Rural Broadband Association Announces Mike Romano as New CEO
Romano has been with the trade group since 2010, the same year Shirley Bloomfield became CEO
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2026 – The Rural Broadband Association once formally known as the National Telephone Cooperative Association, and now simply NTCA, announced Tuesday that Mike Romano has been named CEO effective March 15.
Romano, currently executive vice president of NTCA, replaces Shirley Bloomfield who announced her retirement in September, and who had been in the role since 2010.
Romano currently oversees public policy, government affairs and business development initiatives, the educational and community-focused mission of the Foundation for Rural Service, and several areas of association operations including member engagement and information technology.
Before joining NTCA in 2010, Romano was of counsel with Bingham McCutchen, which is now Morgan Lewis. He also served as the vice president and general counsel of GTT Communications and held a variety of positions with America Online and Level 3 Communications.
“Having worked for the past fifteen years for smaller broadband providers who are working to connect rural America, I have had the opportunity to see firsthand the difference these operators make in driving innovation and lifting up consumers and communities,” said Romano.
“I am grateful for the trust that the NTCA board and the association’s membership have placed in me with this selection, and I look forward to helping them fulfill their mission of delivering connections.”
“Mike has played an integral role in executing NTCA’s mission for more than a decade, he understands NTCA and its member-driven approach, and he is well prepared to advocate forcefully for our industry and the communities we serve,” said Ben Foster, president and CEO of ISG Technology and Twin Valley in Miltonvale, Kan., and NTCA Chairman.
Member discussion