Despite oversight of a large, diverse geographical area encompassing West Texas, Arizona, Nevada and California, Preston is still able to bring a hyperlocal focus to everything she does. That’s included a recent network upgrade in Sedona, Arizona, and improving retail stores and sponsorship of a local softball tournament in Bullhead City, Arizona. She’s also passionate about uniting her team, which she leads with the chant, “WE are West Pac.” “I spend a lot of time traveling to all the markets and make it a priority to always meet with employees and customers to learn what makes a market special. Taking the time to listen to the challenges the community might be facing, the local initiatives that our employees are passionate about and then partnering with my peers on solutions to make an impact is what motivates me daily,” Preston says. “Being able to bring together an entire community and our local employees to champion a cause and make a difference in the towns they live in is purposeful and as my grandfather told me when I didn’t know what I wanted to do after college, ‘if you live with purpose, you will live a great life.’” Sean O’Connell, Optimum’s SVP and Regional General Manager, joined the company around the same time as Preston. He recognized her immediately as a great leader. “There is an immense amount of trust and engagement between Kathleen and her team. This trust has translated into positive results both for the company and employee morale,” he says. “Under Kathleen’s leadership, her team consistently leads many company initiatives and brings new ideas/solutions to accelerate our business.”
CHAMPION
Sean O’Connell
“Kathleen achieves whatever she sets her mind to. She is a great leader and role model and can grow into any role that fits her career ambitions. Her passion for success and people with the right values sets her up for growth and will continue for many years to come.”