Whippany, NJ - January 7, 2004 –The National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA) Board of Directors today elected Bill Hegmann, General Manager of the Southwest Arkansas Telephone Cooperative in Texarkana, Arkansas Board Chairman. Tim Dupic, General Manager of the Toledo Telephone Company in Toledo, Washington was re-elected Vice Chairman. The NECA Board of Directors has 15 members—ten directors represent three membership divisions and five represent all members (outside directors). 

Federal Communications Commission Rules establish Board size and representative groupings. The groupings are Subset 1 (Bell Operating Companies—two representatives); Subset 2  (Other telcos with revenues of $40 million or more—two representatives); Subset 3 (All remaining telcos—six representatives); Outside Directors (Non-telco Directors representing all subsets—five representatives). Each subset nominates and elects its own representatives.  Outside Directors are elected by the entire membership.

Mr. Hegmann, a member of the board since January 2002 and a thirty-year veteran of the telecommunications industry represents Subset 3.  In addition to his NECA service Hegmann is vice president of the Rural Telephone Finance Corporation (RTFC), serves as a director of the Arkansas Telecommunications Association, and as a director of the Western Telecommunications Alliance.

Mr. Dupic, a member of the board since 1998 also represents Subset 3.  He is a member of the USTA Board of Directors and serves on its Telecom Policy Committee.