncheon

 Speakers

Bryan A. Peterson, PHR, SHRM-CP, Vice President, Human Resource Services has been with Associated Employers since 2007 and provides member services in the areas of organizational and staff development and training. Bryan specializes in areas to include: leadership and management development, communication, conflict management, team building, and performance management.

Bryan has a B.S. degree in Business Administration from North Dakota State University, and his Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and SHRM-CP certifications. He is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) on the national level.

Chad Holzer has specialized in telecommunications for over a decade. He focuses on separations and regulatory work and manages consulting and cost study engagements. His clients are primarily rural incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs, which are cost companies), rural cooperatives and corporations (which are cost pooling), rate-of-return rural ILECs, and midsize price-cap companies. Services to his clients include cost study preparations and reviews; Universal Service Fund settlement studies; carrier access billing system and revenue assurance reviews; and development of continuing property records (CPRs).

Bryce Daniel is the General Manager of LincTel Communications, where he leads the company’s efforts to expand and modernize broadband infrastructure across rural Montana. Bryce began his telecommunications career in 2008 as a combination technician before serving as Network Manager for a decade. In 2021, he was appointed General Manager, overseeing operations, strategic planning, and fiber network development.

He earned his MBA in 2024 and later completed a Master of Science in Business Analytics with an emphasis on artificial intelligence and coding, combining technical expertise with data-driven leadership to guide LincTel’s continued growth and innovation.

Ben Calvert is the Chief Technology Officer at Range, where he leads innovation in delivering high-speed connectivity across rural Montana and Wyoming. With more than 27 years in the telecommunications industry, his career spans IT, voice switching, fiber-to-the-home network engineering, software development, and cybersecurity. He’s driven by a passion for learning about new technology, building reliable networks that close the digital divide, and empowering communities on the edge of the frontier. 

Ben lives with his wife, Claudene, and their four dogs in Forsyth, Montana, where they enjoy camping, traveling, and date-night Fridays. They have two grown daughters and four grandchildren who keep life lively and full of stories. When he’s not designing broadband networks at Range, Ben dives into podcasts on technology trends, explores cybersecurity, reads, games, and sharpens his Linux and Python skills. 

Outside of work, he’s also the creative mind behind the tongue-in-cheek, The Abandoned Husband Log—a serialized saga (created with the help of AI) in which his four dogs play the roles of superheroes, villains, and courtroom personalities in the ever-chaotic city of Sofa City. Whether he’s chronicling canine capers or debating his next Apple device purchase, Ben’s curiosity and sense of humor keep him fully engaged in both tech and storytelling.

Barry Walton boasts an impressive 48-year career in the telecommunications industry and currently holds the position of Senior Broadband Solutions Advisor at Corning Optical Communications. Barry joined Corning eight years ago, following a successful consulting career. Before that, he spent 37 years at a Canadian telecom company, where he led the deployment of Canada’s first large-scale Fiber to the Home (FTTH) network. He was instrumental in developing the strategy and implementation plan that brought FTTH to over 130 communities, passing 1 million homes.

Barry’s expertise encompasses business case creation, operations planning, large-scale network design, cost reduction, and deployment strategies for successful access network builds. Known for his impartial technical approach, Barry fosters an environment that values diverse perspectives. In his current role, he is dedicated to developing and implementing innovative solutions aimed at reducing labor for deploying fiber to the home in rural communities.

Barry has also served a term on the board of directors for the North American Fiber to the Home Council and is an active member of the Fiber Broadband Association's technology committee. He has delivered numerous presentations on various FTTH topics at national and regional conferences. Barry is highly respected by his peers for his extensive real-world experience and expertise in deploying FTTH networks.

He is also known on LinkedIn as one of the #BroadbandGuys.

Kristy Szabo, Director of Consulting: With nearly 30 years of experience in business finance, Kristy Szabo is an expert on valuations for ILEC and CLEC operations, wireless operations, and CATV systems. She has developed many historical financial analysis, financial forecasting, budgets, and feasibility studies. Kristy has been involved in securing grant funds for broadband networks in numerous state and federal grant programs, including RUS Broadband, Traditional Loan, USDA ReConnect, Community Connect Grant, CAF II, and RDOF, in addition to assisting clients obtain financing through CoBank and NCSC. Kristy has been an active bidder and has worked directly with the FCC’s auction system during several spectrum auctions. Kristy continues to work with the FCC on the wireless side by filing regulatory filings and license applications. Prior to joining VPS, Kristy spent 10 years in banking and financing; in-depth experience that brings a unique set of skills to the wide array of financial consulting projects.