Leadership Team

Taanya French

The City of Albany Telecom began its journey in the fiber business in the early 2000s by providing fiber and internet services to the local school system. Since then, the fiber footprint has expanded to over 300 miles across five counties, with services including broadband, lit, dedicated, colocation and dark fiber.

After a career in Law Enforcement, Taanya joined the City of Albany in 2015 as an IT Analyst within the Technology and Communications Department, which supports City and County departments. Her strong work ethic led to her promotion within a year to lead the Telecom Department, leading a team dedicated to the installation, provisioning, and maintenance of Telecom’s network, which remains committed to delivering excellent customer service.

Now serving as Assistant Chief Information Officer of Technology and Communications, she is responsible for assisting the CIO in overseeing the department’s day-to-day operations, stakeholder relationships, and strategic growth initiatives.

Taanya is a vocal and natural leader focused on process improvement, documentation, and standardization. With project management mindset, she has successfully led numerous key initiatives, including a data center relocation, multi-facility network upgrades, and a major downtown Albany project relocating fiber infrastructure underground. Her dedication and passion for positive change continue to advance the City of Albany’s technology and communications capabilities.

JOHN STANFORD

John Stanford is President at SynchroNet Incorporated. He has been with SynchroNet for over 23 years and possesses a wealth of experience in the carrier and broadband arena. SynchroNet provides installation, testing, and engineering services for a variety of telecommunications and data networking equipment to major carriers, data centers, and telephone companies in the US. SynchroNet is currently expanding its service portfolio to offer a full turnkey package for customers that are interested in expanding their broadband networks or initiating a broadband deployment.

Michael Lamar

Michael Lamar serves as Carrier Account Executive with Southern Telecom. Lamar is responsible for new client acquisition and management of clients in the telecom carrier, content provider, and large enterprise categories.

Lamar is experienced in telecom sales. He brings a concentration of knowledge in the development of fiber service routes and fiber network expansion projects to his position. Lamar is also skilled in PON, VoIP and MPLS network solutions. He has expertise in serving government, healthcare, and automotive sectors as well.

PHILIP FOSTER

Ringgold Telephone Company was established in 1912. They have continued to grow and provide quality services to their community and service area in northwest Georgia. They offer broadband services through their fiber-optic network. Additionally, they offer other services such as security and high-speed broadband for both business and residential customers.

Philip joined Ringgold in 2001. He has experience in several areas of the company including Central Office switching, IP delivery, video, and transport networks. He provides important leadership to Ringgold today in the management of their Carrier relationships, dark fiber solutions, and a number of other areas to drive success for Ringgold Telephone.

Philip is active in his community and church activities.

Philip received his BS in Organizational Management from Bryan College and his MBA in Business from Bryan College.

HAROLD SPARROW

Harold Sparrow is an experienced technology and communications leader, currently serving as the Broadband Manager for Columbia County, Georgia—a role he has held since July 2019. In this position, he oversees the county’s broadband infrastructure, driving strategic initiatives to enhance connectivity and technological advancement.
Prior to this, Harold served as the U.S. Army First Corps Communications Defense Attaché, covering Japan, South Korea, and Australia. In this role, he coordinated cyber, enterprise, and tactical networks to support both real-world missions and high-level training exercises, ensuring seamless interoperability across key defense operations.
Earlier in his career, Harold managed a 1,000-mile communications network in Kandahar, Afghanistan, overseeing fiber optic, microwave, and satellite services critical to regional operations. His leadership was instrumental in supporting vital infrastructure, including a regional hospital, an international airport, and Kandahar Air Base. He played a pivotal role in establishing new forward operating bases, integrating the 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, and advising senior military leaders on cyber, network, and space strategies in Southwest Asia.
Harold’s expertise spans broadband infrastructure, cybersecurity, and strategic defense communications, making him a key force in shaping modern connectivity solutions.

GLEN WOOD

The Pierce Group is a professional facilitation company. Using our network of contacts, over 20 years of industry experience, and sales experience The Pierce Group is able to take on the projects that need expertise and focus for completion that will support in delivery desired results.

Glen has past experience with several leading communication equipment and services provides. He also has worked with start-up companies that has focused on new technology in the smart grid area.

Glen has a BA from the University of Georgia.

DONNA UNGER

Donna Unger is the General Manager of NGN Fiber, a Point Broadband Company. She is responsible for NGN Fiber Carrier Sales, Sales Engineering, Business Development, Marketing, ERate, Regulatory, and Tier 2 Technical Support, she is critical to the development and management of new product solutions. Donna joined NGN in 2012 and has been integral to the growth and success of the company. Prior to joining NGN, she served as Corporate Development Specialist for Habersham EMC. In this position, she oversaw the cooperative’s management coaching, process management, and continuous improvement efforts.

Donna has over 30 years of experience in project and process management. She is a certified Lean Systems and Six Sigma Green Belt, and is currently working on her Black Belt. She also has extensive experience with event planning, a skillset that she puts to good use as Event Director for the Fiber Network Owners Alliance (FNA). Her passion for hosting events is critical for both NGN and the FNA group. Under her leadership, the Annual FNA Conference, year after year, has been a success for both FNA members and vendors.