As I sit here and reflect on all the changes and the opportunities that 2022 has brought to Whitepaw, I also look to the future and am beyond excited to see what is in store for Whitepaw.
2022 was a year of changes. Whitepaw changed their ownership structure, bringing on board AcenTek as a fourth owner. With this, we grew our subscriber base significantly as AcenTek was able to turn down their headend, allowing Whitepaw to manage that part of their business. We also welcomed Ethan Webinger, AcenTek’s Chief Operating Officer as a new, and fourth, Whitepaw Board of Director.
Whitepaw also celebrated a retirement from one of the original founders of Whitepaw, Rod Olson. Rod served as Vernon Communications’ Chief Executive Officer for 23 years and was instrumental in bringing to life the vision of Whitepaw in 2008. Whitepaw thanks him for his commitment to Whitepaw and the Telco industry.
Given Rod’s retirement, Whitepaw owner, Midwest TelNet nominated a new Board Director to represent them, Jim Costello. Whitepaw welcomes Jim to the Board and looks forward to working with him as we navigate through the times ahead and set priorities to meet our member’s needs.
In 2022, we also signed on six new affiliate members. SIX! We welcome you to the Whitepaw membership and look forward to serving you with television offerings today, and well into the future.
Two of these six affiliates are subscribers to our fully hosted and managed video solution offered through Whitepaw and Innovative Systems. The four other affiliates have opted for another design requiring equipment housed on the edge.
One of our key takeaways from the last few years is that one sure thing about this industry is change, and the key for success is to adapt.
Do you already subscribe to our newsletter? Do you follow our new Whitepaw page on LinkedIn? If so, you likely have noticed that these are new avenues for Whitepaw to further their outreach. Creating content and advertising who we are as a team, as employees, and as a partner in the industry has been rewarding and well accepted.
Another takeaway from 2022 was attending and showcasing conferences throughout the year. Whitepaw attended shows that supported its existing membership, as well as shows that lead us to prospects and opportunities for growth. Whitepaw looks forward to continuing the roadshow going forward as we recognize the importance of building, nurturing, and creating relationships. We thank you all for the opportunity in getting to know each one of you.
We would also like to take this opportunity to reflect on an upcoming retirement for Marty Snustead. Marty has served as the Whitepaw Executive Director since its inception in 2008. Marty’s hard work, dedication, and vision for Whitepaw has set the organization up for the success we hope to see it reap in years to come. Marty has been in the industry for over 40 years, and the wealth of knowledge and experience he brought to the table does not go unrecognized. Marty, we thank you for your years of service to Whitepaw and this industry.
Given Marty’s retirement, the Board of Directors has decided to promote me, the current Operations Manager into the Executive Director role. To say that I am humbled, grateful and beyond excited for this opportunity would be an understatement. To reflect on where my career started in 2005 with Vernon Communications, to where it is today amazes me. After graduating with a Finance Degree from UW-La Crosse, I had no idea that I would be in this industry, yet here I am; and I can say that I never want to leave it! I thank the Board of Directors, past and present, the programmers, the affiliate members, the staff, and others for their support in the past and moving forward, knowing that it takes a village! Though our team is small, we are dedicated, and I cannot wait for Cory Mosier, Justin Beaman and myself to seek and learn of opportunities to meet member’s needs, while also meeting and maintaining a quality television service that is proven and trusted to meet your, and your subscriber’s needs.
Watch for our upcoming blog articles, where we plan to share what we have in store for 2023! You will not want to miss it, so I suggest you subscribe to our newsletter here.
Cheers to 2022 and to 2023 friends – may you all have a joyous and wonderful Holiday Season, filled with making memories with those you love!
