[September 12, 2011] Google picks point person for KC-area Internet project Tweet Sep 12, 2011 (The Kansas City Star - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Google has chosen Rachel Hack, the president of the Software and Information Technology Association of Kansas, as the chief point person for the plan to bring ultra-fast Internet connections to the Kansas City market. A Washington-based spokeswoman confirmed Monday that Hack will be the community manager for the Google Fiber project, so called because it aims to run fiber optic lines to most homes and businesses in Kansas City, Kan., and Kansas City, Mo. Google first advertised for the position in July, making clear it was looking for a local person for "outreach to city and state government, the utilities, businesses and organizations," it said in a job listing at the time. On Monday, former Kansas City, Kan., school superintendent and a member of an ad hoc committee studying potential uses of the Google Internet hook-ups Ray Daniels said he was pleased to hear the job had been filled. "It's just a good thing that Google will have a local person to get that coordination between them and the people here," he said. "It sounds like a good idea." Hack is the sole full-time employee of the software association she heads. She could not be reached for comment this morning. And Google would only confirm that she was chosen for its Kansas City community manager. The outfit's website says that "in addition to being the primary representative for SITAKS (the association's acronym), Ms. Hack is responsible for membership development, programming, communications, board oversight and operations. She positions SITAKS to partner with business leaders and state, regional and national trade organizations to lead it forward as Kansas' preeminent advocate for the software and information technology sectors." Hack holds an undergraduate degree in communications science from Truman State University and for seven years was executive director of the American Advertising Federation of Kansas City. She's on the advisory board of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Women's Center and is former secretary of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City. Hack's sister is Jennifer Hack, the photo director of the Star's weekly publication Ink. Rachel Hack will take over the position that Google described in its ad this summer. "Since our go-to-marketing strategy is grass-roots-focused and dependent on joint programs and events with local partners, you will be the point person on the ground." The executive, the ad said, will develop the "go-to-market template that will be applied more broadly in other markets" -- an indication that Google is looking at becoming a national Internet service provider. Its promise of economically priced 1-gigabit speeds -- meaning uploads and downloads from 10 to 100 times faster than available to most U.S. homes -- has been seen as a challenge to the status quo of telecommunications. Google had been looking for someone with "at least 10 years of experience of marketing, business development, PR and/or revenue generating executive roles" with "strong in-market local relationships." ___ (c)2011 The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.) Visit The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.) at www.kansascity.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]