NECA Officers

Bill Hegmann  |  Regina McNeil  |  Peter A. Dunbar  

Bill Hegmann became NECA's president and CEO in July 2004. He serves on the NECA Board and was its chairman in 2004. 

Hegmann served as general manager of Southwest Arkansas Telephone Cooperative in Texarkana, Arkansas. He began his telephony career with Continental Telephone in 1967. Hegmann is skilled in many areas including engineering, outside plant, central office, traffic, commercial, management and legal. 

Hegmann has a bachelor’s degree from Arkansas Tech University and a law degree from the University of Arkansas. Specialized courses include: USTA Cost Separations, FCC First Class License, numerous telecommunications legal seminars, AMEDD Officer Advanced Course, and Command & General Staff College. 

He currently serves or has served on many industry boards, including: 

• NTCA – former president
• Rural Telephone Finance Cooperative - former chairman
• National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative - former chairman
• Arkansas Telecommunications Association - former president
• Communications Supply Service Association
• Red River Cellular – president
• National Bank – former chairman 

Hegmann is a practicing attorney and a member of the American, Arkansas and Texas Bar Associations. He is also a member of the Texas Telephone Association and Texas Statewide Telephone Cooperative, Inc.

Hegmann has won the ATA President’s Award four times, the NTCA Life Achievement Award, the American Jurisprudence Award and NTCA Management Life Achievement Award. He serves on the executive board of the Boy Scouts of America and is the recipient of their Eagle Scout and Silver Beaver Awards. Hegmann retired as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve.       

Senior Vice President, Chief of Staff, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary Regina McNeil oversees: tariff filing and administration, pooling, settlements and industry relations; universal service program support; legal, regulatory and board matters; and corporate governance, government relations, human resources and web communications. She joined NECA in 1996. 

McNeil started her career as an economist for the U.S. Department of Labor. She worked in West Germany in information systems management for the U.S. Department of Defense. She later practiced law in a private firm prior to joining NECA. 

McNeil holds a bachelor’s degree from Fordham University in economics, a master’s degree from Northeastern University in economics, a JD from Georgia State University and an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Information Officer  Peter A. Dunbar is responsible for: the systems and procedures used to collect and distribute access tariff revenues on behalf of all NECA member companies; budgeting and financial reporting for all corporate economic activity; overall management of bank relationships, investments and risk management; and information technologies. He joined NECA in 1998 as Director of Financial Operations.

Prior to coming to NECA, Dunbar was Subsidiary Controller for Foster Wheeler Corporation, an internationally renowned engineering and construction company providing services and products to a broad range of industries. He began his career with Coopers & Lybrand, rising to General Practice Manager.

Dunbar received his Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Manhattan College and is a Certified Public Accountant. He also holds professional membership status with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.