Bruce Bohnsack Concludes Decades of Service to Industry

RTFC Board President Bruce Bohnsack, the former president and CEO of Germantown Telephone Company in New York, has been an RTFC District 1 director since 2002. Capital Connections had the opportunity to speak with Bruce about his recent retirement and 21-year legacy of service on the RTFC Board of Directors.

CAPITAL CONNECTIONS: Congratulations on your retirement, Bruce. Looking back at your time on the RTFC board, what do you take away most from it?

BRUCE: It was an amazing 21-year learning experience. Every RTFC board meeting was an opportunity to learn something new. I had the pleasure and privilege of working with some very industry-wise people through the years—Steve Richards, Bob Orent, Danny Dandridge, Dave Dunning—as well as the current board: Bill Hegmann, Allen Hoopes, John Klatt and Fred Johnson, to name only a few. The staff at RTFC were also rewarding to work with. A large part of my experience on the board and as a general manager was learning from others and making better decisions as a result. I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the board. I will miss it.

CAPITAL CONNECTIONS: What do you see as RTFC’s most significant accomplishments during your tenure?

BRUCE: We saw a lot of changes in the industry over the past 21 years. But no matter what changes the industry faced, RTFC was always there to support rural telephone companies and cooperatives. That, in itself, is a great accomplishment. We helped many companies over the years with their fiber builds and other financing needs. Another accomplishment is RTFC’s contributions to the Foundation for Rural Service at NTCA.

CAPITAL CONNECTIONS: To what do you credit RTFC’s success in meeting member financing needs so effectively over the years?

BRUCE: One of the great strengths of the RTFC board is that we all come from different backgrounds and have different experiences. It’s really a melting pot to share ideas and information, learn from one another and make decisions collectively. There was always true collaboration—and camaraderie—among the board members, and that served us well as we worked to fulfill RTFC’s mission. From a quality of service standpoint, there was no disparity between how commercial companies and cooperatives were treated. We assisted each member with the same level of care to ensure their business needs were met.

CAPITAL CONNECTIONS: Your tenure on the RTFC board reflects an extraordinary commitment on your part. What do you see as your most meaningful contribution during that time?

BRUCE: I’d like to think I always brought a family-owned, small-company perspective to the RTFC board—the understanding of how a small company operates and their unique challenges. Having a real connection to and understanding of small communities is integral to serving small companies, and it’s always been important to me. The backbone of our industry is community. I was reminded of that every time I spoke with RTFC members at an event. Most NTCA members are small companies. I think these companies are flourishing because they know what they need to bring to their own communities, and they turn to RTFC for the financial assistance to do so.

CAPITAL CONNECTIONS: As you think about the future and the forthcoming completion of the RTFC-NCSC consolidation, what thoughts come to mind?

BRUCE: The RTFC staff are still going to be there to make loans and look at what the industry’s needs are. Even amidst all the changes in the telecommunications industry over my 21 years on the board, one thing that stayed constant was the importance of having a community focus. I believe the new consolidated organization will retain this focus, and it will continue to serve members and the industry well.