Northern Michigan University is honoring the team behind the Educational Access Network—a groundbreaking regional broadband initiative recently sold to Michigan Broadband Services for $21 million, securing long-term benefits for the university and local communities.
Gavin Leach, NMU executive vice president for finance and administration—who led the initial development of the EAN and oversees university technology services—expressed his gratitude to the dedicated staff and students who made the groundbreaking project possible.
"Creating and running a regional broadband network is something no other university has ever done," Leach said. "The success of the network created a $21 million asset for NMU, and with its recent sale, it has strengthened the university's long-term financial position and will allow us to invest in core strategic priorities such as enrollment growth, academic programming, and student success. None of this would have been possible without the tireless efforts of an exceptional team."
Leach highlighted several key individuals who were instrumental in driving EAN's success:
- Dave Maki: "First of all, I want to recognize Dave Maki, who designed and developed the network architecture that made it work. Dave single-handedly accomplished work that would normally require a full team at a commercial company. He was my go-to partner in making this vision a reality. His impact extends far beyond technical design; Dave was also instrumental in working with me to implement Northern's long-running laptop program and has rendered outstanding service to the university for many years."
- Chris Lewis: "Next, I want to acknowledge Chris Lewis, who managed sales and customer support for the EAN system. Starting from scratch, Chris and his team built a complete sales and service operation that grew to serve 7,500 community members and families throughout the Upper Peninsula, as well as NMU's faculty, staff, and students. By leading a dedicated staff and student team, Chris built robust customer acquisition and billing processes while maintaining an outstanding customer satisfaction rating consistently above 95%."
- Eric Smith: "I would also like to recognize Eric Smith, who served as the EAN's community liaison. Eric built crucial partnerships with local communities, enabling NMU to rapidly expand its network throughout the U.P. In addition, Eric and Dave Maki worked closely with me to secure the necessary FCC licensing to build out the network."
- John Marra: "Special thanks go to John Marra, who manages the LTE core and supporting infrastructure critical to the EAN's network operations. John now serves as Chief Technology Officer and directs the university's technology team."
- Key Support Personnel: "Additional thanks go to Matt Franti, who assisted with the complex federal compliance filings related to 'rip and replace' mandates as well as the transition during the sale; Lauren Polick, lead EAN sales and service supervisor overseeing the 30+ students and the entire Customer Premises Equipment return program; and Stephanie Penhale, Don Salo, and Nick Cousineau who helped build out infrastructure at our transmission sites and performed essential on-site maintenance in all weather conditions; Karla Rosillo EAN support supervisor; and Courtney Alli who helped maintain all the asset inventory for the program."
"Finally, I want to recognize all the additional staff members and approximately 30 student workers whose hard work and dedication made the Educational Access Network a historic success for Northern Michigan University," Leach concluded.