Keith Gabbard

Keith Gabbard is the CEO of Peoples Rural Telephone Cooperative (PRTC) in McKee, Kentucky, a position he has held since 1996. With nearly 50 years in the telecommunications industry, Gabbard began his tenure at PRTC in 1976, initially answering phones. He is a lifelong resident of Jackson County and an alumnus of Eastern Kentucky University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in management.

Under Gabbard’s leadership, PRTC has transformed telecommunications in Jackson and Owsley Counties by implementing a 100% fiber-optic network, completed in 2014. This initiative positioned the region as one of the first in Kentucky, and even the nation, to offer gigabit-speed internet to all residents, significantly enhancing opportunities in education, healthcare, and economic development.

In addition to his role at PRTC, Gabbard has served on the Eastern Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board, the Foundation for Rural Service Board of Directors, the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, the East Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program Board, and as president of the Kentucky Rural Broadband Association.

Gabbard’s dedication to enhancing connectivity and fostering economic development has garnered national recognition, including features in prominent publications such as The New Yorker.