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COLUMBUS—Ron Walters has informed the PANGAEA Board of Directors of his decision to retire as CEO at the close of 2024. 

With a distinguished career spanning more than 41 years in the telecommunications and internet sectors, Walters held key executive management roles in both large and small companies throughout the U.S. For the past 18 years, he led PANGAEA as CEO, hiring outstanding staff and steering the company through significant growth and innovation.

Under Walter’s leadership, PANGAEA successfully partnered with dozens of community-focused organizations and leaders to realize its nonprofit mission of enhancing economic development, improving the quality of life, serving underserved areas, and positioning itself for further expansion.

During his tenure, the company expanded and diversified its fiber internet service offerings by building almost 1,000 miles of fiber and providing service to thousands of locations in Rutherford and Polk counties, and grew revenue to $2M annually. More than $6M in grant awards was received to build its state-of-the-art network and connect customers.

Walters fostered a team-oriented corporate culture emphasizing communications, community focus, customer service, and employee development and engagement. 

“It has been an honor to build this team and lead PANGAEA through a period of remarkable transformation and growth,” Walters said. “I am immensely proud of what we have achieved together and very confident in the future growth and innovation of the company.”

PANGAEA Internet also announced the promotion of Ken Griffin to Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2025. With more than 30 years of experience in information technology and management, he has been an integral part of the PANGAEA team since 2015. Most recently, Griffin served as PANGAEA’s Senior Network Operations and Sales Director, where he played a pivotal role in the company’s technical strategy and operational growth. His diverse skill set, technical expertise, and leadership qualities make him the ideal choice to lead PANGAEA as it continues to evolve and succeed in a rapidly changing industry.

Griffin holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of North Carolina at Asheville and lives in Tryon with his wife and daughter.

 “I am both honored and excited to take on the role of CEO at PANGAEA Internet,” said Griffin. “The company has always had a strong foundation built on providing exceptional fiber internet solutions to our community and partners, and I look forward to leading our talented team as we continue to innovate and expand our services. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of excellence in everything we do, and I am excited for what the future holds.”

Jim Edwards, Chairman of the Board, noted that Walters guided PANGAEA through crucial steps in its growth.

“His industry experience, commitment to community service, and dedication to PANGAEA’s mission have made his leadership the key to success,” said Edwards. “Ken’s extensive background in IT and his proven leadership in previous roles have equipped him to take PANGAEA Internet to the next level. We are confident that under Ken’s leadership, the company will continue to thrive and provide innovative solutions to our partners while maintaining a strong commitment to excellence.”

PANGAEA also announced the well-deserved promotions of Rick Mason to Chief Financial Officer and Director of Business Operations, Dana Conner to Network Engineer & Project Coordinator, and Carolyn Whitehead to Manager of Business Operations.

PANGAEA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing affordable and reliable connectivity and services in our region. For more information, visit www.pangaea.us.

 

Submitted by Carolyn Whitehead