A tech company you can trust.
NorthState is an innovative, forward-thinking communications and information technology company dedicated to meeting the needs of consumers and businesses in the Triad and beyond. Our goal is to provide the best, most technologically advanced products and services available.
Leadership Team
Officers
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J. Patrick Harman
Chairman
J. Patrick (Pat) Harman, PhD, is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of North State Telecommunications Corporation, our parent company. He is the grandson of the company’s founder Jesse F. Hayden. He joined NorthState in 1965, serving in a variety of management roles. He left the company in 1974 to obtain his PhD from Clemson University. In 1978, he returned to NorthState as our Vice President, Operations and Planning. In 1984, he became our Secretary and Treasurer.
He ended full-time employment with NorthState in 1985, working as a consultant to the President and other corporate officers, and served as an Executive Vice President until his appointment as our Chairman of the Board and CEO in 2012. In 2014, he stepped down from the CEO role, continuing to serve as our Chairman of the Board. He holds a B.S. degree in Engineering from Clemson University, an M.S. in Business Administration from UNC-Greensboro, and a PhD in Engineering Management from Clemson University.
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Royster Tucker III
President and Chief Executive Officer
Royster Tucker III has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer since 2014, where he is responsible for the growth and management of the company. He has served as a member of our Board of Directors since 1992 where he currently serves as Vice Chairman. From 2008 to 2014, he served as our President and Chief Operating Officer. From 1999 to 2008, he served as an Executive Vice President. From 1992 to 1999, he served as a Vice President. The son of Royster Tucker Jr., who served as our Chairman and President from 1982 to 2008, and the great grandson of our founder Jesse F. Hayden, he joined NorthState in 1981 and has served in a variety of operations, marketing, engineering and technology roles as well as management positions. He holds an A.B. in Business Administration from Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, NC.
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Jeff Chapman
Executive Vice President, Operations
Jeff Chapman became Executive Vice President, Operations in 2017 and provides overall operational direction and management oversight for NorthState. Prior to joining NorthState, Jeff served as Chief Executive Officer for Bridgepoint Services, a telecommunications services provider in Plano, Texas. Earlier in his career, Jeff was Executive Vice President of Engineering Services for FiberLight, which has more than 1,700,000 miles of fiber optic infrastructure. He received a BA degree in business administration and management from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri.
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Glenn Johnson
Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer/Chief Information Security Officer
Glenn Johnson became Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer/Chief Information Security Officer in 2017 and provides leadership to North State’s information systems and related technologies, including managing policy and strategic direction for companywide IT security functions. Earlier in his career, Glenn held technical positions in security, networking and Unix administration for two Fortune 100 companies. He received BS and MS degrees in information systems from La Salle University.
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Joel Lemke
Executive Vice President and President of Technology Solutions
Joel Lemke was named Executive Vice President in 2017 and also serves as President of the Technology Solutions business unit. An experienced senior executive, he formerly served in senior leadership positions for companies including IBM, Dassault Systemes and founded his own company NovaQuest, LLC. Joel has more than 30 years of experience in strategy, product development, marketing, sales, services and support, primarily in the technology field. A member of numerous professional associations, Joel earned a BSEE degree from Purdue University.
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Scott Toth
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Scott Toth was named our Chief Financial Officer in 2017, overseeing the company’s financial operations and information technology functions. Prior to joining North State, Mr. Toth held various management positions, including CFO, for companies repositioning themselves within the automotive, transportation and senior living industries. The companies included Arvin Industries, FedEx and Pennybyrn at Maryfield (Maryfield, Inc.). Mr. Toth began his career at Coopers & Lybrand in 1986. A certified public accountant, he earned a Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of Georgia and a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the State University of New York.
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Scott Watts
Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
Scott Watts was named our Chief Marketing Officer in 2015, overseeing overall corporate marketing, revenue planning, market research, sales, user support and advocacy, business development and strategic opportunities. He served as our Director, Product Management and Marketing from 2009 to 2015. Scott worked in various management roles at CT Communications in Concord, NC prior to joining NorthState. He earned his B.A. degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from UNC-Charlotte and his MBA from North Carolina State University.
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Lynn B. Welborn
Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer
Lynn Welborn was named Chief Administrative Officer in late 2014, overseeing our people operations, external affairs, shareholder relations and corporate administration and support functions. She served as our Vice President, Administration from early 2014 until her new appointment. She served as our Director, External Affairs from 2009 to 2014. She joined NorthState in 1975, beginning as a Telephone Operator, having served in a variety of roles and management positions in our external affairs area. She holds a B.A. in Management and Ethics from John Wesley College (currently Laurel University) and an M.B.A. from High Point University.
Board of Directors
- J. Patrick Harman, Chairman
- Royster M. Tucker III, Vice Chairman
- C. Hayden McKenzie
- Jonathan M. Cage
- William H. Dula
- Jesse H. Jarrell
- Coulson S. Mucher
- Sarah M. Olson
- Lizbeth W. Privette
Our History
North State was initially established as High Point Telephone Exchange by local businessmen in 1895. In 1899, J.F. Hayden, an inventor and visionary who had earlier pioneered the first telephone system in neighboring Thomasville, purchased the High Point company and rapidly began expanding both systems.
In 1905, Hayden incorporated the High Point-based company and changed the name to North State Telephone Company. In 1919, Hayden purchased High Point’s competing Southern Bell system, which had been operating since 1907. In 1920, NorthState earned broad recognition when it became the first telephone company in the state to install the automatic-dial system.
1929, the company purchased the Randleman telephone system. The company continued its pattern of innovation and growth when the Thomasville company was merged into NorthState in 1935.
NorthState continues to operate from a High Point headquarters as one of the nation’s 15 largest integrated communications companies. NorthState continues to build upon a full range of personal, home and business products and services, including broadband Internet, voice services, digital television services, business advertising, data and IP-based business services. The company’s reach extends over a broad area of the Piedmont Triad Region of North Carolina, including the communities of High Point, Thomasville, Archdale, Randleman, Jamestown, Trinity, Greensboro and Kernersville.
NorthState maintains a robust network comprising more than 68,000 miles of high-capacity fiber optic facilities used to carry everything from voice and broadband Internet services to networking and IP services as well as critical back-up and disaster recovery data for businesses.
NorthState serves the complex needs of some of the Triad’s largest employers.
As technology advances, NorthState will continue to grow and innovate, always operating in the forward-thinking spirit in which it was established under the guidance of J.F. Hayden’s progressive business mind.
