Frontier (NYSE: FTR) is adding another player to its bullpen by appointing Dana Waldo as its new VP and General Manager for West Virginia.
A veteran of American Electric Company's largest operating unit Appalachian Power Company, Waldo will lead Frontier's operations, oversee broadband deployment and ensure customer happiness, in what became one of the telco's biggest states after it wrapped its acquisition of Verizon's (NYSE: VZ) lines in 14 states.
Under Frontier's "local engagement model," one that it says maintains decision making at the local level near the customer, eight general managers that oversee nine of Frontier's West Va. areas will report to Waldo. Waldo will report to Ken Arndt, President of Frontier's Southeast Region, comprising West Virginia, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
"Dana has proven ability in leading and improving operations and in building long-term personal and business relationships. Above all, he has an unwavering commitment to West Virginia," said Arndt in a release. "Since 1993, he has lived and worked here and contributed to it on every level. He believes in the value Frontier brings to West Virginia and I am confident he will help the New Frontier succeed."
Off the bat, Waldo has a full plate. He'll have to not only ensure the transfer of Verizon's lines to its own systems and its ambitious initiative to extend 3 Mbps minimum broadband speeds to its rural customer base is done with minimal issues.
But the post comes with a number of challenges that will test the crisis solving skills Waldo gained during his 25-year tenure at Appalachian. One of the main challenges that Waldo will face president of Frontier's West Va. region will be his ability to resolve issues on the network that were caused by years of neglect by previous owner Verizon. And the neglect is showing: Since switching over from Verizon's systems to its own, Frontier's West Va. wholesale service customers such as FiberNet Communications have complained that their trouble tickets aren't being resolved in a timely fashion.
In addition to rectifying network issues, Waldo will also have to win over Communications Workers of America (CWA) union, who are already unhappy about the company's mandated overtime policy and establishing itself as the state's largest service provider.
For more:
- see the release here
- Charleston Daily Mail also has this story
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