Leadership Team

Taanya French

The City of Albany Telecom began its journey in the fiber business in the early 2000s by
providing fiber and internet services to the local school system.  Since then, the
fiber footprint has expanded to over 300 miles across 5 counties.  Telecom has
grown to over 1800 services sold, including broadband, colocation, Ethernet,
telephony, and dark fiber.

After a career in Law Enforcement, Taanya joined the City of Albany team in 2015 as
an IT Analyst in the Technology & Communications Department.  Due to her work
ethic, in just over a year, she was selected to lead the Telecom Department. As
Telecom Manager, she is responsible for the day-to-day operations, developing and
maintaining stakeholder relationships, and executing strategies for continued
growth.  She leads a team responsible for the installation, administration
(provisioning), and maintenance surrounding Telecom’s network.  Telecom prides
itself on and is committed to providing excellent customer service.

Taanya is a vocal and natural leader committed to process improvement,
documentation, and standardization.  With her effective project management
mindset, she has led and successfully completed numerous projects, including a
data center relocation, a multi-facility network upgrade, and, most recently, the
relocation of approximately seven miles of overhead fiber infrastructure
underground in downtown Albany, Georgia. Her dedication to excellence and
passion for creating positive change continue to move the City of Albany forward.

JOHN STANFORD

John Stanford is President at SynchroNet Incorporated. He has been with SynchroNet for over 23 years and possesses a wealth of experience in the carrier and broadband arena. SynchroNet provides installation, testing, and engineering services for a variety of telecommunications and data networking equipment to major carriers, data centers, and telephone companies in the US. SynchroNet is currently expanding its service portfolio to offer a full turnkey package for customers that are interested in expanding their broadband networks or initiating a broadband deployment.

Michael Lamar

Michael Lamar serves as Carrier Account Executive with Southern Telecom. Lamar is responsible for new client acquisition and management of clients in the telecom carrier, content provider, and large enterprise categories.

Lamar is experienced in telecom sales. He brings a concentration of knowledge in the development of fiber service routes and fiber network expansion projects to his position. Lamar is also skilled in PON, VoIP and MPLS network solutions. He has expertise in serving government, healthcare, and automotive sectors as well.

PHILIP FOSTER

Ringgold Telephone Company was established in 1912. They have continued to grow and provide quality services to their community and service area in northwest Georgia. They offer broadband services through their fiber-optic network. Additionally, they offer other services such as security and high-speed broadband for both business and residential customers.

Philip joined Ringgold in 2001. He has experience in several areas of the company including Central Office switching, IP delivery, video, and transport networks. He provides important leadership to Ringgold today in the management of their Carrier relationships, dark fiber solutions, and a number of other areas to drive success for Ringgold Telephone.

Philip is active in his community and church activities.

Philip received his BS in Organizational Management from Bryan College and his MBA in Business from Bryan College.

HAROLD SPARROW

Harold Sparrow is the Broadband Manager for Columbia County, Georgia, a position he has held since July 2019. Prior to this, he served as the US Army’s First Corps Communications Defense Attaché, covering Japan, South Korea, and Australia, where he coordinated cyber, enterprise, and tactical networks for both real-world missions and training exercises. Harold’s earlier career included managing a 1,000-mile communications network in Kandahar, Afghanistan, where he oversaw fiber optic, microwave, and satellite services supporting critical facilities such as a regional hospital, an international airport, and Kandahar Air Base. He played a key role in establishing new forward operating bases, integrating the 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, and advising senior military leaders on cyber, network, and space strategies in Southwest Asia.
 
Before these roles, Harold was the Noncommissioned Officer in Charge of the US Army Cyber Center of Excellence’s New Systems Integration, where he managed the Strategic and Tactical Networks program, including budget oversight and resource management for new Army systems. He also contributed to the development of the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) user interface, upgraded the National Broadcast System for the Department of Defense, and created training materials for various cyber operations programs. Harold holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, specializing in Information Security and Assurance. Outside of his professional work, he is committed to charitable causes, including supporting the Special Olympics and the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, which raises awareness for men’s mental health and prostate cancer research.

GLEN WOOD

The Pierce Group is a professional facilitation company. Using our network of contacts, over 20 years of industry experience, and sales experience The Pierce Group is able to take on the projects that need expertise and focus for completion that will support in delivery desired results.

Glen has past experience with several leading communication equipment and services provides. He also has worked with start-up companies that has focused on new technology in the smart grid area.

Glen has a BA from the University of Georgia.

DONNA UNGER

Donna Unger is the General Manager of NGN Fiber, a Point Broadband Company. She is responsible for NGN Fiber Carrier Sales, Sales Engineering, Business Development, Marketing, ERate, Regulatory, and Tier 2 Technical Support, she is critical to the development and management of new product solutions. Donna joined NGN in 2012 and has been integral to the growth and success of the company. Prior to joining NGN, she served as Corporate Development Specialist for Habersham EMC. In this position, she oversaw the cooperative’s management coaching, process management, and continuous improvement efforts.

Donna has over 30 years of experience in project and process management. She is a certified Lean Systems and Six Sigma Green Belt, and is currently working on her Black Belt. She also has extensive experience with event planning, a skillset that she puts to good use as Event Director for the Fiber Network Owners Alliance (FNA). Her passion for hosting events is critical for both NGN and the FNA group. Under her leadership, the Annual FNA Conference, year after year, has been a success for both FNA members and vendors.