Two former elected officials to serve as liaisons for rural broadband project

Denise Michels (center) at a Nome City Council Meeting in 2014. (Photo by Matthew F. Smith/KNOM)
Denise Michels (center) at a Nome City Council Meeting in 2014. (Photo by Matthew F. Smith/KNOM)

As construction crews work to bring high-speed internet to Western Alaska, Quintillion has chosen six local liaisons to keep communities informed of their progress. In Nome, former mayor Denise Michels has got the job.

“I worked with Quintillion in my prior elected life, so I was very familiar with the project and very supportive of the project,” said Michels, who is currently Kawerak’s Transportation Director. “We had mutual interest in seeing this move forward.”

Northwest Arctic Borough Mayor Reggie Joule accompanied a delegation of Arctic indigenous leaders attending the U.N. Conference on Climate Change in Paris. (Photo courtesy of Northwest Arctic Borough)
Northwest Arctic Borough Mayor Reggie Joule.
(Photo courtesy of Northwest Arctic Borough)

Michels said she’s responsible for coordinating between Quintillion’s contractors, the City of Nome, and Nome Joint Utility System as the telecom company lays 15,000 feet of conduit pipe throughout town. The pipe will eventually hold the fiber optic cable that’s scheduled to deliver high-speed internet by early 2017.

This summer, Michels said she’ll also communicate with the public about where crews are working and how construction may affect traffic and lane closures.

In Kotzebue, outgoing Northwest Arctic Borough Mayor Reggie Joule will serve as Quintillion’s community liaison while Isaac Killigvuk will represent Point Hope.

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