From Pittsburgh to Sioux Falls, Midco network engineering leader ‘rightsized’ his role, lifestyle

This paid piece is sponsored by Midco.

A virtual apartment tour from his home in the Pittsburgh area was Pao Lo’s introduction to downtown Sioux Falls.

“It was in the middle of COVID, so I did the no-contact thing, and I decided to live downtown,” he said. “I love it. I’ve lived in suburbs before, away from downtown, so I took this opportunity as a soon-to-be empty nester to see what downtown living is all about.”

An opportunity to join the team at Midco, where he now has been vice president of network engineering since 2020, is what drew Lo to Sioux Falls.

A North Carolina native, after spending 24 years in the industry, he’d worked in some of the nation’s largest telecommunications companies. And he’d come to learn bigger isn’t always better.

“One of the first things that attracted me to Midco was its size,” he said. “It’s privately held versus being a public company, and you can still make an impact. In a world where you have 90,000 to 100,000 colleagues, you can get lost. The sweet spot for me is a smaller internet service provider where you know the teams and the people in the organization, so to me, cultural fit is huge.”

That’s not to say Lo in any way took a step backward when it came to the sophistication of his work. Quite the opposite, actually.

“We punch above our weight class at Midco in the industry,” he said. “Our financials are solid, and from a technology perspective, hands down our Wi-Fi product is the best in the industry. I’ve worked at six other organizations, and there’s no question Midco has the best network.”

But, as he tells his team: “We don’t rest on our laurels. We built a lead, and we’re going to maintain that lead, and we’re making the right investments,” Lo said.

One critical investment includes enhancing Midco’s end-to-end network – a focus for Lo’s team. It’s optimizing connections from the modem in your home to the wires in the neighborhoods that connect homes and how it all goes back to Midco facilities, which goes out to the internet.

Pao Lo in front of a Laura Ingalls Wilder sculpture in De Smet.

“That’s a benefit of local ownership. They see what’s needed, and they invest in it. I came in and saw things we could enhance, and the senior team said it made sense, so we invested, and it did. They do what’s right to grow the business and do right by the customer.”

That mindset has led Midco once again to be named the best midsize employer in South Dakota by Forbes for the third consecutive year.

Participants were asked whether they would recommend their employer to friends and family, and to evaluate their employer based on criteria such as working conditions, diversity, compensation packages, potential for development and company image.

They also were asked to assess employers beyond their own: Respondents could evaluate employers in their state; nationally, participants were able to rate employers anywhere within their respective industries. All surveys were anonymous to encourage candor.

Lo isn’t surprised by the results.

“There’s a great culture, and the senior team embodies it,” he said. “Being a force for good in the community, it’s definitely engrained in me.”

Pao Lo takes in an event at the Denny Sanford Premier Center.

Just as education is an equalizer, so is internet access, he explained.

“Some kid in the middle of South Dakota could come up with a cure for cancer because they have internet at their fingertips,” Lo explains. “That’s my ‘why.’ You get to a level where it’s all about the impact you have. And here, we’re always growing. I’ve added eight or 10 people to my team since I’ve been here, and this is high-level talent. There are just a lot of good things happening at Midco.”

Each workday, he and his team ensure consumers’ technology works for them, whether it’s reliable Wi-Fi or easy access to the increasing array of streaming services, he explains.

“We make sure we ensure a great customer experience, whether they’re watching videos or using the internet,” Lo said. “I’m very glad I hitched my career at the very beginning of the internet boom. It’s become a passion, and Midco has been a great place to continue my career.”

That includes how he has come to enjoy being part of Sioux Falls and South Dakota, exploring both sides of the state and trying his hand at hunting.

Pao Lo visiting Badlands National Park in western South Dakota.

“The city is doing good things that make sense for people,” Lo said. “The mayor’s doing a great job. It’s diverse and progressive enough, there’s enough to do around town, enough activities to keep you busy, and you don’t get the congestion and potential crime that come with larger cities.”

He has set a goal of visiting every Sioux Falls restaurant and writing online reviews, but “even though I set out to eat my way through downtown, I’ve yet to do it in four years because there are so many restaurants and pubs popping up,” he said. “If you’re a foodie, there’s a great, diverse food scene, especially for a city of this size. You’ve got all sorts of ethnic and fusion foods, and I love that scene. I love Sioux Falls, and there are a lot of reasons I’ve stayed here.”

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