Bluegrass Cellular President and CEO Named Chairman of CTIA Board

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky., Sept. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA)-The Wireless Association® has announced the election of its 2015 officers, who were chosen by its 35-member board of directors. Ron Smith, President and CEO of Bluegrass Cellular, has been elected Chairman of the 2015 CTIA Board of Directors and will begin serving a one-year term on January 1, 2015.

Other newly elected officers include AT&T Mobility President and CEO Glenn Lurie as Vice Chairman; QUALCOMM, Inc., Senior Vice President of Business Development Howard Wright as Secretary; Asurion Chairman Bret Comolli as Treasurer; and Verizon Wireless President and CEO Dan Mead as Chairman Emeritus.

CTIA is an international industry trade group based in Washington, D.C., representing the wireless communications industry. As Chairman of the Board of Directors, Smith will work with CTIA President and CEO Meredith Attwell Baker, CTIA staff and CTIA membership as advocates for the world's leading mobile ecosystem. 

"I am truly humbled and honored to have been selected for this important role," said Smith. "As Chairman, I will work to ensure our industry remains competitive and innovative, and that wireless companies – large and small – carriers, manufacturers, suppliers and developers – have an opportunity to speak with a united voice in the face of the significant challenges and opportunities facing our industry. I look forward to working with such a distinguished group of colleagues, and I'm eager to see what opportunities lie ahead in 2015."

With more than 28 years of experience in the wireless industry and over 22 years since first joining the CTIA Board of Directors, Smith brings a comprehensive understanding of the communications field to his newly appointed role. He managed the launch of Bluegrass Cellular in 1991 after a 13-year career with GTE – a legacy company of Verizon – and has since turned the company from a pioneer in rural cellular to one that continues to lead in technology and commercial advances in the wireless industry. Under his leadership, Bluegrass Cellular was the first to offer analog cellular service to Central Kentucky in 1991 and digital cellular service in 1998. Today, Bluegrass operates two 4G LTE networks providing both nationwide mobility and regional wireless Internet services to its customers.

About Bluegrass Cellular
Headquartered in Elizabethtown, Ky., Bluegrass Cellular has been operating in Kentucky for over 20 years with 19 company-owned retail locations and more than 20 authorized agent locations. A pioneer in the wireless field in the state's rural areas, Bluegrass was the first to offer digital cellular service to Central Kentucky in 1998. For more information on Bluegrass Cellular and for local store hours and information, visit bluegrasscellular.com or call
1-800-928-CELL. Follow Bluegrass Cellular on Twitter at https://twitter.com/bluegrasscell.

About CTIA-The Wireless Association
CTIA-The Wireless Association® (www.ctia.org) is an international organization representing the wireless communications industry. Membership in the association includes wireless carriers and their suppliers, as well as providers and manufacturers of wireless data services and products. CTIA advocates on behalf of its members at all levels of government. The association also coordinates the industry's voluntary best practices and initiatives, and sponsors the industry's leading wireless tradeshow. CTIA was founded in 1984 and is based in Washington, D.C.

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SOURCE Bluegrass Cellular