Telecom Veteran with 30 Years of Fiber and Network Leadership Joins Growing Regional Provider
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (July 7, 2026) — Dobson Fiber, a leading regional provider of high-speed fiber internet, today announced the appointment of Joann Shumard as Chief Technical Officer. In this role, Shumard will lead the company’s technology strategy, network engineering, and infrastructure operations as Dobson Fiber continues its expansion across the communities it serves.
Shumard joins Dobson Fiber with 30 years of telecommunications leadership, bringing deep expertise in engineering, operations, and large‑scale network transformation. Most recently serving as Chief Network Officer at Point Broadband, she integrated and modernized strategic systems to enhance performance, strengthen reliability, and elevate customer experience. Prior to that, she spent more than two decades at Comcast, leading at the regional level and ultimately rising to Vice President of Engineering and Operations at the national level. Joann is widely recognized for driving operational excellence, modernizing network architectures, and guiding organizations through complex transformation that deliver measurable improvements in customer experience and enterprise performance.
“We are thrilled to welcome Joann to the Dobson Fiber leadership team,” said Patricia Martin, Chief Executive Officer of Dobson Fiber. “Her track record of building and scaling fiber infrastructure, driving operational excellence, and leading high-performing engineering teams makes her exactly the right person to help us deliver on our mission of connecting communities with world-class service. Joann’s expertise will be instrumental as we accelerate our network buildout and continue raising the bar for our customers.”
Throughout her career, Shumard has earned recognition for transforming legacy network environments, advancing cybersecurity and IT strategies, and converting complex capital investments into measurable business outcomes. She co-authored research on machine learning applications for network operations centers, work presented at the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) national conference and is regarded as a thought leader in fiber infrastructure and technology transformation across the telecommunications industry.
“Dobson Fiber is doing exceptional work connecting communities across Oklahoma and Arkansas with reliable, high-speed fiber, and I’m honored to be part of that mission,” said Shumard. “There is tremendous opportunity ahead, and I look forward to working with this talented team to build the infrastructure and operational foundation that will fuel our next chapter of growth.”
Shumard holds a Master of Science in Management and Leadership from Purdue University Global, a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University, and a Bachelor of Science in Business from Indiana University. She is a graduate of the SCTE executive leadership program Tuck at Dartmouth, and is a recipient of the Texas Chapter, Women in Cable & Telecommunications (WICT) Woman in Technology Award.
About Dobson Fiber
Dobson Fiber owns and operates a 8,800+ mile regional fiber-optic network and provides high-speed internet and voice over internet telephone solutions to residential and business customers in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas. Dobson Fiber is an Oklahoma-based and privately-owned telecommunications company. To learn more, visit dobson.net.