Our Team - Consortia

MEET OUR TEAM

Marlene Bennett

Executive Vice President

Marlene Bennett

Executive Vice President

Marlene serves as the Executive Vice President and is a member of Consortia’s Board of Directors. She joined Consortia in 2011 and has worked with rural broadband providers since 1995. Marlene has administered a state access pooling association and worked with rate development, tariff preparation, FCC, USAC and NECA filings, state and interstate cost studies, as well as overall compliance matters and concerns. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, with emphasis in Accounting, from Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota. Marlene works in our Mitchell office.

Dan Caldwell

President

Dan Caldwell

President

As President and a member of Consortia’s Board of Directors, Dan works to identify, employ and deliver the highest quality consulting resources to the company's clients and continually evaluates opportunities for corporate growth and service improvement. Dan is frequently a speaker at industry meetings and often facilitates strategic planning sessions with Consortia’s clients and their boards. Before joining Consortia in 2001, Dan was Vice President of Finance for the Southeast Region of ALLTEL and, prior to the Aliant Communications/ALLTEL merger, spent 20 managing various accounting functions for Aliant. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and is a member of the American Institute of CPAs.

Rich Coit

Consultant - Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy

Rich Coit

Consultant - Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy

Rich joined Consortia in 2021 with over 30 years working in the telecommunications industry. Rich has experience with state Public Utilities Commissions, state legislature, state agencies and the Federal Communications Commission. Rich has also been very active at the national level representing rural telecommunications carrier interests. Before joining Consortia, Rich worked for a state telecommunications association, as regulatory counsel for a regional long-distance company and as a staff attorney for the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission. His primary focus with Consortia is to assist clients on state and federal regulatory compliance, advising and assisting clients with their advocacy efforts on legislative and regulatory issues, the preparation and filing of broadband related grant applications, and assisting clients with preparation and filing of cybersecurity and supply chain risk management plans. Rich works in our Lincoln office.

Dan Davis

Director - Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy

Dan Davis

Director - Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy

Dan Davis has been in the telecommunications industry since 1985 and joined the company in 2001. Dan serves on Consortia’s Board of Directors and leads the company's Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy Team with his areas of expertise including company financial valuations and property acquisitions, the FCC Broadband Data collection process, cybersecurity requirements and cybersecurity plans, federal and state universal service fund policy, comment and petition filings at the FCC, federal policies including TDM to IP migration, STIR/SHAKEN and Robocall Mitigation, and interconnection rules and regulations. In addition, he testifies at hearings regarding universal service policy. Dan assists clients with market expansion analysis as well as video services analysis to assist with decisions on whether to exit the video/cable market. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in business and a Master of Arts degree in finance from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Dan works in our Lincoln office.

Jill DeJong

Manager - Regulatory Compliance and Training

Jill DeJong

Manager - Regulatory Compliance and Training

Jill became a valued member of the Consortia team in May 2020. As the leader of the Regulatory Compliance and Training Team, she collaborates closely with clients to ensure both regulatory compliance and operational efficiency. Prior to joining Consortia, Jill spent over 13 years in the background check industry, where she gained extensive experience interpreting state and federal laws, reviewing client documents, and preparing analytical reports. At Consortia, Jill specializes in managing Universal Service Fund Programs for clients and provides expertise in various regulatory compliance areas, including HUBB Reporting, Performance Testing, and 499A and 499Q filings. She is based in our Mitchell office.

Mallory DeVol

Consultant - Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy

Mallory DeVol

Consultant - Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy

As a member of Consortia’s Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy Team, Mallory’s areas of expertise include Broadband Data Collection, the RUS ReConnect Program, FCC Broadband Labels, Annual 911 Reliability Certification, and CAF-ICC filings. Mallory has previously worked on Consortia’s Financial Solutions Team and worked on the preparation of cost studies for Consortia’s clients. Having started with Consortia’s Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy Team in 2012, Mallory also has experience analyzing FCC and state commission orders and their potential impact on Consortia’s clients. Mallory holds a Master of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Nebraska with a concentration in Econometrics and Industrial Organization. Mallory has her Bachelor of Science from Doane University where she majored in Mathematics and minored in Economics and Business Administration. Mallory works in Parker, Colorado.

Bill Goodman IV

Consultant - Financial Solutions

Bill Goodman IV

Consultant - Financial Solutions

Bill joined Consortia’s Financial Solutions Team in 2020 after working in the medical and beverage gas industry where he provided customer service, managed the billing department and was responsible for regulatory compliance. Bill assists Consortia's clients with cost studies, continuing property records and interstate NECA filings. Bill works with average schedule to cost impact analyses and determines the financial implications of plant maintenance, upgrades and investments. In his free time, Bill enjoys following his favorite sports’ teams and spending time with family. Bill graduated from the University of Nebraska – Omaha, with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, and works in our Omaha office.

Lexie Hagle

Consultant - Regulatory Compliance and Training

Lexie Hagle

Consultant - Regulatory Compliance and Training

Lexie joined Consortia in 2023 with over 12 years working in the telecom industry and more than 20 years’ experience in customer service. Lexie is a member of the Regulatory Compliance and Training Team assisting clients with CPNI, Broadband Labels, Schools & Libraries (E-Rate), Rural Health Care, Reassigned Number Database reporting, Form 499 filings and other regulatory compliance work. She has training and education from the University of Phoenix and Iowa Western Community College. Lexie works in Harlan, Iowa.

Renee Knoop

Consultant - Regulatory Compliance and Training

Renee Knoop

Consultant - Regulatory Compliance and Training

Renee joined Consortia’s Regulatory Compliance and Training Team in 2020. Renee has been in the rural telecom and broadband industry in Iowa for more than 30 years. Renee began her career in northern Iowa ultimately serving as Vice President of Operations for an independent telco. In that role, she was instrumental in setting up voice switching services for a neighboring municipal telecommunications utility. Later, Renee led Business Operations for another ILEC in Iowa and, most recently, served as the Manager of Business Operations for Aureon in West Des Moines. Her depth and unique skillset bring a host of services to the clients and related industry associations. Renee works in Johnston, Iowa.

Edit Kranner

Consultant - Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy

Edit Kranner

Consultant - Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy

A member of the Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy Team, Edit has extensive experience in economic research and analysis, including econometric forecasting, survey research and marketing local economies. She works with our clients to prepare comments, testimony and ex-parte presentations regarding economic models that are used for determination of Universal Service funding at both the federal and state levels. Prior to joining Consortia in 2007, she taught Economics courses at the University of Nebraska. Previously, as the Director of the Business Information Center in Lexington, Kentucky, Edit worked in economic development conducting studies regarding the local economy. Edit holds a Master’s degree from West Virginia University. Edit works in our Lincoln office.

Chana Kubie

CEO

Chana Kubie

CEO

Chana serves as Consortia’s CEO and is on Consortia’s Board of Directors. With Chana’s experience in the industry, her focus is on client service, business development, and commitment to the vision and strategic direction of the company. Chana currently serves on NECA’s Cost Issues Task Group (CITG). Chana has been in the industry since 1997 and previously served as the team leader for Consortia’s Financial Solutions Team. Prior to joining Consortia in 2009, Chana managed the CABS Revenue Assurance Team of a telecommunications billing services provider for 12 years. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree with an emphasis in Accounting and Finance from Dana College in Blair, Nebraska. Chana works in our Omaha office.

Ryan Massey

Manager - Financial Solutions

Ryan Massey

Manager - Financial Solutions

Ryan joined the Consortia team in 2013 and currently leads the Financial Solutions Team, where he supports clients with cost studies, continuing property records, and interstate NECA filings. Additionally, Ryan plays a key role in conducting average schedule-to-cost impact analyses and collaborates with clients on the timing and financial implications of plant maintenance, upgrades, and investments. Ryan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Iowa State University and works in our Omaha office.

Aaron Scheen

Consultant - Financial Solutions

Aaron Scheen

Consultant - Financial Solutions

Aaron joined Consortia’s Financial Solutions Team in 2022 after working as an associate accountant in the consumer finance and educational loan business. Aaron works with Consortia clients and assists with cost study filings, maintaining continuing property records, analyzing average schedule to cost business decisions and reviewing various financial effects of plant maintenance and upgrades. Aaron holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, with a minor in Economics and History, from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Aaron works in our Omaha office.

Deb Thelen

Accounting and Administrative Support

Deb Thelen

Accounting and Administrative Support

Deb joined Consortia in 2012 after an 11-year career as a carrier revenue consultant for a telecommunications consulting, engineering and billing services provider. Prior to that, Deb worked for an electric cooperative in Mitchell, SD, as an accountant. She has experience working with a state access pooling association and a statewide regulatory and legislative advocacy association handling day-to-day payables and receivables, preparing financial statements and handling other operational items. Her experience includes preparing Form 499s, switch polling, traffic separation matrixes, traffic studies, developing tariffs, filing tariff revisions and assisting companies to update subscriber information in the 911 database.

Deb is a member of our Administrative Team and is responsible for accounts payable, accounts receivable and oversees the preparation of monthly client invoices. Deb also manages Consortia’s IT needs and provides internal network assistance. Deb works in our Mitchell office.

Jill Thornton

Consultant - Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy

Jill Thornton

Consultant - Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy

With over 25 years of industry consulting experience, Jill’s focus is on new business development, creating strategic partnerships and assisting clients with expanding broadband networks. She joined Consortia in 2004, after assisting with many competitive local exchange startups and managing regulatory and compliance services for Iowa municipal utilities. Jill works with independent companies, cooperatives, municipalities, and RECs, helping with business analysis, contract negotiations, interconnection agreements, operational challenges, regulatory compliance, grant applications, resource sharing and business opportunities. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree with emphasis in Business Law Studies from Morningside University in Sioux City, Iowa. Jill serves on Consortia’s Board of Directors and works in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Trisha Weber

Consultant - Regulatory Compliance and Training

Trisha Weber

Consultant - Regulatory Compliance and Training

Trisha joined Consortia’s Regulatory Compliance and Training Team in September 2022. Before joining Consortia, Trisha worked in the banking industry and brings with her experience in various roles including personal banking, accounting, administration and training. Trisha provides training that Consortia clients request and assists them with developing customer service training. Trisha is a graduate of the Mitchell Technical Institute and works in our Mitchell office.

Becky Zens

Accounting and Administrative Support

Becky Zens

Accounting and Administrative Support

Becky joined Consortia Consulting in 2022 and is part of Consortia’s administrative support team. Becky works on client billing and other internal accounting and support functions. Before joining Consortia, Becky served in the business and banking industries for nearly 30 years. She is a graduate of Alexandria Technical College where she received as AAS degree in Finance and Credit Management. Becky works in our Mitchell office.

MEET OUR TEAM

Marlene Bennett

Dan Caldwell

Rich Coit

Dan Davis

Jill DeJong

Mallory DeVol

Bill Goodman IV

Lexie Hagle

Renee Knoop

Edit Kranner

Chana Kubie

Ryan Massey

Aaron Scheen

Deb Thelen

Jill Thornton

Trisha Weber

Becky Zens

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