From TriCounty Telecom

 

Cecil F. Walker, TriCounty Telecom plant manager, has announced his retirement effective Nov. 29, 2013. Walker has been employed at TriCounty Telecom for 36 years.

Walker began his cooperative career in June 1977 and held several positions at TriCounty Telecom before being named plant manager in January 2011. As plant manager, Walker was charged with responsibilities overseeing plant construction of both telephone and cable television networks and quality control of repair and maintenance functions. Most recently, he has overseen the construction of over 350 miles of a fiber-to-the-home network covering parts of Beaufort, Hyde and Washington counties.

During his tenure at the cooperative, Walker has watched TriCounty Telecom grow from five to 16 full-time employees, serving 1,000 telephone lines in 1971 to over 2,600 in 2013. He has also seen the addition of the subsidiary company that provides cable TV, long distance, Internet access, paging, web hosting and design and wireless phone services.

Walker has been actively involved in the North Carolina Telecommunications Industry Association, serving on the Outside Plant and Engineering Committee. He was recognized by the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association in 2002 for his 25 years of service to the industry, in 2007 for 30 years of service and in 2012 for 35 years of service.

When asked about future plans, Walker said, “I’ll be busy doing maintenance and repairs to my own house and rental properties as well as some small home repair and construction work on the side. And I’m sure I’ll play golf, travel and do a little fishing and biking.”

Walker resides in the Slatestone area.