Rick Roell

Brian Eckel-Hare, library director, Jeff Beebe, Connect Ohio, and Rick Roell, awardee

Rick Roell, of Henry County, was presented with a Broadband Hero Award Friday, September 16, during a short ceremony at the Liberty Center Public Library. Connect Ohio acknowledged Roell for his commitment to expanding the knowledge and use of technology in his community.

Roell has been an Every Citizen Online (ECO) instructor at the Liberty Center Public Library since the program launched early 2011. While most ECO instructors are paid, Roell chooses to volunteer his time and knowledge and instructs most of the classes offered at the location.

“It’s a lot of fun to do,” said Roell. “I enjoy the people a lot. The library always bent over backwards for me and my family, so this is the least I can do.”

Brian Eckel-Hare, the library’s director, nominated Roell as a Connect Ohio Broadband Hero. According to Eckel-Hare, he nominated Roell not only for his ECO instructing, but also for Roell’s continued community service through being available to share his IT knowledge with others and his work as a part time pastor.

“Rick is willing to give a lot of time to (the library) and to others out of the goodness of his heart,” said Eckel-Hare.

Roell has a master’s degree in software engineering and was an IT technician with the Air Force. He has been teaching computer classes for a number of years. Roell currently provides IT expertise for a small company in Henry County.

Read more about the ECO class training offered at Liberty Center Library and view photos on the Connect Ohio blog.

Katrina Flory

Katrina Flory, of Columbus, was presented with a Broadband Hero Award Friday, June 24, at Connect Ohio’s quarterly Technology Association Meeting. Connect Ohio acknowledged Ms. Flory for her diligence and direction in helping the organization’s efforts of leading broadband and technology expansion throughout the state.

Ms. Flory serves as Chief Administrator within the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, Office of Information Technology (OIT).  The OIT delivers statewide information technology and telecommunication services to state government agencies, boards, and commissions, as well as policy and standards development, lifecycle investment planning, and privacy and security management. The OIT has six specialized sections, which include: Investment and Governance, Infrastructure Services (MARCS and other state communications and hardware systems), Digital Government, the Ohio Administrative Knowledge System (OAKS), the Office of Information Security & Privacy Management, and DAS Information Technology Services (ITS). 

Ms. Flory began her career in state government in 1995 with the Ohio Department of Taxation.  In 2000, she was appointed to the Ohio Department of Administrative Services and served as executive assistant to the state Chief information Officer and Assistant Director. She joined the Office of Information Technology (OIT) in 2004.

In her current role she has led efforts to establish and communicate the strategic direction for OIT and acts as a dynamic change agent for various technology initiatives.

For more information on the Department of Administrative Services Office of Information Technology, visit http://das.ohio.gov/Divisions/InformationTechnology/tabid/79/Default.aspx.

Matthew Pepper

Matthew Pepper, of Chesterhill, was presented with a Broadband Hero Award Wednesday, March 16, at a Morgan County last-mile initiative meeting in McConnelsville. Connect Ohio acknowledged Mr. Pepper for the many hours and resources he donates to help households in his community get connected to broadband.

“I’m surprised,” said Pepper. “It’s wonderful to be recognized.”

The small town of Chesterhill, with a population of just a few hundred people, had a non-operational wireless Internet connection. Mr. Pepper worked with the municipality to create a functional WISP, which now services over 50 households in the area. He continues to volunteer his time and resources to expand the high-speed Internet’s availability by scouting area towers for transmitter locations and climbing roofs to place routers on houses and businesses. He is single handedly expanding broadband one house at a time in his community.

“(Broadband) adoption is not the issue. Availability is the issue,” said Pepper. “There’s no shortage of people asking to be added to the wireless system. I want to change this.”

Mr. Pepper also helps his local library with computer set-up, troubleshooting, and network connectivity and provided data and information to Connect Ohio’s technical outreach staff for completion of a broadband expansion model recently presented to Morgan County officials.

Connect Ohio thanks Matthew Pepper for his volunteerism and passion towards advancing technology and broadband availability to Ohioans.