Richard Stuker, Board President for Triangle Communications, was presented the 2022 Distinguished Leader Award at the Broadband Montana Annual Meeting held at Big Sky Resort from August 22-24.

"Rich is a true servant leader. He is not one to sit back and observe from afar without taking action. When his cooperative or his community are in need, he is willing to step up and be part of the solution," said Craig Gates, CEO and General Manager of Triangle Communications.

Stuker was first elected to the Triangle Communications Board in 1986. He has been the President of the Board for approximately seven years and previously served as the Board's President from 1996-1998.

Beyond his service with Triangle, Stuker is an active member of his community. He represented District 3 on the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Board from 2012-2021. Additionally, Stuker served on the Chinook School Board for 21 years. He has also been an active supporter of the Chinook Swim team for many years, as both his children competed on the Lions' Swim Team. Today, he continues to provide support to the Chinook City Pool and contributes his time to other community projects, as well.

Triangle Telephone Cooperative has gone through significant transformation throughout the years-from a small, rural phone provider to offering broadband and telephone service. During his time on the Board, Stuker has helped navigate some significant upgrades and changes. According to Gates, Stuker has been instrumental in ensuring the cooperative's members continue to receive reliable and local service. Gates concluded, "We are proud of Rich's hard earned and well-deserved recognition as the 2022 Distinguished Leader."

Geoff Feiss, General Manager of Broadband Montana, presented the award to Stuker during a ceremony at the Broadband Montana conference. The Annual Meeting is a telecom policy conference attended by more than 100 senior execs from Montana's telecom industry.

In his presentation, Feiss expressed gratitude, thanking Stuker, not only for his dedication to Triangle Communications but also to the entire state through the state association.

When asked about his reaction to the acknowledgement, Stuker humbly stated: "The award is something I didn't expect. I don't do the things I do for the recognition. In fact, I said as much when I was presented the award. One person doesn't do what has been accomplished. It's an entire board-whether on Triangle or the school board-it takes a team. If you're there for the recognition, often the good things don't happen."

Stuker went on to say, "I've worked with many unsung heroes, those who work behind the scenes and willingly give their time. If we can get everyone going in the same direction-even those strong-minded and opinionated-amazing results occur."