Smithville Manager of Plant Engineering receives inaugural Women in Fiber Spotlight recognition
Women In Fiber group of national Fiber Broadband Association names Kimberly Pitcher as first Spotlight winner.
ELLETTSVILLE, Indiana – The national Washington, D.C.-based Fiber Broadband Association selected Kimberly Pitcher, manager of plant engineering for Smithville Communications, for recognition in its inaugural Women in Fiber Spotlight in July.
The Association created the Women in Fiber Spotlight as a special initiative meant to highlight and recognize the different roles and careers for women in fiber, telecom, tech, and construction.
“Kimberly brings a deep engineering and planning background to Smithville and is well-known for her collaborative focus,” said Cullen McCarty, executive vice president of Smithville Communications.
Jason Dauby, Chief Technology Officer at Smithville, said this about Pitcher: “Kim is a role model, the only female in plant engineering where she brilliantly manages a team of men — she demonstrates calm efficiency, and positively collaborates with the network engineering, construction, and other departments.”
Dauby added that Pitcher frequently works additional hours to ensure projects are on-time, mentors engineering staff, and exhibits the motto that she keeps on her whiteboard: “Make Smithville Better.” Noting that Pitcher’s civil engineering background represents a major asset for Smithville, Dauby explained that Pitcher was qualified to be considered for the recognition because “she is always willing to explain concepts, process, and the rationale behind her decisions — she graciously shares her knowledge with both women and men, encouraging and leading by example with humor and intelligence.”
“Kim Pitcher sets an example for us all and her recognition is well-deserved,” said Paul Quick, Smithville President. “We’re fortunate to have her on the Smithville team.”
Asked how her work at Smithville may help other women advance in the technology field, Pitcher said: “Success in my current role helps alleviate concerns about women in engineering and leadership roles in the fiber and tech space.” She added: “I am fortunate that my entrance into fiber and technology has been on the heels of trailblazers like Darby McCarty.” Ms. McCarty is Chairman and CEO of Smithville Communications and is a recognized business and philanthropy leader in Indiana.
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About the Women In Fiber Group of the Fiber Broadband Association We believe the world is a better place when women’s voices are heard. We believe companies are more successful when women are allowed to reach their full potential. We believe it is up to us to help identify, develop, and promote women in the Fiber Broadband industry as well as technology, telecommunications, construction, and manufacturing. We pledge to use this forum to help women succeed in the Fiber Broadband industry. For more information, please visit https://www.fiberbroadband.org/page/women-in-fiber
About Smithville
Nationally recognized for more than a decade as a Top 100 Broadband Company, privately owned Smithville is Indiana’s largest independent telecom company with more than 200 employees. As a fifth-generation, family-owned business, Smithville has been committed to delivering fast and reliable connectivity and legendary service to its customers for nearly a century. The company is well-known as an industry leader and community supporter for rural Indiana.
Since the early 1990s, Smithville has constructed more than 2,800 miles of high-speed, high-capacity fiber across more than 17 Indiana counties, representing private investments totaling upward of a quarter of a billion dollars, including the recent completion of a $4.5 million, 100-gigabit fiber ring.
In addition to its residential services, Smithville provides commercial fiber-based connectivity for businesses, university campuses, biotechnology companies, healthcare providers, government offices, residential centers, communities, and other entities, including the WestGate@Crane Technology Park and the Purdue Research Park. The company currently serves about 23,000 businesses and residences in southern and central Indiana. For more information, please visit www.smithville.com.
