Ownership
Sam Carpenter
Founder, Majority Owner. CEO & GM
Sam founded Centratel in 1984. With a background in engineering, publishing and journalism, he is a telephone answering service industry consultant, writer and speaker and has served as president of several regional and national answering service organizations. As CEO and General Manager, Sam also spearheads R&D and marketing. Residing in Bend, Oregon and Seattle, Washington, outside interests include climbing, mountaineering, skiing, cycling, reading, traveling and writing. His first book, Work the System was published by Greenleaf Book Group in May 2009. “Work” won the “Best Non-fiction Book of the Year” award at the New York Book Festival in June 2009. Sam is also founder and director of Kashmir Family Aid, a 501C3 non-profit, aiding surviving school children of the Northern Pakistan and Azad Kashmir earthquake of October 8, 2005 (www.kashmirfamily.org). Originally from upstate New York, and an Oregonian since 1975, he is married to Linda Carpenter, Centratel CFO. His daughter Jennifer, and her family, also live in Bend.
Sam Kirkaldie
Customer Service Manager, Minority Owner, VP
Sam has been active in the media and telecommunications fields for over 30 years. As Centratel’s Vice President and Customer Services Manager, and a stock holder since 2000, Sam has special interests in community affairs, writing, systems organization and public relations. He has served as a board member and president of various media and broadcasting trade organizations and built a major Central Oregon radio station from the ground up. A native of Montana and an Oregonian since 1972, his outside interests include traveling, fishing, camping, hiking, golf, skiing, racquetball and running (and, in his younger years in Montana, he was a rodeo bull rider.) Sam and his wife Bev live in Bend and are the parents of three sons.
