Tonya Walley
Tonya Walley is a transformational operations executive with more than 20 years of experience leading large-scale business transformation, operational strategy, and customer experience initiatives across the telecommunications, technology, media, and nonprofit sectors. As Senior Vice President and Head of Field Operations at Optimum, she oversees national operations across 21 states, managing a $329 million budget and leading a workforce of more than 3,000 employees. Recognized for her expertise in digital transformation, AI-driven operations, continuous process improvement, and organizational leadership, Tonya has consistently delivered measurable results through operational optimization, workforce development, and strategic innovation.
Tonya began her career on the front lines as a call center operator and field technician, spending nearly a decade climbing poles, working in manholes, and serving customers in one of the industry’s most male-dominated environments. Her progression from technician to senior executive is exceptionally rare and reflects her resilience, technical expertise, and leadership capabilities. Throughout her career, she has held leadership roles at Verizon, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Cox Communications, and Optimum, where she has led billion-dollar operational portfolios, improved customer satisfaction metrics, reduced operational costs by millions, and strengthened organizational performance through data-driven strategies and high-impact leadership initiatives.
A passionate advocate for leadership development, diversity, and inclusion, Tonya made history at Optimum by establishing the company’s first 50% female-dominant leadership team within field operations. She has received numerous honors, including the Most Powerful Women Award and the Luminary Award, recognizing her influence, mentorship, and industry impact. In addition to her executive leadership responsibilities, she serves as Treasurer and Board Member for NAMIC NEXT and remains deeply committed to mentoring future leaders and expanding opportunities for women in technology and operations. Tonya is also the author of the upcoming book Built to Climb, launching June 2, which chronicles her inspiring journey from frontline technician to Senior Vice President.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
• Artificial Intelligence for Business Certification from Emory Goizueta School of Business
• Strategy and Execution Certificate from Harvard Business Online
• Financial Management Certificate
• CCNP - Cisco Certified Network Professional
• Emory University - Goizueta Business School
• The University of Georgia
• Most Powerful Woman Award 2024
• Luminary Award 2022 for commitment to mentorship
• NAMIC (Board Treasurer)
• WICT (Women in Cable Telecommunications)
• NAMIC volunteer speaking engagements and leadership series
• Dress for Success donations
• Food bank volunteering and donations to two food banks
• Keynote speaker for food bank graduation program
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to being a continuous learner - learning is part of my DNA. I've been a career student throughout my 30-plus year journey, constantly seeking education and certifications even while working full-time. When my mother died my first semester of college, I dropped out, but I went back to school as a full-time technician and carried a full credit load, graduating with honors from St. Peter's College. I then finished a double master's at Stevens Institute of Technology and have continued learning with certifications in financial management, Lean Six Sigma, AI for Business, and strategy from Harvard Business Online. I'm currently taking a statistics course on Coursera because I love learning, but I also love teaching my team. As I teach the team, they teach their teams, and it's this multiplier effect of how we all get great and we give it away and multiply the greatness in the organization. I'm also grounded in my purpose and my superpowers - those are my guiding light that allow me to move forward in life. For me, it's about digging deep into the things I believe and continuing to be grounded in that purpose. I make sure I work out about 5 times a week to keep the balance, because in this role there's a certain amount of stress that's inherent, so I take care of the physical, the emotional, and the mental, which allows me to continue to perform at such a high level. I also spend considerable time mentoring others, because giving back and helping others succeed is core to who I am.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
You can have a successful career in any field regardless as long as you work hard and always keep learning
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
You can have true success and be able to inspire and motivate others and give back
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Being in her role and getting ready to launch her book in June entitled "Built to Climb"
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are inspiring others, giving back, and maintaining balance in my life. For me, it's about inspiring people to continue on their journeys and not give up, letting them see that there are people out there that are still thriving despite difficulties. It's also about representation, so people can still see themselves in me - a woman in the industry who's still in it and thriving and resilient. I make it a practice to spend considerable time mentoring others because I love to give back and teach my team. As I teach the team, they teach their teams, and it's this multiplier effect of how we all get great and we give it away. On the personal side, I typically start every day with some mantra, some affirmation, or a prayer. I make sure I work out about 5 times a week because I think it's about keeping the balance. In this role there's a certain amount of stress that's inherent, so I take care of the physical, the emotional, and the mental, which allows me to continue to perform at such a high level. You can't take care of others if you don't take care of yourself. I spend my free time with my wife and my two children - I love to travel with them. I was in Puerto Rico with my son for spring break about a month ago. For me, it's really family time, and I enjoy spending time with the family. I'm also deeply connected to food banking because when I was young and my mom was sick, we were in the lines at the food bank, so I have this commitment to give back. It's this full circle moment of being their keynote speaker back at the food bank that I worked at.