CBAN Board of Directors
Jon Willow, President
Throughout her career, Jon has worked with state and local governments and policy-making bodies in various capacities to improve the quality of life for every person. She has extensive experience supporting utilities in their efforts to connect with their communities, manage crisis communications, and make informed, data-driven business decisions.
Jon is the 2025 MSU REI Innovation Fellow, examining the ethical use of AI for community-based coalitions. Her technical expertise as a Certified Professional Scrum Master and Data Manager for CBAN's Digital Navigator Program demonstrates her capacity to leverage data for community impact. Jon excels at developing user-friendly workflows and data visualizations that transform complex information into actionable insights for community partners.
Before co-founding CBAN, Jon lived and owned businesses in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for 22 years, successfully exiting all three of her companies. She has been a mentor for SCORE and the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC), where she also served on the loan committee. She is the former Entrepreneurship Director for BizStarts Milwaukee, where she coached new and scaling companies and ran a quarterly SEC-accredited investor event that showcased Southeast Wisconsin’s most promising companies.
Jon holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Iowa. An advocate for all pollinators, she is a community beekeeping instructor, and raises bees and chickens on her small acreage in northern Michigan.
David Schilling, Vice President
David Schilling is a trusted advisor on all matters concerning local broadband infrastructure and operations, having worked in the industry for almost four decades. Until his retirement in 2022, he led Communications Services at municipal broadband innovator Cedar Falls (IA) Municipal Utilities, where he served for 26 years.
David was the Project Manager for Iowa’s first Gigabit city-wide fiber network, for which he was nationally recognized by President Barack Obama in 2015. He also served as a board member for the Iowa local chapter of the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE).
Deb Socia, Treasurer
Deb Socia recently retired as the President and CEO of The Enterprise Center, a nonprofit that nurtures innovation in Chattanooga, working to connect people to resources and build an inclusive community. She is now a leadership development consultant and volunteers on several boards and advisory committees.
Previously, Deb was the founding Executive Director of Next Century Cities, a nonprofit that supports community leaders as they seek to ensure that all have access to fast, affordable, and reliable Internet. Before that role, Deb was the founding Executive Director of the Tech Goes Home program in Boston, whose mission is to ensure digital equity. Deb’s early career included 32 years as an educator and administrator. She was the founding principal of the award-winning Lilla G. Frederick Middle School, a Boston Public School, where she led the one-to-one laptop initiative.
Deb has been the recipient of many awards for her work, including the NATOA Community Broadband Hero, the Pathfinder Award from MassCUE, the CRSTE Leadership and Vision Award, a Google Digital Inclusion Award, Motherboard Human of the Year, an NTENny Award, the Charles Benton Digital Equity Award, the Red Cross Call to Action Award, and the ChaTech CEO of the Year Award.
Jill Thornton, Secretary
With over 25 years of broadband industry consulting experience, Jill’s focus is on new business development, creating partnerships and assisting clients with expanding broadband networks. She joined Consortia Consulting in 2004, after assisting with many competitive local exchange startups and managing regulatory and compliance services for Iowa municipal utilities.
Jill is an expert in business analysis, contract negotiations, interconnection and provider agreements, operational challenges, regulatory compliance, grant applications, resource sharing and business opportunities. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree with emphasis in Business Law Studies from Morningside University in Sioux City, Iowa. Jill serves on Consortia’s Board of Directors and works in West Des Moines, Iowa.
Chris Roy, Member-at-large
Chris Roy is the General Manager of Shrewsbury Electric and Cable Operations (SELCO) in Massachusetts. Over the last 18 years, Chris has led broadband modernization efforts for utilities ranging from a municipal broadband startup to a mature cable operator. This is in addition to his role leading the electric utility to a fully decarbonized power portfolio by 2032. Chris has been a strong advocate for municipal broadband and public power in both his personal and professional life.
Chris holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Tufts University, a Masters of Science in Power Systems Management from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and was honored as one of the 50 most influential people in the Central Massachusetts economy in 2022.
Julie Smith, Member-at-large
Julie Smith received a B.A. in History at Coe College in Cedar Rapids and a J.D. from the University of Iowa Law School in Iowa City. Her first job out of law school was with West Publishing Company in St. Paul, MN. After that she accepted a position as Legislative Counsel with the Iowa Legislature drafting bills and amendments.
In 1996, Smith became General Counsel for the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities. One of the first bills she worked on was to authorize municipal utilities to offer cable and telecommunications services in the state of Iowa. Over the years, she continued to work on behalf of municipal utilities and also in various capacities as a contract lobbyist. In addition to representing clients, Smith was the Director of the Drake University Law School's Legislative Practice Center and taught legislative classes for over 20 years.
In 2024, after 35 years at the Iowa Capitol, Smith moved to Colorado and currently lives and works from the Front Range enjoying the wildflowers and mountain views.
Mike Brems, Member-at-large
Mike Brems is the Iowa District Sales Manager for Power & Tel, a premier wholesale distributor to the global communications marketplace.
Mike is respected throughout the broadband industry for his commitment to service, partnerships, and a strong and vibrant broadband community. He currently serves as Iowa Chapter Vice President for SCTE, the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers, sits on several additional industry-related boards, and has been awarded the Iowa Communications Alliance Associate Member of the Year.