Meet the Team Behind the Fiber: Bart Hopkins, NOC/IT & Security Solutions Supervisor
Behind every reliable internet connection is a team working to keep things running smoothly, troubleshoot problems, and help customers get back online when something goes wrong. At NHTC, Bart Hopkins helps lead that effort as our NOC/IT and Security Solutions Supervisor. Bart has been part of the NHTC team for 13 years, and if you ask him what a typical day looks like, the answer is simple: every day is different.
As supervisor of NHTC’s Network Operations Center, or NOC, Bart oversees the day-to-day operations of the team responsible for monitoring our network, responding to incidents, and helping maintain reliable service for our customers. In other words, Bart and the NOC team are among the people behind the scenes to make sure your connection keeps doing what it’s supposed to do and helping figure out what went wrong when it doesn’t.
Solving Problems from the NOC
When a customer calls NHTC with an internet issue, Bart says his main goal is customer satisfaction while resolving the problem directly from the NOC whenever possible, without having to dispatch a technician. That means troubleshooting, asking the right questions, identifying the source of the problem, and
NOC Supervisor Bart Hopkins discusses NHTC’s network with NOC employees Sam Stapler (left) and Nick Morgan (Right).
working toward a solution that gets the customer connected again as quickly as possible.
And after the problem is solved?
For Bart, there’s satisfaction in knowing another customer is back online and able to get back to what matters to them – even if what matters at that particular moment happens to be getting back to their favorite first-person game or checking social media.
The Difference Local Support makes
Bart believes one of NHTC’s greatest strengths is the local support our customers can count on. When customers call NHTC, they’re talking to people who live and work right here in the communities we serve. Bart believes that makes the experience more personal and helps build trust because customers know they’re speaking with someone local.
“We have an on-site local staff that answers every call to give the customer the best experience with resolving their issues,” Bart said. Instead of feeling like just another number in a nationwide call queue, NHTC customers have a local team working to understand the problem and help find a solution.
Bart describes the NOC team in three words: friendly, knowledgeable, and dedicated.
Those three qualities are especially important when something isn’t working. Technology can be frustrating, and having someone knowledgeable on the other end of the phone who is ready to help can make all the difference.
More Than a Workplace
After 13 years with NHTC, Bart says what makes him proud to work here goes beyond technology and network operations. “We are a family and treat all our customers the same.” That sense of connection – to coworkers, customers, and the community – is a big part of what local service means at NHTC.
And because every employee spotlight needs a few important details, we also learned that Bart is a coffee drinker and somehow manages to claim the title of both morning person and night owl. Considering the NOC’s job is helping keep a telecommunications network running, maybe being prepared for either end of the clock comes with the territory.
We’re thankful to have Bart as part of the NHTC family and appreciate the knowledge, dedication, and personality he brings to our team. After 13 years, he continues to play an important role in keeping our network running, supporting our customers, and helping make sure our community stays connected.