Meet the board of directors

ABOUT STEVE RICH

Family: wife Jerilyn

I grew up in rural Crawfordsville and moved to Kalona in 1973. I worked for Gingerich Well and Pump for 10 years and owned and operated Rich Well Service for 10 years, prior to becoming the facilities maintenance manager at Shiloh. My responsibilities are for the day-to-day operations of the grounds, water and wastewater systems and the routine maintenance of the buildings.

Co-op members are investing in the communication services required in today’s fast changing world, creating local jobs while benefiting from local service.

As a current board member it is my goal to complete the installation of fiber-optics throughout the Kalona exchange, and to continue to work with the other board members in making the best decisions possible for Kalona Cooperative Technology Company.

ABOUT KEITH TROYER

Family: wife Linda, children: Greg and Catherine of Kalona Kara and Ryan Seeberger of Bonney Lake Washington Kyle and Alyson of Kalona. Grandchildren: Cole Troyer, Grace and Nora Seeberger

I have spent my entire life in the Kalona community, currently owning and operating Troyer Farms on the farm where I grew up. I’m an active member of Kalona United Christian and Baptist Church and a member of the Washington Township Optimists. I support a number of local organizations by providing grilling services for fundraisers.

I’m a member of several cooperatives, and I’ve seen many benefits to the members and community of having local control of the businesses.

My goals are to finish the fiber-optic project and to keep KCTC a leader in broadband services.

ABOUT JEREMY KUENSTER

Family: wife, Heather,
5 Children: Tyler, Caitlin, Landon, Mick ,and Jaxon

I moved from Riverside in 1988 and have been a Kalona “native” ever since. My wife and I are happy to be here because we enjoy the small-town atmosphere and think it is a great place to raise kids.

Outside of KCTC I own and operate Kuenster Heating and Air with my wife, Heather. We enjoy helping people with heating, cooling, and plumbing problems. We service all brands of heating and air-conditioning equipment and are available 24 hours a day seven days a week for any heating, cooling or plumbing emergency that may occur.

A local Cooperative provides members a sense of security, knowing they are more than a number in a computer, having a voice at the annual meeting and knowing the board and employees by name helps to resolve any issues that arise.

As a KCTC board member I hope to see KCTC thrive in and with the community, and will continue to educate myself in the co-op’s responsibility to the community and how best to  make sure KCTC is a proud member of the community for many years to come.

ABOUT CURT WYSE

Family:  Dawn (wife) is a graduate of Mid Prairie and works at JW’s Foods; Jonathan (son) works at JW’s Foods, Ben (son) senior at Calvin College in Grand Rapids Michigan, Larissa (daughter) senior at Iowa Mennonite School

I was born and raised in Peru, South America, coming to the US to attend Hesston College after I graduated from high school.  After Hesston I spent a year in Europe and then completed my bachelor’s degree at Eastern Mennonite College where I majored in Management Information Systems and minored in accounting.  Upon graduating, we returned to Kalona (Dawn’s hometown) and I went to work as a computer programmer at Yoder Feeds in Frytown.  That was followed by positions managing the computer departments at Fansteel Washington Manufacturing in Washington and Hawkeye Foodservice in Iowa City.  I have worked at JW’s Foods since 2004, and my wife and I purchased the business at the end of 2008 and continue to run it together.  In 2007 I earned an MBA at the University of Iowa.

I’ve been involved in various activities in the Kalona and Washington areas, including Rotary Clubs, the Kalona Chamber of Commerce, and serving on the board of the Washington chapter of Habitat for Humanity.  We attend Kalona Mennonite Church and have served in various capacities there as well.

A local co-op, such as KCTC, has a vested interest in its community.  Larger corporations make decisions based strictly on dollars and cents, but a local co-op looks out for the good of the community and all the cooperative members.  Many times I’ve tried to talk to a person at a large corporation and ended up in a maze of telephone menus that make no sense.  A local co-op actually cares about its members and wants to talk to them.  At KCTC, you are likely to be friends or neighbors with the people who answer the phone, install new products, or come to your house to resolve any issues you may have.

I am honored to serve on the KCTC board and will look out for the interests of all our members by making wise financial decisions and pursuing technologies and services that will keep the Kalona community an attractive place for people to live and grow businesses

ABOUT ATLEE YODER

Family:  Wife Carolyn, son Nate and daughter Allison

I grew up near Joetown in the northwest corner of our exchange, where I now own and operate a family farm.  I am a graduate of IMS and Hesston College.  I am an active member of Kalona Mennonite Church and currently serve on the IMS school board.  Carolyn and I enjoy travel as well as singing with the Andy Wilcom Trio.

As I serve on the KCTC board, I seek to work alongside other board members to make decisions that will position KCTC and it’s cooperative members for the best possible future.  Completing the Fiber To The Home project is a priority as we continue to strive to provide world class broadband to all of our customers.

ABOUT LUKE HORAK

Family:  Wife & 5 children

I have spent the last 22 years as an insurance broker and co-owner of Horak Insurance.  We have lived in rural Washington since 1998. In my earlier years, I worked as an investments recruiter for the Principal Financial Group in Des Moines. Graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in finance.
In my spare time you’ll see traces of me chasing my kids at their many sporting events. I enjoy running, biking, fishing/hunting, and working on our farm in Louisa County.

I take pride in serving the customers and employees of KCTC as a director. Ensuring excellent service, stability, and the latest technology for our members is of utmost important. Being the internet, phone, and video provider of choice for SE Iowa is our underlying goal. I’m proud to help usher this goal for the KCTC organization.