DENVER—The Cable Center has named David R. Van Valkenburg recipient of the 2023 Bresnan Award recipient. The award will be presented at the 26th annual Cable Hall of Fame celebration, April 27 at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City.
The award recognizes the late William J. Bresnan, founder and chairman of Bresnan Communications and longtime chairman of the board of The Cable Center.
“I am humbled and thrilled to accept this year’s Bresnan Award,” said Mr. Van Valkenburg. “Bill Bresnan was a great friend and colleague throughout my years in the industry. His passion and commitment to doing what is right in today’s business world remains unrivaled, and I am honored to be named this year’s award recipient.”
“David’s dedication to our industry and philanthropy embodies the true spirit of the Bresnan Award,” said Michael Willner, Chairman and CEO of Penthera Partners and Chairman of The Cable Center’s Board of Directors. “He has worked tirelessly on numerous boards, including showing great leadership on our board, and his commitment to public service is unrivaled. We are delighted to honor him with the 2023 Bresnan Ethics in Business Award.”
Van Valkenburg has served within the cable telecommunications industry since 1969. He conducted investment analysis of the industry at Ameriprise in the early 1970’s and managed the construction and development of new cable systems with American Television and Communications Corporation and United Cable Television Corporation during the 1970’s, importing distant television signals to smaller markets. As President of Cox Cable Communications, Paragon Communications, and MultiVision Cable Television Corporation during the 1980’s and early 1990’s, he brought his focus upon excellent and reliable video service through well-trained employees.
During his final executive management role as CEO/COO of Telewest PLC (UK), he led the integration of all service functions among video, data, and voice products and created competitively priced, customer-friendly bundles of these products. With the addition of rapidly growing data and voice services among small and medium sized businesses, Telewest’s customer service was recognized by J. D. Powers and its shareholder value was recognized through its listing on the London Stock Exchange and becoming a member of the FTSE 100 (Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index).
Since 2000, Van Valkenburg has served on many private and publicly listed domestic and foreign corporate boards of Directors including start-up technology companies, cable telecommunications multiple system operators, telecommunications equipment manufacturing companies, various cable service providers, and telecommunications industry associations, including The Cable Center on whose Board he has served since 2003. Among his service on foreign boards of Directors was Moscow CableCom Corporation (MCCC).
Outside the cable telecommunications industry, he served six years as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church’s (EPC’s) Benefit Resources Inc., which provides health and retirement benefits for the denomination’s ordained and lay leadership. He now serves on the EPC’s World Mission board.
Van Valkenburg was inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame in 2014.
