CAMARILLO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GeoLinks, the fastest growing telecommunications company in California, today announced that Rachelle Chong, a former Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, and Richard Wolpert, a pioneer in the fields of software development, technology, consumer digital media and entertainment, have been named Board Advisors, effective immediately.
“We are extremely fortunate to have Rachelle and Richard join us as Advisors as we move GeoLinks forward,” said Skyler Ditchfield, Co-Founder and CEO of GeoLinks. “Rachelle’s extensive knowledge and skill in the broadband space and Richard’s track record of success and innovation will add depth and breadth to our Board. Their expertise, combined with that of our current Board members and Advisors, will be extremely valuable as we strategically grow the company.”
Ms. Chong said, "It's a great honor to be invited to join GeoLinks as a Board Advisor. The company leadership has tremendous vision and dedication to service to rural residents and anchor institutions like schools and libraries."
"I am excited to bring my experience, relationships, and strategic background to be working with Skyler Ditchfield and the entire GeoLinks executive team as an advisor as they build upon their rapid growth and continue to innovate the telecom space," said Mr. Wolpert.
Ms. Chong is a nationally known regulatory expert in the communications, energy and transportation arena, having served as a Commissioner of both the Federal Communications Commission (1994-1999) and the California Public Utilities Commission (2006-2009). A career regulatory lawyer, she has served as general counsel to two start-ups, Broadband Office and Sidecar, as Special Counsel to the State CIO, in addition to serving as a law partner at the international law firms of Graham & James (San Francisco) and Coudert Brothers (San Francisco). Ms. Chong has also served on various corporate boards, including Authorize.net, Corsair, and pdvWireless (now Anterix), and has served on non-profit organization boards including Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area, The California Foundation for the Environment and the Economy, and the Legal Services Trust Fund. She currently serves on the T-Mobile External Diversity and Inclusion Council.
Mr. Wolpert has been a pioneer in the fields of software development, technology, consumer digital media and entertainment for more than 30 years. He is a successful four-time founder/CEO with three exits to Adobe, Wherehouse Music and Real Networks. His fourth company, HelloTech, has become the go-to provider for tech support and smart home installation. He is a seasoned executive, having held roles as President of Disney Online (1995-1998) and Chief Strategy Officer for RealNetworks (2003-2007).
Mr. Wolpert is responsible for many “firsts” throughout his career including conceiving of and teaching the first Macintosh Programming Class at Stanford University (CS 193C), the first multi-user address book for the Macintosh (TouchBase), the first kids internet subscription service (Disney’s Daily Blast), the first Tivo-like product for Internet Radio (BitBopTuner), the first legitimate music subscription service for the Internet (MusicNet), and the first legitimate online movie subscription service (Starz! On Demand). He successfully negotiated groundbreaking deals with several of the major media companies whose content became the basis for many of these products. Mr. Wolpert is the author of the book The Soul of A Deal.
Mr. Wolpert is a member of the Board of UCLA School of Theater Film and Television, a member of the Board of Governors of Cedars Sinai Hospital, a longtime Board Member and previous President of Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America, Founder of CCFA’s Camp Oasis and a Trustee of The Grayson Wolpert Memorial Fund.
GeoLinks Board Members include Skyler Ditchfield, Co-Founder and CEO, GeoLinks; Ryan Adams, President and COO, GeoLinks; Ryan Hauf, CTO, GeoLinks; Tom Krause, Ph.D., innovator, entrepreneur and consultant and Chairman of the Board, GeoLinks; and David Stonehill, Founder, Managing Partner, Rock Mountain Capital.
Board Advisors include Louis Fox, President & CEO of the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC), and Van E. Snowdon, esteemed wireless telecom and technology industry executive. Mr. Fox is President & CEO of CENIC, a non-profit corporation that provides broadband networks for education, libraries, university medical centers, centers for the arts, and research in California. Over 12,000 institutions connect to the CENIC network. Mr. Snowdon has 40 years of experience in developing and operating domestic and international emerging wireless telecom and technology businesses. He has participated in over $2 billion of global equity and debt transactions.
GeoLinks
GeoLinks is one of the nation’s leading telecommunications companies, nationally recognized for its innovative Internet and Hosted Voice solutions. Headquartered in Southern California and ranked on Inc. Magazine’s Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in America three-years running, GeoLinks delivers Enterprise-Grade Internet, Digital Voice, SD-WAN, Cloud On-ramping, Layer 2 Transport, and both Public and Private Turnkey Network Construction expertly tailored for businesses and Anchor Institutions nationwide. More information on the company can be found at www.GeoLinks.com.
