Kirk Lehman is CEO and EVP of RTC Communications, serving 4,500+ premise locations in three counties in southern Indiana with over 20 years of communication experience. As CEO, Lehman is responsible for the overall leadership, management, strategy, and financial success of a leading southern Indiana communications cooperative.

Lehman is an experienced leader who began his communications career as a commercial call center representative. This hands‐on dedication to quality customer service laid the foundation for Lehman’s success within the industry. Progressing, assuming, and increasing responsibility as Alternate Channel Manager, Account Executive, General Manager, and Director of Operations at a Fortune 500 communications company, Lehman has proved himself as an effective manager and leader. Lehman managed $200+ million in annual revenue, teams of 24 to 400 people, and service areas covering multiple counties in southern Indiana to 33 exchanges spanning across Indiana with more than 140,000 customers. With a vision to move the company from its dependency on subsidies, the board of directors selected Lehman from a large candidate pool to lead RTC Communications as its CEO.

In a compressed timeframe, Lehman conceived and managed a complete rebranding of a telco, launched a sales and marketing department, launched a commercial division, secured $15 million in funding for CLEC expansion, and reduced reliance on subsidized revenue. The CLEC expansion accounts for an additional 5,500 residential premise locations and 500 commercial locations.

Lehman consistently performs in the top 10% of his peers with a leadership style focused on operational proficiency, employee relations, community relations, competition, and customer ownership. He successfully navigates challenging political environments, as evidenced through the negotiation of multi‐million‐dollar public/private network partnerships. Lehman is recognized for fostering innovation and working cross‐functionally to drive performance and deliver results through employee motivation, customer retention and growth, and community involvement. Because of his leadership style, skill sets, and accomplishments, NTCA recently named Lehman their 2019 Management Innovation Excellence Award winner.

Lehman is a believer in life‐long learning on a personal and professional level including, successful completion of the Frontier GM Certification Program, Leadership in Action, Advanced‐Data Application, Wireless Data Application, DSL Applications, and Overview, Overcoming Objection, Top‐Down Selling, Nortel Networks Training (Key Systems, BCM, PBX), 2000, Frontier Communications (Telephony, Windows98).

Lehman has always had an affinity for public and community service, as evidenced by his service in the United States Army. Other activities include election to the New Prague Police Commission, New Prague Planning Commission, and Scott County Board of Advisors Government Re- Organizational Committee. Lehman takes pride in his participation in the New Prague Rotary, Chicago Lakes Chamber, Wyoming Area Business Association‐Ely Chamber, Two Harbors Chamber‐International Falls Chamber, and the Milaca Chamber‐Garrison Commercial Club, to name a few.

On a personal level, Lehman enjoys the out‐of‐doors, including boating and fishing, coupled with spending quality time with his blended family.