My Account has officially launched and is available for customer use. You can now manage your installation and service appointments, troubleshoot your services, upgrade your services without requiring a call, manage your payment options, and more! Click here to register or to log in.
Summit Broadband

CONTACT SALES

Leadership

Gary Gadson

KURT VAN WAGENEN

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Kurt Van Wagenen joined Summit Broadband as Chief Executive Officer in May 2023. With over 30 years of experience, Mr. Van Wagenen is a veteran of the telecommunications industry and brings his background in corporate strategy and integration; engineering and operations; and consumer sales and service. Mr. Van Wagenen leads the company as it continues the strategic expansion of its fiber-optic network into new enterprise, government, education, and residential communities in Florida.

Mr. Van Wagenen has held many leadership positions over the course of his career. Prior to joining Summit Broadband, he was President, CEO, and Board Chair of FirstLight Fiber. Mr. Van Wagenen’s experience also includes serving as President and CEO of FiberTower Corporation and, prior to that, NEON Communications. Mr. Van Wagenen began his career with Verizon, where he was a member of the Management Career Development and General Management Development Leadership programs, holding management positions with increasing responsibility in various functional areas. 

Mr. Van Wagenen has served on several nonprofit Boards, including INCOMPAS, A Better Chance, Pathways to College, and the Gold NorCal Chapter of Young Presidents’ Organization. He also serves on the School of Engineering Leadership Council for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. 

Mr. Van Wagenen is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He also earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.

 

MARK RANKIN

Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Mark Rankin joined Summit Broadband in February 2021. With more than 25 years of accounting and finance experience – 17 years of which has been in the telecommunications industry – Mr. Rankin is responsible for all accounting and audit, tax, fleet, procurement, financial reporting and treasury functions of the company.

Prior to joining Summit Broadband, Mr. Rankin was CFO of Armstrong Telecommunications, where he was responsible for the financial operations of the cable and telephone divisions of the Armstrong Group of Companies. His telecom background includes financial reporting, strategic initiatives, audit, tax, fleet, purchasing and contract negotiations.

Mr. Rankin is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration/Accounting from Slippery Rock University and is a board member of the National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC).

RANDALL COVARD

Vice President, Legal & People Operations

Randall Covard joined Summit Broadband in July 2020. With nearly a decade of legal experience in the telecommunications industry, Mr. Covard advises the company and its stakeholders on all legal matters and oversees its Human Resources functions.

Prior to joining Summit Broadband, Mr. Covard served as legal counsel at FiberLight, LLC, where he was responsible for providing legal advice on a broad range of matters – including corporate governance, commercial transactions, litigation, regulatory compliance and human resources. He also led the legal team during a large-scale network deployment with new fiber construction across several regions of the United States. He negotiated and closed a variety of customer transactions that generated hundreds of millions in revenue.

Mr. Covard earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from John Marshall Law School and also holds a degree in Education from Elizabethtown College.

TYLER WALLIS

Executive Vice President, Residential Services

Tyler Wallis joined Summit Broadband in May of 2022. Mr. Wallis is responsible for Strategy, Sales, Marketing, and Customer Experience for all of Summit’s Residential Services.

Prior to Summit, Mr. Wallis led Sales and Business Operations for Google Fiber’s build out and launch in San Antonio. He has also held senior-level consumer marketing and product roles with Cricket Wireless, Qwest Communications and AT&T.

Mr. Wallis received an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University.

ERNIE HOFFMANN

Executive Vice President, Operations

Ernie Hoffmann assumed the role of Executive Vice President of Operations at Summit Broadband in December 2023, bringing with him a wealth of expertise garnered over 30 years in leadership positions within operations and engineering in the telecommunications industry. In his current role, Mr. Hoffmann spearheads the operations organization, overseeing the installation, maintenance, and repair of all network assets throughout Florida. This encompasses key areas such as Construction, Field Services, Project Management, Logistics, and the Network Operations Center.

Mr. Hoffmann has held several notable leadership positions, showcasing his proficiency in navigating the complexities of the telecommunications landscape. Prior to joining Summit Broadband, he served as the Senior Vice President of Operations and Fulfillment at FiberLight. His tenure also includes a role as Vice President of Service Delivery and Fulfillment at Lightpath and as Senior Vice President of Engineering and Operations at FiberNet Telecom Group.

Mr. Hoffmann’s academic background includes a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Boston University and a Master of Science in Telecommunications and Computing Management from Polytechnic Institute of New York University.