Board of Directors Valley TeleCom Group

David Thompson

President

District 2

William Swift

Vice President

District 1

William A. Swift ("Bunch) grew up on a farm and ranch north of Rodeo, New Mexico. After graduating from Animas High School in 1991, he went to South Plains College in Levelland, Texas and graduated with an Associates of Applied Science degree and then transferring to Texas Tech University, he graduated with honors with a Bachelors of Science degree in Animal Science in 1995. Coming home to Animas after graduation, he has spent the last 21 years working at Elbrock Water Systems as a certified pump installer and well driller with the National Ground Water Association. Bunch has been a member of the Animas Public School Board for the last 6 years and is currently in his 15th year on the Board at Valley.

Joe Chapin

Secretary/Treasurer

District 3

Joseph Allen (Joe) Chapin was born in Bellingham, Washington, and is a retiree. He and his wife, Kimberley, have lived on their small ranch near Bonita, Arizona for 40 years. Joe has a bachelor’s degree from Waylan Baptist University, and has been involved with telephone service for more than 36 years. Joe was a network specialist with the Arizona Department of Corrections where he performed all of the communications functions for the Fort Grant Prison. After retiring, Joe contracted with the Bonita Elementary School to setup and run their computer network. Joe was elected to the Valley Telephone Cooperative Board in May of 2005. In 2007, Joe received a Certificate of Completion of the Director’s Core Curriculum, a series of classes given by the National Telephone Cooperative Association to train Directors to better manage their Cooperative’s assets and business.

Dan McDougal

District 1

Dan McDougal grew up in a small farming community in Northern Utah He graduated from Box Elder High School in 1987.  Upon graduation, he served a 2-year mission for his church in Seattle, Washington and returned home and married his lifelong friend Patti. They attended Utah State University where she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, and he earned an Associate Degree in Aerospace Technology.  In 1994, they moved to Garland, Utah and began raising their family of 4 children. At that time, Dan began working at the Bear River Valley Co-Op in Corinne, Utah. He worked as manager of the Fertilizer and Chemical Division. He took several Management and Agronomy classes and in 1999 passed the CCA Exam. He then served as Sales Manager and Agronomist until 2008 when he took a job with Fertizona in Willcox, Arizona. In 2015, Dan purchased some land near Rodeo, New Mexico and began farming Three M Farms with the help of his 2 sons. They started small, but have managed to grow the business, producing alfalfa and grass hay. In Garland, Utah, Dan served on the Planning and Zoning Commission and has also served in his church in many areas over the years. Dan gained an understanding of how cooperatives work and how they are managed by working in a management position for a cooperative while living in Utah.  

Carrol Miller

District 1

Carrol Miller has been on the Board of Valley Telephone Cooperative for fifteen years and completed all of the NTCA Director Certification seminars that are offered. She is well versed on the industry and the management of the Cooperative. She is a longtime resident in the Valley serving area and under her leadership, the community of Rodeo has built a community center that is adequate in size to hold community functions. She was also pivotal in helping establish Emergency Medical Technician service for her community. Carrol has had the honor of serving as an Officer and on the Executive Committee with Valley Telephone. Her attendance record for the board meeting is close to one hundred percent and understands the necessity to go over all of the information put out for the board before each meeting. As a longtime resident she is hoping to continue to serve on this board to assure the communications business is an affordable and reliable service.

Michael Skiles

District 2

Michael Skiles has been an Arizona resident since the age of 12 when his family relocated to Arizona from their farm in Indiana. After serving in the U.S. Air Force, Michael served 2 years as a Police Officer with the Tucson Police Department and 23 year with the Arizona Highway Patrol before retiring. He then went on to serve 12 years as the elected Justice of the Peace for precinct six in Cochise County. Michael has served on local and state level boards as well as volunteering in youth and government service programs. Michael believes that one of the core strengths of rural communities is the volunteers who support the schools, fire departments, libraries, and other community infrastructure.

Steve Fenn

District 3

Steve Fenn was born in Tucson and raised in Benson, Arizona. His childhood family was involved in agriculture and retail sales. Steve earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona in Agronomy and Crop Protection. Immediately after college, Steve worked for a produce company in Yuma. He returned to Cochise County in 1983 and worked as a Pest Control Advisor/Crop Consultant until his recent retirement in 2019. His work over the years included that as an advisor and salesman for various retail agricultural suppliers and growers. Steve continues work in soil moisture monitoring business with local growers and research facilities in southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. He also manages the distribution and technical support of soil moisture probes and irrigation control valves for a South Australian Company. Steve’s wife, Roni, left us to join the Lord in 2013. He gives much credit to the raising of their boys, Logan and Conner to her great love of family.

Eva Morin

District 2

Eva Morin was born in Newark, New Jersey and at the age of thirteen her family moved to Arizona. She graduated from Tucson High School and attended Cochise College in Douglas where she studied agriculture. Eva married her husband, Howard Morin in 1985, raising two daughters Richelle and Amber on the cattle ranch they purchased in 1991. Eva began working for the San Simon Port of Entry after moving to the area. She later worked for the San Simon School District in various capacities including the Director of Transportation and Maintenance Departments. Since retiring from the school district in 2016, Eva has been appointed to the Valley Telephone Cooperative Board of Directors and has served on the Scholarship Committee. This past year she has served on the Policy, Audit and Search committees. Her passion is helping today’s youth create a better tomorrow, for themselves as well as others.

Alan Baker

District 3

Alan Baker is the pastor of the Community Church of Sunsites and is the managing partner of a local business. Alan had a career in the United States Marine Corps. After the military, Alan served as the Town Manager of Duncan and the Town Manager of Clifton. In 2012, he accepted the position of Executive Director of the Willcox Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture where he stayed until 2019. Mr. Baker served on the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority Board and now serves on the Federal Programs Committee. He was appointed to the Cochise County Pollution Control Corporation and Cochise County Department of Health Board. Alan has a Master of Ministry Degree as well as education in the Firearms trade and Wildlife Forestry conservation. Alan and his wife Pam enjoy living in Southeastern Arizona and spend a lot of time exploring the outdoors.

John Lacy

Legal Counsel

John C. Lacy is a Shareholder in the Tucson office of DeConcini, McDonald, Yetwin and Lacy, P.C.. His practice emphasizes mining and public land law and encompasses transactional and title consideration involving acquisition of mineral rights from private and governmental agencies together with permitting issues and associated water rights. Mr. Lacy also devotes a substantial portion of his time representing Valley TeleCom Group. Mr. Lacy is a past President of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation and the Arizona Historical Society. He graduated from The University of Arizona College of Law in 1967 and was admitted to the Arizona Bar that same year. He served in the United States Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps in Vietnam during 1969-70.