Shallotte, NC – FOCUS Broadband’s CEO, Keith Holden was recently named to the WilmingtonBiz list of top 100 Power Players, Influencers, Innovators, Connectors and Rising Stars. The publication, which is an annual initiative by the Wilmington Business Journal, recognizes the top individuals impacting southeastern North Carolina’s business landscape.

This is the third consecutive year that Holden has been named to the Top 100 list and this year he was recognized in the Innovator category. Holden, a Brunswick County native, began his career with FOCUS Broadband in 1998. He was promoted to CEO in 2018 and has led the company ever since.

Holden’s recognition can be attributed to his role in FOCUS Broadband’s expansion to different counties around southeastern North Carolina and to continual improvements in the cooperative’s traditional service area. Under his guidance, the company successfully secured more than $100 million dollars in state and federal broadband grants. These grants have empowered FOCUS Broadband to deliver high-speed internet access to rural communities in Brunswick, Columbus, Robeson, Pender, Duplin, Bladen, Hoke, Scotland, Chowan and Perquimans counties.

Holden’s visionary leadership has also advocated FOCUS Broadband’s work to make gigabit broadband service available throughout the company’s entire service area. Over 3,400 homes and businesses have already transitioned to fiber optics as part of a multi-year project to replace all copper and coaxial cable networks in the Brunswick County service area with a new 100% fiber optic network. These advancements mark a significant stride towards creating a more interconnected future for rural residents in southeast North Carolina.

In addition to his role at FOCUS Broadband, Holden serves on the boards of several influential broadband and communications organizations, including CarolinaLink, AccessOn Networks, National Telcom Corporation, and the Carolina-Virginia’s Broadband Membership Association. In 2021, Holden was appointed by North Carolina Governor, Roy Cooper to serve as the Telecommunications Industry Representative on the North Carolina Underground Damage Review Board.