SBC names new president for Oklahoma operations

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Jim Epperson, president of Southwestern Bell's operations in Oklahoma, is moving to SBC Communications' headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, to oversee legislative policy and

Friday, June 21st 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Jim Epperson, president of Southwestern Bell's operations in Oklahoma, is moving to SBC Communications' headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, to oversee legislative policy and strategy for SBC's 13- state market, a company spokesman said.

SBC has named Nevada Bell President Marsha J. Lindsey, an Oklahoma native, as its new president for Southwestern Bell's Oklahoma operations, spokesman Marty Richter said.

The changes, which will occur early in July, were announced just two months after broadband legislation was signed into law in Oklahoma allowing Southwestern Bell to expand its digital subscriber line networks without sharing the equipment or technology with other companies.

Epperson called Oklahoma ``a poster child for the way to do things. The proof of that is the broadband bill and the fact that we're spending $30 million here that we're not spending anywhere else.''

Epperson, of Tahlequah, began his career with SBC in Oklahoma in 1979. He held positions in St. Louis, San Antonio and southern California before moving back to Oklahoma, where he has been the president for more than two years.

Lindsey started working for SBC in 1975 in Oklahoma City. As head of Nevada Bell, Lindsey has been responsible for the company's regulatory, legislative, governmental and external affairs in that state. She was named to the position in October 1999.

Southwestern Bell has about 1.4 million access lines in Oklahoma, which include customers ranging from single homes to large businesses. It employs about 5,000 people in Oklahoma.

Lindsey said she doesn't expect to change the company's direction in Oklahoma.

``The previous team, including Jim Epperson and the employees in Oklahoma, have done a great job. I think my No. 1 goal will be to deploy DSL out to the rural areas. ... I'm anxious to get involved in that,'' she said.

In April, SBC announced it would expand its DSL service in Oklahoma with an investment of more than $30 million in equipment, bringing its high-speed Internet service to 37 additional rural communities.

SBC also announced that John T. Montford has been named president of SBC Southwestern Bell and SBC SNET, and will represent the company's activities in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Texas and Connecticut.

Montford will succeed Wayne Alexander, who is retiring after 31 years with SBC.