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March Volunteer of the Month: Tim Underwood

By March 8, 2021General, HFN, Volunteer
Tim Underwood
Tim Underwood

Tim (right), with his wife, Molly, their son, Evan, and daughter, Nora.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
About a year after I graduated from the University of Washington, I moved to the Sorrento neighborhood of Issaquah Highlands in 2004. In 2016, my wife, Molly, and I bought a house in the Magnolia Park neighborhood where we live today with our two kids. My daughter Nora, age 7, is currently a first-grader at Grand Ridge Elementary, and my son Evan, age 4, will start kindergarten at Grand Ridge later this year.

Why did you choose to live in Issaquah Highlands?
I originally moved to Issaquah Highlands because of its location and vision for the community. We chose to stay in the Highlands because it is a great place to raise our kids (and because we have Highlands Fiber Network (HFN), of course).

Tell us about your experience serving on the HFN Board of Directors.
After moving to the Highlands, I was curious about HFN, so I started to attend the HFN Advisory Group meetings and became a member. In the years that followed, I was involved in several major network decisions aimed at increasing the capabilities and reliability of the network, including the major network re-architecture and equipment upgrade in 2004-2005, choosing IsoFusion as our long-term partner in 2007, and the community’s purchase of the network from Port Blakely in 2013. I am especially proud of the board’s work to negotiate the $70 Quantum Gig plan for the community and all the work since then (and ongoing) to upgrade older portions of the network to be gigabit-capable.

Have you had other volunteer roles while living in Issaquah Highlands?
I was on the Sorrento HOA Board of Directors for many years while living in the Sorrento neighborhood.

What do you hope for HFN in the future?
My hope for the future of HFN is simple: to continue to provide high-quality and reliable service at competitive prices while investing in network infrastructure to prepare for the future.

The HFN Advisory Group meets monthly, currently over Zoom. For more information, see our web calendar or contact HFN General Manager Jeremy Fallt for details. 

Inspired to get involved in our community? Find current volunteer opportunities or reach out to Lindsey Pinkston for more information.

Bonus Content: Read a 2018 interview with Tim on summitting Washington’s five volcanic peaks >>