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BEMIDJI — Paul Bunyan Communications has been awarded two national Excellence Awards from NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association that represents over 850 independent, community-based telecommunications companies that are leading innovative change in smart rural communities across America.

Gary Johnson, CEO of Paul Bunyan Communications, received the James L. Bass Manager Life Achievement Award for his 35 years at Paul Bunyan, working his way up from computer programmer to CEO.

"Johnson led the charge to leverage Paul Bunyan’s all-fiber network and other initiatives including the Bemidji Technology Park, 218 Relocate program and GigaZone Gaming Championship and TechXpo," a release said. "He has also served on several NTCA committees, the NISC Board, Calix Leadership Advisory Board as well as many local boards focused on healthcare and economic development."

The Innovation Award was given to Paul Bunyan Communications' Chief Technology Officer Leo Anderson and Marketing Supervisor Brian Bissonette for teaming up to create and lead the GigaZone Gaming Championship and TechXpo.

The GigaZone event not only highlights Paul Bunyan’s all-fiber network but also brings innovation to the forefront in how it connects the cooperative to school-aged gamers by showing them that the potential for successful careers in tech exists at home, explained the release. Last year, Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple, was the keynote speaker, thanks in large part to Anderson and Bissonette’s outreach efforts.

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"We are honored to have received two NTCA Excellence Awards," Randy Frisk, Paul Bunyan Communications board president, said in the release. "We are so proud of Gary and all that he has accomplished in his 35 years with our cooperative. He has made a monumental impact on the region, the members we serve and the industry."

"We are also excited that Leo and Brian were selected for the Innovation Award," Frisk added. "They have led the charge to create and grow the GigaZone Gaming Championship and TechXpo which is an event unlike any other. Winning two of our national association’s eight annual awards, selected from nearly 900 companies, is certainly an acknowledgment of the great work being done by our entire team."

The NTCA Excellence Awards recognize broadband providers who have exceeded expectations to support their customers and community members and to advance communications services in rural America. Winners are selected by the association’s Awards Committee comprising NTCA members.

"The rural telecommunications industry is home to thousands of talented, generous and accomplished individuals and today I am delighted to recognize some of the very best," NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield said in the release. "The 2023 Excellence Award winners exemplify the values of dedication, service and innovation in their work and communities. I want to congratulate and thank Gary, Brian, Leo, and all of the Paul Bunyan Communications team for their contributions to our industry and their communities."

For more information about NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association, visit