Mel Ewing – CTO @ 3 Rivers Communications
Our Herd Freed Hartz executive search team was honored to partner with 3 Rivers Communications on a retained executive search to find their new Chief Technology Officer (CTO) in rural Montana.
3 Rivers Communications is a member-owned telecommunications cooperative providing broadband, VoIP, and related IP-based services to rural communities across central and western Montana. 3 Rivers operates an extensive fiber network that is 97% built out (100% by end of 2026) delivering reliable high speed broadband connectivity to homes, businesses, and institutions throughout its rural service area across 16,000 square miles serving 17,000 customers.Founded in 1953, 3 Rivers is a cooperative with a team of 120 employees and a long history of serving as a trusted community partner.
The cooperative is headquarted in Fairfield, Montana (30 minutes from Great Falls). 3 Rivers has cultivated a strong, family-oriented culture and a customer-focused approach that prioritizes the needs of its members – particularly the farms, ranches and small towns that are often overlooked by larger companies. 3 Rivers’ culture values open communication, collaboration, and shared ownership. As a cooperative, decisions are member-focused and team-driven – people who thrive at 3 Rivers are comfortable pitching in, sharing information freely, and prioritizing what’s best for the whole company over personal recognition. They see coworkers as partners, not competitors, and understand that serving its members well is the ultimate bottom line.
Just as important, they’re genuinely comfortable living and working in rural Montana – appreciating small-town life, close community ties, and the pace and realities that come with it. The 3 Rivers environment rewards humility, adaptability, family-feel and community commitment – not office politics, ego, or big-city anonymity.
Tim Riley, CEO shared about their executive search process: “Partnering with Paul was a highly effective and seamless experience. From the outset, he demonstrated a strong willingness to understand our organization, culture, and the specific requirements of the role, which was reflected in the quality of candidates he presented.”
This nationwide retained executive search was led by Paul Freed/Managing Partner.
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