Management

Christopher E. French
President and Chief Executive Officer
Christopher French

Mr. French is President and Chief Executive Officer for Shentel. He is responsible for the overall leadership and strategic direction of the Company. He has served as President since 1988, and has been a member and Chairman of the Board of Directors since 1996. Prior to appointment as President, Mr. French held a variety of positions with the Company, including Vice President Network Service and Executive Vice President. Mr. French holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and an MBA, both from the University of Virginia. He has held board and officer positions in both state and national telecommunication associations, including service as a director of the Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies (OPASTCO), membership on the Leadership Committee of the USTelecom Association, and was president and director of the Virginia Telecommunications Industry Association.

Edward H. McKay
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Edward McKay

Mr. McKay is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Shentel and is responsible for leading the Company’s integrated broadband business, including the Shentel and Glo Fiber brands. He joined Shentel in 2004 and has more than 25 years of experience in the telecommunications industry. Prior to his current role, he served as Senior Vice President of Engineering & Operations. He played a key role in the growth and success of Shentel's former wireless business, led the expansion of the fiber-rich network supporting the Company’s cable and wireline business, and was responsible for delivering on Shentel’s broadband Fiber First growth strategy for Glo Fiber. Mr. McKay began his telecommunications industry career in 1996, including previous management positions at UUNET and Verizon. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia, where he earned master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Electrical Engineering, and he represents the Company on the Board of ACA Connects.

James J. Volk
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Volk

Mr. Volk is Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He joined Shentel in June 2019. He is a 20+ year veteran of the telecommunications industry, and has served in a variety of senior financial management roles with both large corporations and high growth, early stage telecommunication providers. He most recently served as Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations of Uniti Group Inc. Prior to joining Uniti, he served as CFO of multiple public and private telecommunication companies, including PEG Bandwidth, Hargray Communications and UbiquiTel Inc. He previously held senior finance positions with AT&T and Comcast. Mr. Volk holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from the University of Delaware and a Master of Business Administration from Villanova University.

Elaine M. Cheng
Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer
ElaineCheng
Mrs. Cheng is Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Shentel. She leads the Information Technology organization, Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO), and Enterprise Risk Management program, and is responsible for our Customer Care and Tech Support functions. She joined the Company in March 2019 and has 20+ years of experience in diverse business environments across all areas of Information Technology. Prior to joining Shentel, Mrs. Cheng served as Chief Information Officer and Managing Director of Global Strategic Design for CFA Institute in Charlottesville, Va. Prior to her time at CFA Institute, Mrs. Cheng held a number of different roles over 16 years with M&T Bank in Buffalo, NY, including Group Vice President, Technology Business Services, Vice President of Retail Operations and Assistant Vice President, Web Product Owner. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Vassar College and her Masters of Business Administration from the University of Rochester. Additionally, Mrs. Cheng is a founding board member of Charlottesville Women in Tech, a non-profit organization which encourages women to join and thrive in technology careers.
Dara Leslie
Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing
Dara Leslie

Dara Leslie is Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Shentel. She joined Shentel in June 2022. She has 20+ years of experience in the broadband industry, including 10 years with Comcast as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Big South Region and Vice President of Marketing for the Central Division, seven years with Atlantic Broadband as Vice President/General Manager of the Maryland-Delaware markets and Vice President of Customer Care and Marketing, and six years with Charter in various leadership roles. Dara has a Master’s degree from Old Dominion University and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Richard W. Mason Jr.
Senior Vice President Engineering and Operations
mason

Mr. Mason is Senior Vice President Engineering and Operations at Shentel and is responsible for leading our network strategy, engineering, construction and operations functions. He joined Shentel in May 2019 as Vice President and Head of Business Operations responsible for Enterprise Program Management, Performance Management and Process Excellence across all business segments. Prior to joining Shentel, Mr. Mason was Head of Install and Repair Operations at Google Fiber. Before that, he held a variety of leadership roles over his 20+ year career with Cincinnati Bell, culminating in Vice President of Field Operations. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Ohio University and has an MBA from Xavier University.

Heather K. Tormey
Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Tormey

Ms. Tormey is Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Shentel. She joined the company in July 2019. Ms. Tormey brings 20+ years of experience in leading and managing strategic HR initiatives to Shentel. Prior to joining Shentel, Ms. Tormey was the Chief Human Resources Officer of American Woodmark, headquartered in Winchester, Virginia. Prior to American Woodmark, Ms. Tormey held numerous HR leadership positions with a variety of organizations across a range of industries, including Carlisle FoodService Products, UTC Aerospace Systems, Goodrich Corporation, Northern Power Systems, and IGT. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Florida State University and a Master of Arts in Industrial Organizational Psychology from the University of New Haven.

Dennis A. Romps
Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer
Dennis Romps
Mr. Romps is Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer for Shentel. He is responsible for all accounting, financial reporting, internal controls, SEC, Sarbanes-Oxley and income tax compliance. Dennis joined the company in July 2021 and has 30 years of progressive accounting and finance experience including six years as Chief Accounting Officer of Continental Building Products, a publicly-traded building materials company, eight years with AT&T (formerly SBC Communications and Ameritech) and four years with Ernst & Young. Dennis is a certified public accountant and earned a B.A. in Accounting from Michigan State University and MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.
Harris E. Duncan
Vice President Network Engineering
Harris Duncan
Mr. Duncan is Vice President Network Engineering at Shentel and is responsible for planning, engineering and construction for the Wireline and Cable Networks. Mr. Duncan joined Shentel in April 2013, to lead the planning and sales support organizations. He was promoted to Director of Network Operations and Engineering in September 2013, and then to Director of Engineering and Planning in February 2017. He began his career with the U.S. Navy in 1989, with various levels of responsibility in the communications field. Prior to joining Shentel he was Director Network Engineering for Lumos Networks. Mr. Duncan is a graduate of Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Matthew B. Estep
Vice President Outside Plant Engineering & Construction
Matt Estep

Mr. Estep is Vice President Outside Plant Engineering & Construction for Shentel. He joined the company in April 2011. He was promoted to Vice President in January 2021. His previous position was Director of Outside Plant Engineering and Construction. He is responsible for all outside plant engineering and construction for all technologies and brands, and across all markets in the Shentel footprint. Prior to joining Shentel, Mr. Estep held several engineering and construction positions at Verizon, most recently serving as Outside Plant Construction Manager. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Bridgewater College.

Christopher S. Kyle
Vice President Industry Affairs and Regulatory
Christopher Kyle

Mr. Kyle serves as Vice President Industry Affairs and Regulatory. He is responsible for negotiating programming agreements and is the primary contact with local, state and federal legislators and regulators. He joined the company in 2003, and has led projects in acquisitions, business development, long-range planning and Shentel Cable marketing and sales. Mr. Kyle began his career in 1994, and has experience in telecommunications, consumer products and investment banking. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Randolph-Macon College and a master’s degree from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, and has held positions at Cable & Wireless, Broadslate and Craigie, Inc. (BB&T).

Jeffrey A. Manning
Vice President Product and Network Strategy
Jeff Manning

Mr. Manning is Vice President Product and Network Strategy for Shentel. He is responsible for developing and managing Shentel’s product roadmap, network strategy and geography, capital and supply chain management as well as engineering and operations data analytics and process improvement. Mr. Manning began his career in telecommunications with Shentel in 1993. He has held various operations and engineering leadership roles. Mr. Manning earned a BS in Organizational and Project Management from Colorado Christian University and a MS in Management, Strategy and Leadership from Michigan State University. He currently serves as Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Great Valleys Chapter of the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers.

Daniel J. Meenan
Vice President Operations
Daniel Meenan

Mr. Meenan is Vice President Operations for Shentel. He is responsible for all operational aspects of Shentel’s networks, including Broadband and Commercial Services and Field Operations. Prior to joining Shentel, he most recently served as Vice President Engineering at nTelos Wireless. He worked for nTelos Wireless from 1995 to 2016, and held numerous leadership positions in engineering, cell site development, operations and sales. Mr. Meenan holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Bucknell University, and has an MBA from Averett University.

Derek C. Rieger
General Counsel, Vice President Legal and Corporate Secretary
Derek Rieger

Mr. Rieger is General Counsel, Vice President Legal and Corporate Secretary for Shentel. He joined Shentel in 2021 and is responsible for all legal and regulatory compliance matters for the Company. He also acts as Corporate Secretary to the Company’s Board of Directors. Mr. Rieger joined Shentel from Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated, one of the world’s largest Business Process Outsourcers, where he most recently served as Vice President of Global Corporate & Operational Compliance. While at Sykes, he built their global compliance management program from the ground up and was an integral member of the business leadership and legal teams. Prior to Skyes, Derek held various leadership legal roles across a number of different businesses and industries. Mr. Rieger holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Villanova University and a Juris Doctorate from Widener University School of Law.

Craig R. Venable
Vice President Commercial Sales
Craig Venable

Mr. Venable is Vice President Commercial Sales, leading all Enterprise and small business sales and sales operations activities for Shentel. He joined Shentel in April 2015. He was promoted to Vice President in June 2019. His previous position was Director of Fiber Sales, responsible for all Enterprise sales and operations. Prior to joining Shentel, Mr. Venable served as Vice President of Business Development at Cartesian and Director of Wholesale Sales at Verizon.  Mr. Venable holds a BBA from James Madison University. Additionally, he served as Board Member and Treasurer for the Shenandoah County Chamber of Commerce from 2017-2020.

Julie S. Wagoner
Vice President Customer Service & Technical Support
Julie S. Wagoner

Mrs. Wagoner is Vice President Customer Service & Technical Support. She is responsible for overseeing Shentel’s Customer Care and Tech Support functions. Julie is a well-tenured veteran of the telecommunications industry, serving over 15 years at nTelos before joining the Shentel team in 2016 as part of the nTelos acquisition. Prior to becoming Vice President in 2021, Julie held the position of Director Customer Service at Shentel. Julie and her team’s efforts have been key contributors to Shentel’s increased favorable NPS scores and growing revenue. She received her Bachelor of Science in Leadership & Organizational Management from Eastern Mennonite University.

Mark C. Watkins
Vice President Marketing
Watkins

Mr. Watkins is Vice President Marketing for Shentel. He joined Shentel in September 2022. Prior to joining Shentel, Mark served as Senior Director of Marketing Strategy for the Central Division of Comcast, where he was responsible for strategic insight for pricing and packaging, competitive strategy, acquisition and base management, as well as helping to develop product strategy. Prior to Comcast, Mark was the Director of Marketing for the Southeast region for Cox Communications, where he was directly responsible for product management of digital video, and voice products. Mark holds a Bachelor of Science from Radford University.

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