The Chief Credit Officer at the Territorial Bank of American Samoa, Ethan Lake resigned from the bank on June 17th to accept a newly created Federal position for National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) under the US Department of Commerce. Mr. Lake had been working at TBAS for just over a year.
In his new Federal position, Mr. Lake is tasked to manage the broadband grants for the territory and coordinate with the local broadband stakeholders and partners in America, as well as with villages and community leaders.
He will also work with internal NTIA and US DOC offices to achieve U.S. broadband equity, access, and deployment goals. He will oversee a portfolio of grant projects for American Samoa to ensure broadband deployment and digital equity goals are met and recipients comply with regulations and policies.
Mr. Lake began his career and background in technology with the US Air Force, serving 11 years as a Military Intelligence Officer in Europe.
After relocation to American Samoa in 2003, he was Blue Sky Communication’s Internet and Data Services Manager for four years, followed by a short stint as General Manager for Pacific Island Cable, the island’s only cable company at the time.
He later moved to the American Samoa Telecommunications Authority, where he was Sales and Marketing Manager.
Lake, then, took on a role as Fusion Center Administrator at the Department of Homeland Security and was also the local Program Manager for FirstNet — a nationwide, high-speed broadband communications platform dedicated to and purpose-built for America’s first responders and the extended public safety community.
