About Us
Mission Statement
It shall be the aim of Plains Cooperative Telephone Association Inc., to provide dependable area-wide telecommunication services on the cooperative plan and at the lowest cost consistent with sound economy and good management.
PLAINSTEL HISTORY
The Association was formed by pooling seven local telephone firms and was incorporated in 1953. In the beginning, the Cooperative made its headquarters in a former hotel building. Today, the offices in Joes are triple the square footage of the original portion of the offices built in 1966. Plains Telephone serves the towns of Anton, Cope, Eckley, Idalia, Joes, Kirk, and Seibert, Colorado.
David G. Idler of Kirk, Colorado is standing in front of the original headquarters, Joes exchange and directors meeting room, of Plains Cooperative Telephone Association, which was a tightfitting one-car garage.
Bill Berry is standing by an old telephone booth in Kirk, Colorado.
Plains Telephone provides service over a 2000 square mile area.
Customer service is not a department, but a philosophy highly supported by all our employees. Plains Telephone depends upon each employee to deliver extraordinary customer service. We are committed to excellence in providing quality services and products by listening to our customers and responding to their changing needs, wants, and desires.
Career Opportunities
Interested in employment opportunities? Download and fill out this application and bring it on by and we’ll chat!
Staff
- General Manager – Ronny Puckett
- Plant Manager – Shawn Bellows
- Office Manager – Miriam Berry
- Senior Service Representative/Billing – Diane Mann
- Customer Service Representative/Internet – KC Holtman
- Marketing Specialist/Customer Service Rep. – Christi Herrick
- Accountant – Melissa Satterly
- Wray Area Customer Service – Sandy Wolf
- Central Office Supervisor – Dan Underwood
- Systems Administrator/IT – Jason Greenman
- Combination Technician – Todd Roseberry
- Combination Technician – Josh Behrendsen
- Combination Technician – Philip Cox
Board of Directors
MIKE LEERAR – PRESIDENT
Mike Leerar and his wife Jeannie moved to Jeannie’s home town of Eckley in the year 2000. Prior to that time, they lived in and around Yuma, as well as in the Kirk area.
Mike serves on the Yuma County Landfill Board, Yuma County Water Authority and Yuma County Economic Development Board and on the Yuma County Board of Commissioners.
In August of 2018, Mike and Jeannie, along with Terry Oestman, purchased and reopened the Eckley Bar and Grill where Jeannie serves as manager.
Mike and Jeannie enjoy volunteering their time to the community and helping out where they can. Their hobbies include camping, fishing and boating. Mike has been a director for Plains Telephone since 2010.
SHANE WEAVER – VICE-PRESIDENT
Shane and his wife Lisa currently live in the Joes area and have for the last 34 years. They have two grown children, Sam Weaver and wife Jordan of Kirk and Kayla Weaver of Dallas, Texas as well as grandchildren Wes and Wren Weaver.
Shane graduated from Norwood High School in 1988 and then attended Mesa Hotline School in the fall. He graduated in the spring of 1989 with a Lineman Certification. Following graduation, Shane was employed by the City of Loveland Light and Power for a summer internship. Shane also worked for a line contractor before becoming employed by Y-W Electric Association in February of 1990. He has worked and served the community through them for the last 32 years as an Apprentice, Journeyman, and Foreman lineman.
Shane served on the Grassroots Community Center Board for ten years.
His hobbies include hunting, shooting sports and reloading. Shane has been a director for Plains Telephone since 2019.
RANDY GORTON – TREASURER
Randy and his wife Charlene have lived southeast of Vona since 2006 where they farm and run cattle with their sons. They have two sons; Rodney, who lives south of Strasburg and is married to Julie, and has three grown children, Madelynn, Jordann, and Cooper. Bryan, who lives southeast of Vona, is married to Molly, and has two children, Jack and Maggie, who attend Hi-Plains School.
Randy graduated from Seibert High School in 1974 and then ran a dairy for 16 years before going to work for Kit Carson County. At the end of 2023 he retired after 33 years from Kit Carson County Landfill as the Supervisor. In 2009 Randy was appointed and then elected the following year as the County Coroner and he still holds that position at this time.
Randy has served on the Stratton Fire Protection Board as Treasurer, Rocky Mountain Poison Control Board as a Director, and as Past President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Director of the Colorado Coroners Association.
Randy enjoys teaching his grandchildren to shoot and hunt, attending their school activities, and being back on the farm full-time. Randy has been a director for Plains Telephone since 2024.
SARA WALKINSHAW – SECRETARY
Sara has lived in Cope for 40 years. Her husband Shane is superintendent of the Burlington School District. She has two grown children, Ryan & Megan, who both graduated from Arickaree School and who have blessed their parents with five grandchildren.
Sara has worked at Arickaree School as their business manager for over 30 years. She has experienced the advances in technology Plains Telephone has brought to the school with both phone and fiber services. She believes that our rural telecommunications are second to none. She looks forward to the continuation of the excellent services Plains Telephone offers with membership.
Sara is a member of Cope Community Church and involved in Ladies Bible Study, community services and delivers meals to those in need. Sara spends quite a bit of time visiting grandchildren and children. She enjoys traveling and seeing different places. She likes gardening and being outside in the sunshine.
Sara has been a director for Plains Telephone since 2024.
DWAYNE BOWERS – DIRECTOR
Dwayne Bowers has been a part of the Lindon community for most of his life and lives on the family farm. He and his wife Cyndi have 3 grown children, daughters Breeanna and Brittelle, and son Blaine.
Dwayne has used Plains Cooperative Telephone landline and broadband services for years in both his home and his farming business, and has experienced the benefit these telecommunications services offer cooperative members here in the Plains Telephone area, giving him a willingness to work for the future of the cooperative as a board member.
Dwayne has been a director for Plains Telephone since 2010.
DAYTON DRULLINGER – DIRECTOR
Dayton has lived in the Kirk area for his entire 38 years. He grew up attending Liberty School and then Northeastern Junior College after graduation. He and his wife, Megan, farm and ranch in the Kirk area and Megan teaches music at Liberty School. They have four children who attend Liberty School, Garret, Hunter, Logan, and Emmaline.
Dayton was elected to the Liberty J-4 school board in 2023 and is also a longtime volunteer with the Kirk Fire Department.
The Drullinger Family attends St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Wray. Dayton stays busy with cattle, farming and family but also enjoys working on old cars when he can find the time.
Dayton has been a director for Plains Telephone since 2024.
CHAD RICHARDS – DIRECTOR
Chad lives northwest of Idalia where he has ranched for the last 23 years. His wife, Lindsey is an RN at Kit Carson County Public Health and they have 3 children: Aubrey, Cade, and Addison.
Chad graduated from Idalia High School in 1994 and from Panhandle State University in Goodwell, Oklahoma in 1998 with a BS in Agri-Business and a minor in Animal Science.
Chad serves as Vice-President/Secretary for the Bonny Community Club; he has volunteered for the Artist in Residence Program at the Idalia School, and has also served on the Idalia FFA Ag Advisory Board and the Idalia Fire Department. Chad enjoys country dancing, hunting and roping. Chad has been a director for Plains Telephone since 2020.