Gary Getchell is a telecommunications industry leader with more than two decades of experience in fiber optic network planning, deployment, and damage prevention across California and the Western United States. He has held senior leadership roles with major carriers and infrastructure providers, including Zayo Group, where he led regional damage-prevention initiatives and coordinated large-scale backbone and metro fiber deployments across Northern California. Gary’s expertise spans OSP and ISP construction, rights-of-way and permitting strategy, joint-build coordination, and multi-jurisdictional infrastructure delivery. Known for his practical, solutions-oriented approach and strong collaboration with public agencies and utilities, he brings deep insight into accelerating network deployment while reducing risk and improving operational performance. Gary is passionate about advancing resilient broadband infrastructure and is excited to share his experience and lessons learned with conference attendees.