Last month, Casey Peck, general manager of KCTC, was awarded the HER Magazine Woman of Achievement Award, recognizing her work and leadership in the telecommunications field.

HER Magazine is a publication that showcases women in business in Eastern Iowa and who awarded 13 women in the area with the Woman of Achievement Award.

The HER Magazine award comes on the heels of KCTC being selected as the Washington Business of the Year for their work to bring advanced communications networks to the city. Under Peck’s leadership, KCTC stepped up during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing free internet to school families so that students could learn virtually—the families did not even need to be subscribers of the company. Many KCTC employees also donated their time to provide livesteaming services so the community would have the ability to watch events such as the Washington County Fair, Mid-Prairie graduation, athletic, and fine arts events, and other events in the community that had restricted attendance during the pandemic.

Despite all her recent successes, Peck was surprised when she was selected as a HER Woman of Achievement awardee.

“It’s funny, because when they called to tell me, I didn’t really believe them. I thought it’s such an honor and it’s not something that I was expecting at all, it was a total surprise,” Peck said. “The group of women that were awarded, there were a couple from Iowa City and the rest, besides myself, were from Cedar Rapids. It was a humbling experience and I’m very grateful.”

Peck started the KCTC in 2001 as an accountant and, over time, progressed to be the General Manager, as appointed by the KCTC board of directors. She said that there aren’t a lot of female managers in the telecommunications field, but with every passing year, more and more women are entering and succeeding in the area.

“Hopefully, [this award] is setting a path for other women to step into the technology field and be able to really expand and do all they want to do,” Peck said. “I want women not be intimidated by trying hard for growth and being in this industry.”

In addition to her work at KCTC, Peck is active in the community, serving on many public boards and committees. She started the Mid-Prairie Archery Club in 2019, which has grown to include 55 participants in grades 5-12. Peck also mentors young leaders in the telecommunication industry through the National Telecommunications Association.

Peck said she owes a lot of her success to her family, including her parents, husband and three sons.

“I have had a lot of really great people in my life, major influences who have brought me where I am today,” she said. “I’ve encountered a lot of people who allowed me to grow and do everything I wanted to do… I’m really fortunate to have a good team at KCTC and a lot of people who support everything I do.”