Our Team - Consortia

MEET OUR TEAM

Marlene Bennett

Director - Regulatory Compliance and Training

Marlene Bennett

Director - Regulatory Compliance and Training

Marlene joined Consortia in 2011 and has over 27 years working with rural broadband providers. She serves on Consortia’s Board of Directors and leads the Regulatory Compliance and Training Team partnering with clients to ensure regulatory compliance and operational efficiency. Marlene has administered a state access pooling association and worked with rate development, tariff preparation, FCC, USAC and NECA filings, state and interstate cost studies as well as overall compliance matters and concerns. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, with emphasis in Accounting, from Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota. Marlene manages and works in our Mitchell, South Dakota office.

Catie Brown

Consultant - Regulatory Compliance and Training

Catie Brown

Consultant - Regulatory Compliance and Training

In May 2024, Catie joined Consortia’s Regulatory Compliance and Training Team. Before joining Consortia, Catie worked as a support analyst in the healthcare field for several years and with other telecommunication consulting companies for over eight years. Catie works with clients on various regulatory compliance filings such as Form 499, NECA Reporting, HUBB Compliance and Form 481. She has a bachelor’s of Business Finance degree from Dakota State University in Madison, South Dakota. Catie works in our Mitchell, South Dakota office.

Dan Caldwell

President

Dan Caldwell

President

As President and a member of Consortia’s Board of Directors, Dan works to identify, employ and deliver the highest quality consulting resources to the company's clients and continually evaluates opportunities for corporate growth and service improvement. Dan is frequently a speaker at industry meetings and often facilitates strategic planning sessions with Consortia’s clients and their boards. Before joining Consortia in 2001, Dan was Vice President of Finance for the Southeast Region of ALLTEL and, prior to the Aliant Communications/ALLTEL merger, spent 20 managing various accounting functions for Aliant. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and is a member of the American Institute of CPAs.

Judy Christiansen

Consultant - Regulatory Compliance and Training

Judy Christiansen

Consultant - Regulatory Compliance and Training

Judy focuses on operational aspects of the telecommunications industry for Consortia's clients, especially regulatory compliance issues such as CPNI, slamming guidelines, payphone reporting, NANPA reporting, ETC certification and broadband reporting. She also assists clients with tariffs, NECA pooling, Form 481s, and acquiring numbering resources through the Pooling Administrator and NANPA. For many of our clients, Judy is the primary “go-to” person at Consortia – the person they call first if they aren’t sure who to call. Prior to joining Consortia in 1998, Judy had 27 years of combined service with Northwestern Bell and AT&T. Judy works in our Omaha office.

Rich Coit

Consultant - Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy

Rich Coit

Consultant - Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy

Rich joined Consortia in 2021 with over 30 years working in the telecommunications industry. Rich has experience with state Public Utilities Commissions, state legislature, state agencies and the Federal Communications Commission. Rich has also been very active at the national level representing rural telecommunications carrier interests. Before joining Consortia, Rich worked for a state telecommunications association, as regulatory counsel for a regional long-distance company and as a staff attorney for the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission. His primary focus with Consortia is to assist clients on state and federal regulatory compliance, advising and assisting clients with their advocacy efforts on legislative and regulatory issues, the preparation and filing of broadband related grant applications, and assisting clients with preparation and filing of cybersecurity and supply chain risk management plans. Rich works in our Lincoln, Nebraska office.

Dan Davis

Director - Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy

Dan Davis

Director - Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy

Dan Davis has been in the telecommunications industry since 1985 and joined the company in 2001. Dan serves on Consortia’s Board of Directors and leads the company's Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy Team with his areas of expertise including company financial valuations, the FCC Broadband Data collection process, federal and state universal service fund policy, comment and petition filings at the FCC, federal policies including TDM to IP migration, STIR/SHAKEN and Robocall Mitigation, and interconnection rules and regulations. In addition, he testifies at hearings regarding universal service policy and rules and wireless interconnection and compensation. Dan assists clients with state and RUS grants and loans and FCC’s reverse auction procedures. Dan is also involved in CLEC implementation issues, Cable TV cost of service analysis and company cash flow analysis. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in business and a Master of Arts degree in finance from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Dan works in our Lincoln office.

Jill DeJong

Consultant - Regulatory Compliance and Training

Jill DeJong

Consultant - Regulatory Compliance and Training

Jill joined Consortia’s Regulatory Compliance and Training Team in May 2020. Before joining Consortia, Jill worked in the background check industry for over 13 years where she read state and federal laws, reviewed documents for clients, and developed analytical reports. Jill works on Universal Service Fund Programs for Consortia’s clients and assists in other areas of regulatory compliance such as HUBB Reporting, Performance Testing, and 499A and 499Qs. Jill works in our Mitchell, South Dakota office.

Mallory DeVol

Consultant - Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy

Mallory DeVol

Consultant - Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy

As a member of Consortia’s Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy Team, Mallory’s areas of expertise include Broadband Data Collection, the RUS ReConnect Program, FCC Broadband Labels, Annual 911 Reliability Certification, and CAF-ICC filings. Mallory has previously worked on Consortia’s Financial Solutions Team and worked on the preparation of cost studies for Consortia’s clients. Having started with Consortia’s Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy Team in 2012, Mallory also has experience analyzing FCC and state commission orders and their potential impact on Consortia’s clients. Mallory holds a Master of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Nebraska with a concentration in Econometrics and Industrial Organization. Mallory has her Bachelor of Science from Doane University where she majored in Mathematics and minored in Economics and Business Administration. Mallory works in Parker, Colorado.

Bill Goodman IV

Consultant - Financial Solutions

Bill Goodman IV

Consultant - Financial Solutions

Bill joined Consortia’s Financial Solutions Team in 2020 after working in the medical and beverage gas industry where he provided customer service, managed the billing department and was responsible for regulatory compliance. Bill assists Consortia's clients with cost studies, continuing property records and interstate NECA filings. Bill works with average schedule to cost impact analyses and determines the financial implications of plant maintenance, upgrades and investments. In his free time, Bill enjoys following his favorite sports’ teams and spending time with family. Bill graduated from the University of Nebraska – Omaha, with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, and works in our Omaha office.

Lexie Hagle

Consultant - Regulatory Compliance and Training

Lexie Hagle

Consultant - Regulatory Compliance and Training

Lexie joined Consortia in 2023 with over 12 years working in the telecom industry and more than 20 years’ experience in customer service. Lexie is a member of the Regulatory Compliance and Training Team assisting clients with Schools & Library reporting, Reassigned Number Database reporting, Form 499 filings and other regulatory compliance work. She has training and education from the University of Phoenix and Iowa Western Community College. Lexie works in Harlan, Iowa.

Renee Knoop

Consultant - Regulatory Compliance and Training

Renee Knoop

Consultant - Regulatory Compliance and Training

Renee joined Consortia’s Regulatory Compliance and Training Team in 2020. Renee, a familiar face to the industry, has been in the rural telecommunications and broadband industry in Iowa for more than 25 years. Renee began her career in Nora Springs, ultimately serving as Vice President of Operations for an independent telephone company. In that role, she was instrumental in setting up switching for a neighborhood municipal telecommunications utility. Later, Renee led Business Operations for an ILEC in Iowa and, most recently, served as the Manager of Business Operations for a telecommunications entity in West Des Moines. Renee works in Johnston, Iowa.

Edit Kranner

Consultant - Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy

Edit Kranner

Consultant - Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy

A member of the Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy Team, Edit has extensive experience in economic research and analysis, including econometric forecasting, survey research and marketing local economies. She works with our clients to prepare comments, testimony and ex-parte presentations regarding economic models that are used for determination of Universal Service funding at both the federal and state levels. Prior to joining Consortia in 2007, she taught Economics courses at the University of Nebraska. Previously, as the Director of the Business Information Center in Lexington, Kentucky, Edit worked in economic development conducting studies regarding the local economy. Edit holds a Master’s degree from West Virginia University. Edit works in our Lincoln office.

Chana Kubie

Director - Financial Solutions

Chana Kubie

Director - Financial Solutions

Chana serves on Consortia’s Board of Directors and leads the work effort of Consortia’s Financial Solutions Team as they provide consultation for all financial needs and prepare jurisdictional cost studies for Consortia’s clients. She also works with clients to ensure the maximization of average schedule revenue, performs average schedule versus cost feasibility studies, analyzes the financial impact of investment decisions, and maintains Continuing Property Records. Prior to joining Consortia in 2009, Chana managed the CABS Revenue Assurance Team of a telecommunications billing services provider for 12 years. Chana earned her Bachelor of Science degree with emphasis in Accounting and Finance from Dana College in Blair, Nebraska. Chana works in our Omaha office.

Ryan Massey

Consultant - Financial Solutions

Ryan Massey

Consultant - Financial Solutions

Ryan joined Consortia’s Financial Solutions Team in 2013. Ryan assists Consortia's clients with cost studies, continuing property records and interstate NECA filings. Ryan is also involved with average schedule to cost impact analyses and works with clients on the timing and financial implications of plant maintenance, upgrades and investments. Ryan is a graduate of Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. Ryan works in our Omaha office.

Rhonda Maun

CEO

Rhonda Maun

CEO

One of the company's founding partners, Rhonda’s primary focus is client service, business development and the management issues affecting the strategic direction of the company. As a certified trainer of Emergenetics, a profile that distinctly measures how people think and behave, Rhonda facilitates client workshops designed to improve communication and understanding within teams and build stronger organizations. She has more than 40 years of industry experience that includes regulatory advocacy, universal service reform, regulatory compliance, service pricing, tariff development, marketing, sales, and human resources. Rhonda holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas and a Master of Business Administration degree from Creighton University.

Aaron Scheen

Consultant - Financial Solutions

Aaron Scheen

Consultant - Financial Solutions

Aaron joined Consortia’s Financial Solutions Team in 2022 after working as an associate accountant in the consumer finance and educational loan business. Aaron works with Consortia clients and assists with cost study filings, maintaining continuing property records, analyzing average schedule to cost business decisions and reviewing various financial effects of plant maintenance and upgrades. Aaron holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, with a minor in Economics and History, from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Aaron works in our Omaha office.

Kim Stumpp

Director - Client Relations and Marketing

Kim Stumpp

Director - Client Relations and Marketing

Kim has been with the company since 2005. In addition to serving on Consortia’s Board of Directors, Kim is the director of Client Relations and Marketing. Additionally, she provides field support to telecommunications companies in Ohio. Kim helps clients with contract negotiations, business planning and forecasting, operational matters and staff training.

Kim received her undergraduate degree from the University of Toledo and her MBA from the University of Findlay. Kim has been in telecommunications since 1988 and previously served as the Director of Finance and the General Manager of an independent telephone company in Ohio. Kim works in Findlay, Ohio.

Deb Thelen

Accounting and Administrative Support

Deb Thelen

Accounting and Administrative Support

Deb joined Consortia in 2012 after an 11-year career as a carrier revenue consultant for a telecommunications consulting, engineering and billing services provider. Prior to that, Deb worked for an electric cooperative in Mitchell, SD, as an accountant. She has experience working with a state access pooling association and a statewide regulatory and legislative advocacy association handling day-to-day payables and receivables, preparing financial statements and handling other operational items. Her experience includes preparing Form 499s, switch polling, traffic separation matrixes, traffic studies, developing tariffs, filing tariff revisions and assisting companies to update subscriber information in the 911 database.

Deb is a member of our Administrative Team and is responsible for accounts payable, accounts receivable and oversees the preparation of monthly client invoices. Deb also manages Consortia’s IT needs and provides internal network assistance. Deb works in Mitchell, South Dakota.

Jill Thornton

Consultant - Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy

Jill Thornton

Consultant - Business Development and Regulatory Advocacy

With over 25 years of industry consulting experience, Jill’s focus is on new business development, creating partnerships and assisting clients with expanding broadband networks. She joined Consortia in 2004, after assisting with many competitive local exchange startups and managing regulatory and compliance services for Iowa municipal utilities. Jill works with independent companies, cooperatives, municipalities and RECs, helping with business analysis, contract negotiations, interconnection agreements, operational challenges, regulatory compliance, grant applications, resource sharing and business opportunities. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree with emphasis in Business Law Studies from Morningside University (formerly Morningside College) in Sioux City, Iowa. Jill serves on Consortia’s Board of Directors and works in Urbandale, Iowa.

Trisha Weber

Consultant - Regulatory Compliance and Training

Trisha Weber

Consultant - Regulatory Compliance and Training

Trisha joined Consortia’s Regulatory Compliance and Training Team in September 2022. Before joining Consortia, Trisha worked in the banking industry and brings with her experience in various roles including personal banking, accounting, administration and training. Trisha provides training that Consortia clients request and assists them with developing customer service training. Trisha is a graduate of the Mitchell Technical Institute and works in our Mitchell, South Dakota office.

Becky Zens

Accounting and Administrative Support

Becky Zens

Accounting and Administrative Support

Becky joined Consortia Consulting in 2022 and is part of Consortia’s administrative support team. Becky works on client billing and other internal accounting and support functions. Before joining Consortia, Becky served in the business and banking industries for nearly 30 years. She is a graduate of Alexandria Technical College where she received as AAS degree in Finance and Credit Management. Becky works in our Mitchell, South Dakota office.

MEET OUR TEAM

Marlene Bennett

Catie Brown

Dan Caldwell

Judy Christiansen

Rich Coit

Dan Davis

Jill DeJong

Mallory DeVol

Bill Goodman IV

Lexie Hagle

Renee Knoop

Edit Kranner

Chana Kubie

Ryan Massey

Rhonda Maun

Aaron Scheen

Kim Stumpp

Deb Thelen

Jill Thornton

Trisha Weber

Becky Zens

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