Diamond State Networks Names Doug Maglothin CEO

Doug Maglothin, CEO of Diamond State Networks

Diamond State Networks, the electric cooperatives-led wholesale broadband provider looking to cover 72 of Arkansas’ 75 counties with 50,000 miles of fiber lines, announced Wednesday that it hired Doug Maglothin as its new chief executive officer in January.

Maglothin was previously partner and chief strategy officer for Leverage Broadband Strategies, a telecommunications consulting firm that Diamond State says provided crucial executive management services in the network’s formation starting in 2018.

Diamond State Networks made the CEO announcement in a news release, saying Maglothin “brings a wealth of telecommunications experience and a passion for positive growth of internet connectivity for the state of Arkansas.”

Arkansas’ electric cooperatives have provisioned Diamond State Networks with a $1.8 billion investment in fiber infrastructure.

Mitchell Johnson, president and CEO of Ozarks Electric Cooperative of Fayetteville and co-chair of Diamond State’s board of directors, praised Maglothin for his leadership. “His extensive knowledge in the telecommunications industry and strategic business development skills will ensure further progress in the broadband space in Arkansas,” Johnson said in the release.

Maglothin has nearly two decades of experience in the industry and was a key facilitator in the partnership between the 13 electric cooperatives that make up Diamond State Networks, the company said. The network is uniting the fiber-optic networks of member cooperatives across the state.

In the release, Maglothin said he was grateful to take the CEO position.

“Leverage Broadband Strategies and Diamond State Networks are companies which are both very close to my heart,” he said. “The growth that we have seen at Leverage is tremendous, and I appreciate every day the value that our customers gain through our expert resources. Diamond State and the cooperatives are making the largest collective fiber broadband investment in the history of our state, and being asked to help in leading a centerpiece of that mission is the honor of a lifetime for me.”

Maglothin has an executive MBA and master’s in information systems from the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. He also holds a B.S. in marketing management from Western Governors University in Salt Lake City. Maglothin will remain a partner and owner of Leverage while shifting out of day-to-day operations into a role on its board of directors, the release said.

“The Leverage team looks forward to continuing to work with Doug and the entire Diamond State team,” said Cheryl Summers, CEO of Leverage Broadband Strategies. “Doug’s expertise and experience have been invaluable to our organization. We are grateful that he will remain as a member of the Leverage board of directors, and know that he will lead Diamond State Networks to incredible levels of success.”Leverage will continue to advise Diamond State Networks.

“Leverage has been a strategic resource to the electric cooperatives on this project, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with them into the future,” stated Jeremiah Sloan, co-chair of Diamond State Networks board of directors. Sloan is CEO of Craighead Electric Cooperative in Jonesboro.

Diamond State Networks is governed by a board of directors composed of additional executive leaders from its 13 partner cooperatives or subsidiary fiber networks. It’s expected to serve nearly 600,000 potential customer locations.

Wednesday’s announcement also detailed the following recent hires by Diamond State networks:

• Marty Allen, Chief Technology Officer
• Jill McDaniel, Vice President of Operations
• Ed Mallette, Principal Architect
• Chad Clark, Senior Network Architect
• Jim Skiavo, Director, Project Management Office
• Bryan Pascua, Sr. Director of IT and Systems
• Seth Elder, Account and Billing Manager
• Chad Bennett, Senior Solutions Engineer