Accelecom names Dr. Scott Scheidt CIO and CISO

Accelecom appointed Dr. Scott Scheidt as its combined chief information officer and chief information security officer on August 12, 2026, as the Kentucky and Georgia network operator expands across the Southeast. The new role ties together IT, security and AI strategy for customers in government, healthcare and business.

Why it matters: - Accelecom is combining IT, security and AI leadership in one role as the company scales its network and services across the Southeast. - The move puts cybersecurity and automation at the center of Accelecom’s push to support government, healthcare and business customers. - The appointment reflects growing pressure on telecom operators to harden systems while speeding up operations.

What happened: - Accelecom named Dr. Scott Scheidt as chief information officer and chief information security officer on August 12, 2026. - The company said the role is newly combined. - Dr. Scheidt will lead information technology, operational and business support systems, enterprise security and emerging AI capabilities. - Accelecom is based in Louisville, Kentucky. - Accelecom is described as Georgia’s and Kentucky’s largest middle-mile network operator.

The details: - Dr. Scheidt joins Accelecom from a regional cybersecurity and managed services provider, where he served as chief security officer. - He built a vendor-agnostic virtual CISO practice that supported clients across the U.S., Canada and Australia. - He holds a Ph.D. in cybersecurity and a Master of Science in cybersecurity technology. - Dr. Scheidt is transitioning into a new assignment as a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves. - His military background includes more than three decades of service in intelligence and cyber operations. - He holds a Top Secret/SCI security clearance. - He will be assigned to Ft Knox, Kentucky. - In his new role, Dr. Scheidt will own Accelecom’s OSS/BSS and internal IT environments. - He will also lead the company’s enterprise security program and market-facing security offerings. - He will guide Accelecom’s adoption of AI-driven automation. - Van Macatee, Accelecom’s chief operating officer, said IT, back-office automation, AI and cybersecurity are tightly linked in telecom. - Dr. Scheidt said reliable connectivity and strong security now go hand in hand for Accelecom’s customers. - Dr. Scheidt said he is honored to join a team building critical infrastructure across the region.

Between the lines: - The combined CIO/CISO structure suggests Accelecom wants faster decision-making across operations, security and product development. - Putting AI under the same leadership as security and IT signals that Accelecom sees automation as an operational tool, not just a technology experiment. - The hire also brings in a leader with both commercial cybersecurity and military cyber operations experience, which may matter for public-sector customers.

What's next: - Dr. Scheidt will begin overseeing Accelecom’s technology and security functions as the company continues to expand. - Accelecom is expected to keep building out its enterprise security offerings and AI-enabled automation. - The company also plans to continue promoting its fiber network and digital infrastructure footprint across the Southeast.

The bottom line: - Accelecom is betting that one executive can help unify infrastructure, security and AI as the company grows.