Five accomplished leaders are tasked with governing and operationalizing new cable landing station grounded in bringing connectivity to unserved and under-served markets
TAHOLAH, WA - December 6, 2022 - Toptana Technologies, the only indigenous-owned cable landing station and backhaul network provider on the West Coast of the United States, today announced the establishment of its first Board of Directors. On the heels of the brand and website launch, Toptana Technologies is actively building the foundation for a sustainable, environmentally-conscious and socially responsible pathway to meet the market demand for both transpacific subsea and terrestrial connectivity in the Pacific Northwest, while working to improve the lives of millions left behind in the digital divide.
Toptana Technologies, an enterprise of the Quinault Indian Nation (QIN), recruited a leading cohort of regional and industry experts that will provide strategic direction to fully operationalize the first Washington State cable landing station in over 20 years. Each officer was carefully considered by Quinault Indian Nation leadership not just for the contributions from their expertise, but also to ensure alignment with the core values exemplified in the company’s community and sustainability-centric mission.
The inaugural officers of the Toptana Technologies Board of Directors include:
· Tyson Johnston, President - Policy Representative of the Quinault Indian Nation and Head of Development, Toptana Technologies; In addition to serving as the former Vice President of the Quinault Indian Nation, Johnston has held several leadership positions throughout his career on behalf of the Quinault Business Committee. In each of these roles, his mission has been to tenaciously defend and represent QIN on matters that impact the tribe’s daily life and its future while actively engaging on issues such as climate change, resource conservation and the digital divide. As the Head of Development for Toptana and President of the Board of Directors, Johnston will continue to work to bring growth, connectivity, and opportunity to the QIN community and beyond.
· Reuven Carlyle, Vice President - Washington State Senate (36th District); Carlyle is a technology entrepreneur, climate and sustainability consultant and a state senator, offering decades of unique experiences at the intersection of business and environmentally focused public policy. As Chair of the Environment, Energy & Technology Committee for the Washington State Senate, Carlyle supports the advancement of the state’s policies on broadband deployment, data centers, and state information technology, all through an environmentally responsible lens, which will be leveraged for shaping Toptana’s strategic endeavors in his position as Vice President.
· Daniel Ebling, Treasurer - Acting Chief Financial Officer, Quinault Indian Nation and Head of Finance, Toptana Technologies; Ebling’s experience spans across capital funding, finance, and accounting, with proven success in managing the self-governance, economic development, fiscal management, risk analysis, and new enterprise development for QIN. In this new role as Board Treasurer, Ebling will continue his passion for building strong teams and the implementation of corporate social responsibility initiatives with an eye to ensuring sustainable prosperity for generations to come.
· Mercy Manning, Member-at-Large - Vice President of Sales & Sustainability Strategy, Aligned Data Centers; Manning’s strategic sales, business development and financial experience spans the technology industry and is rooted in the start-up culture of Silicon Valley where she helped pioneer the adoption of new IoT, wireless and AI-enabled energy efficiency technologies for the commercial real estate and mission critical data center industries. Her skills and perspectives will be used to establish cloud and hyperscale relationships, accelerate growth and provide voice of customer insight (or feedback), while advancing the ESG and sustainability principles of Toptana’s mission.
· John Mariano, Member-at-Large - President, DRG Undersea Consulting; Mariano brings over 40 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, where he has specialized in planning, deployment and the operation of undersea fiber systems. Combining both business and technical acumen and building on a proven track record of advancing major commercial transoceanic systems and environmental sensor networks across the globe, Mariano is positioned to help set a winning strategy for Toptana, its partners and customers.
"I applaud the Quinault Indian Nation for embarking on this bold mission to build industry-leading communications infrastructure in Washington, and I am proud to support this work as Vice President of the Toptana Technologies Board of Directors," said Carlyle. "This sustainably designed, premier cable landing station and data center represents the best in next generation infrastructure. It will help strengthen the backbone of global communications while bringing better connectivity to the QIN and regional communities.”
“Throughout my career, I have had the great privilege of working on new technologies and scaling organizations that have been opportunities to advance sustainable innovation. I am thrilled to continue this work as a board advisor to Toptana Technologies as it embarks on a great journey to not only meet the growing need for connectivity in this region, but also create a sustainable business for the Quinault Indian Nation,” said Manning. “This is a deeply meaningful project, one which will have an incredible impact, and I am eager to help advance its mission forward.”
"Toptana Technologies has embarked on implementing a new, critical infrastructure facility that will benefit not only the Quinault Indian Nation but also contribute a key landing facility and data center supporting the rapidly growing need for connectivity, both within the U.S. and internationally,” said Mariano. “I am looking forward to sharing my own industry experience to help support this groundbreaking new venture.”
For more information on Toptana’s sales and operations, including the leadership team, please visit: www.toptanatech.com.
About Toptana Technologies
Toptana is driven by a vision of a truly connected world. We’re an indigenous-owned internet infrastructure and technology company focused on bringing connectivity to unserved and under-served communities. Our mission is to connect the digitally disconnected so that all people can fully participate in the digital economy.
Toptana is driven by a vision of a truly connected world. We’re an indigenous-owned internet infrastructure and technology company focused on bringing connectivity to unserved and under-served communities. Our mission is to connect the digitally disconnected so that all people can fully participate in the digital economy.
Our Washington State cable landing station offers subsea transpacific connectivity from the U.S. to Asia-Pacific markets. The backhaul network offers terrestrial connectivity along the I-5 corridor to Seattle, WA and Hillsboro, OR. We offer businesses the opportunity to get their traffic where it needs to go, while protecting our precious resources and improving the lives of those in need.