Madison Reporter

In the bustling world of construction, where visibility often defines the scope of work, there exists a critical component that remains largely unseen: the fiber network. Taletha Skar, the City of Madison's first Fiber Manager, oversees this essential infrastructure that powers and connects the city.

“There are a lot of things underground—you obviously have your storm sewers, your sanitary sewers, water pipes,” said Skar. “We also have the conduit that has electrical for street lighting. We have electrical and wires for traffic signals. We have fiber. Yes, it’s cable wrapped up—but depending on the cable, there are a lot of itty-bitty little strands that we connect up, fuse together and run along our streets underground to keep the city powered and going.”

Skar's role diverges from typical construction jobs as she collaborates with contractors to manage and maintain Madison's fiber optic network. This network is vital for connecting city facilities to each other and enabling remote operations such as adjusting traffic signal timings.

“Fiber is our fiber optic network. It basically connects all the city facilities to the city network," Skar explained. "It saves time and energy, but it also allows all of the city’s facilities – police, fire, and others to connect to the city’s network so you have phones, computers, cameras and it allows your day-to-day operations can run.”

Skar's journey into technology began at home in Rochester, Minnesota with parents who worked in computer-related fields. Despite facing discouragement during her studies at Winona University due to gender biases in computer science classes, she persisted.

“I had an instructor who made the comment—because I was one of two women in computer science at that time—that computer science was not for women," Skar recalled. “I was like no I’m going to succeed in this.”

Her interest shifted towards geology which later complemented her work with fiber optics by understanding how geological factors affect infrastructure installation.

“Geology is study of earth and rocks," she noted. "It also kind of ties in with fiber because you have to watch for water tables as we’re installing."

After gaining experience as a GIS Manager in La Crosse and then as a GIS Technician in Madison's Information Technology Department, Skar took on mapping responsibilities for Madison's fiber infrastructure—a task that led to her current position.

“Fiber was given to me to map and keep track of [at the City of Madison],” said Skar about her evolving role.

Skar hopes her story will inspire other women considering careers in fields traditionally dominated by men.

“I’ve met many women in construction," she stated. "To me, it’s [Women in Construction Week] just celebrating those of us who are stepping out of our comfort zone into more of a man’s world.”

She emphasizes the importance of perseverance: “You just gotta go for it,” she advised aspiring professionals regardless of gender barriers they might face.

The City of Madison is highlighting five women's contributions during National Women in Construction Week from March 2-8, 2025.