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Co-ops Connect is Conexon's podcast hosted by SVP of Marketing, Sales and Account Management, Abby Carere, bringing you heartfelt stories from Rural Electric Cooperatives deploying high-speed fiber internet networks to their service territories. We sit down with co-op leaders who are tackling head-on the rewards and challenges of bridging the Digital Divide in rural America, one mile of fiber at a time.Conexon is proud to be at the forefront of the electric cooperative fiber broadband moveme ...
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The Rural Leaders Podcast

National Grassroots Media Corporation

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The Rural Leaders Podcast is a show that honors unsung heroes who overcome challenge and adversity to become catalysts of positive change in their communities. We'll interview leaders from across the spectrum of rural America, sharing seeds of inspiration, hope, & support in their efforts to build creatively engaged & active communities. Like friends gathering around the kitchen table after Sunday dinner, co-Hosts Dana Peterson and Richard Fordyce will join guests who are leaders from all re ...
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Prompted by the need to update the cooperative's electric grid and enhance smart grid capabilities, Oklahoma's Canadian Valley Electric Cooperative realized high-speed communications was the way to go. Fortunately, Oklahoma is home to many other dedicated electric cooperatives under the Cooperative Broadband Coalition, committed to bringing fiber-t…
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Kosciusko Connect and its fiber subsidiary Kosciusko Rural Electric Membership Corporation (Kosciusko REMC), embark on its remarkable growth story since the co-op’s FTTH project conception in 2022. Tune in this week as Conexon's SVP of Sales, Marketing, and Account Management, Abby Carere, speaks with KREMC’s Vice President, Curt Barkey, to uncover…
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Oklahoma Electric Cooperative and its fiber subsidiary, OEC Fiber, have kept community at the forefront since the co-op’s FTTH project conception in 2017– and the results are paying off. OEC Fiber was recently recognized as the Best Fiber Internet in the state of Oklahoma, with hugely successful on-system and off-system builds. Tune in this week as…
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As the first electric cooperative in the state of Florida to deliver and deploy a FTTH network, rural north Florida’s Tri-County Electric Cooperative has overcome the learning curve and taken away some key lessons along the way. Listen in as Conexon's SVP of Sales, Marketing, and Account Management, Abby Carere, and Tri-County Electric Cooperative'…
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Since 2020, Central Rural Electric Cooperative has been keeping both its members and employees at the forefront of its fiber-to-the-home project. Listen in as Conexon's SVP of Sales, Marketing, and Account Management, Abby Carere, speaks with Central Rural Electric Cooperative's CEO, Hunter Robinson, on the fiber project's impact on the culture of …
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One of the first electric cooperatives to partner with Conexon Connect in building a 100% fiber-to-the-home network, Central Georgia EMC was a trailblazer in connecting members to the future with world-class, high-speed internet. Listen in as Conexon's SVP of Sales, Marketing, and Account Management, Abby Carere, speaks with Central Georgia EMC's C…
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Guest: Ian Hill | National Grassroots Media Corporation - RuralIsRelevant.com Show Notes: On this fourteenth episode we’re joined by Ian Hill, CEO of National Grassroots Media Corporation to visit about how rural communities can tell their stories to the world through digital TV and internet radio stations. Tune in for an infusion of energy for tel…
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Guest: Phil Eich | Storyville - StoryvilleSocial.com Show Notes: On this thirteenth episode we’re joined by self-made storyteller Phil Eich with Storyville, a Bay City, Michigan-based agency dedicated to creating and promoting human-centered marketing. We talk about why rural communities may not be telling their stories and how storytelling can cul…
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Guest: Natalie Hodge | Rudy's Girl Media - RudysGirl.com Show Notes: On this twelfth episode we kick off our Rural Storyteller Series with Natalie Hodge, owner of Rudy’s Girl Media from Martinsville, Virginia. We visit about her work telling the stories of small rural businesses surviving the pandemic and how storytelling is making a lasting impact…
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Guest: Randy Klindt | Conexon - Conexon.us Show Notes: On this eleventh episode we conclude our Rural Connectivity Series with Randy Klindt, Partner at Conexon and CEO at Conexon Connect. Randy’s personal experience led to working out the financing for brining broadband to areas where there are just a few customers per mile. He shares the importanc…
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Guest: Seth Arndorfer | Dakota Carrier Network - DakotaCarrier.com Show Notes: On this tenth episode we continue our Rural Connectivity Series with Seth Arndorfer, CEO of Dakota Carrier Network in North Dakota. Seth shares how the fiber backbone came together across one of the lowest populous states of our country and how it’s provided unique abili…
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For many electric cooperatives, fiber projects often go beyond their own membership to serve surrounding areas with the high-speed internet desperately needed to stay connected in the digital age. This episode, listen in as Co-Mo Connect's CEO, Aaron Bradshaw, speaks with Conexon's SVP of Sales, Marketing, and Account Management, Abby Carere, on th…
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Guest: Mitchell Bailey | GRM Networks - GRM.net Show Notes: On this ninth episode we continue our Rural Connectivity Series with Mitchell Bailey, CEO of GRM Networks in North Central Missouri. Mitchell shares how local leaders catalyzed their entry into the fiber to the premise world and brings hope that it is possible to navigate state and federal…
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Guest: Heather Hampton-Knodle | Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation - MontgomeryCountyIllinois.org Show Notes: On this eighth episode we kick off our Rural Connectivity Series with Heather Hampton-Knodle from Montgomery County Illinois. Heather shares her story of bringing fiber to the premises to her farm with a privately funded pro…
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Electric cooperatives made it their mission in the '30s and '40s to bring electricity to rural America. Today, they are committed to doing the same with fiber broadband projects. Tune in this week as Conexon's SVP of Sales, Marketing, and Account Management, Abby Carere, is joined by Cumberland EMC's Manager of Broadband Division, Mark Cook, and Ge…
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Guest: Craig McCain | Louisiana USDA Farm Service Agency Show Notes: On this seventh episode we talk with Craig McCain from Louisiana. After learning about crawfish, we talk about a key he’s learned throughout his leadership experience. That is how important it is to focus on people and relationships. Craig shares how he’s seen communities invest i…
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Guest: Bette Brand | Strategic Consulting LLC - StrategicConsultingusa.com Show Notes: On this sixth episode we talk with Bette Brand the CEO and Founder of Strategic Consulting LLC in Virginia. We talk about her experience with Farm Credit, USDA Rural Development, and as a consultant working with communities and companies gain access to capital an…
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It's no secret that a fiber project is both an intricate construction process and a costly undertaking, but it is a necessary addition to electric cooperatives to close the digital divide with today's levels of connectivity. Listen in as Conexon's SVP of Sales, Marketing, and Account Management, Abby Carere, speaks with North East Mississippi Elect…
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Guest: Aubrey Bettencourt | California Almond Alliance - AlmondAlliance.org Show Notes: On this fifth episode we talk with Aubrey Bettencourt with the California Almond Alliance where we learn about water in her home state. We talk about how leaders and policies try to balance today’s water needs with aging infrastructure and operational systems. A…
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Guest: Bill Beam | Beam Farms - Beam-Farms.com Show Notes: On this fourth episode we talk with Pennsylvania farmer Bill Beam about what it’s like farming in the shadows of Philadelphia. Bill is an advocate of preserving farmland and we discuss how important that is to our nation’s current and future food needs. Resource Links: NationalGrassrootsMed…
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Guest: Taya Spelhaug | Microsoft TechSpark - MicrosoftTechSpark Show Notes: On episode 3, we talk with Taya Spelhaug on how education about digital technology and software is reaching rural communities through Microsoft TechSpark. We discuss several initiatives around the country; as well as, the North Dakota efforts through trusted partners workin…
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Fiber broadband offers communities so much more than high-speed internet: It also enables Smart Grid capabilities to improve connectivity and communications on the electric system. Tune into the latest episode of Co-ops Connect as Conexon's SVP of Sales, Marketing, and Account Management, Abby Carere, and guest host Carl Meyerhoefer, Conexon’s SVP …
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Guest: Luke Thornton | Harper Industries - HarperIndustries.com Show Notes: On this second episode, Dana and Richard are joined by Luke Thornton from Harper, Kansas to visit about Luke's leadership perspectives expanding in the Kansas Agricultural and Rural Leadership Program, Harper Industries living out their mission to create opportunities in ru…
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Guest: Lowell Kruse | Heartland Health (Mosaic Life Care) - MyMLC.com Show Notes: Welcome to the premiere episode of The Rural Leaders Podcast, featuring special guest Lowell Kruse. The Rural Leaders Podcast is a show that honors unsung heroes who overcome challenge and adversity to become catalysts of positive change in their communities. We'll in…
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Funding for broadband networks is a critical component of connecting rural America to high-speed fiber internet. This week, guest host Jonathan Chambers, Conexon Partner, and special guest Gary Wood, President/CEO of Central Virginia Electric Cooperative and Firefly Fiber, join Abby Carere, Conexon's SVP of Sales, Marketing, and Account Management,…
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The need for fiber broadband services was one that Central Georgia EMC was well aware of for many years. After two years of conversations with eight different broadband entities, Conexon Connect turned Central Georgia's dream of broadband to a reality with members beginning to connect to its service less than a year after the project announcement. …
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When it comes to building a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network, everyone has a story that needs to be heard. GoSEMO Fiber, subsidiary of SEMO Electric Cooperative in Missouri, began its fiber network project in 2017 and has built nearly 2,000 miles of fiber, with over 7,000 connected subscribers. Sean Vanslyke, SEMO Electric CEO/General Manager, and …
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After starting its fiber-to-the-home broadband project in 2018, Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative and its fiber subsidiary, WAVE Rural Connect, dove head-first into the project to start connecting members that next year. Today, Wave has more than 10,000 subscribers. Arkansas Valley's Barret Ewing and Brandon Fischer join Conexon SVP of Sales, Ma…
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In 2017, Oklahoma Electric Cooperative formed OEC Fiber to move full speed ahead with a fiber network build to bring high-speed internet to members. As one of Conexon's earliest clients, the OEC Fiber team has seen the growth of the electric co-op broadband movement, and more and more co-ops taking advantage of Conexon's industry-leading Co-ops Con…
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Washington EMC management waited and hoped for a provider to serve its rural Georgia residents with critical high-speed internet, but it became apparent that no one would. The EMC stepped up to deliver this life-changing service. Washington EMC's President and CEO, Wendy Sellers joins Conexon's SVP of Sales, Marketing, and Account Management, Abby …
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Broadband connectivity was a longstanding topic of discussion for Coast EPA and its fellow cooperatives in Mississippi. After going back and forth on the idea of bringing fiber internet to its members and conducting three feasibility studies, the Coast project kicked into gear when COVID-19 hit and the demand spiked. Abby Carere, Conexon's SVP of S…
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After initially tabling the idea of bringing fiber broadband services to members, Osage Valley Electric Cooperative had a change of heart when leaders heard Conexon Founding Partner Randy Klindt speak about potential RDOF opportunities for the co-op's service territory. Jarrod Campbell, CEO of Osage Valley Electric Cooperative, sits down with Abby …
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The power of the cooperative spirit has never been more evident than when East Mississippi Electric Power Association staff, members, and partners joined forces to leverage the power of Mississippi CARES Act federal funding to bring broadband to its 37,000 members. CEO Randy Carroll joins Abby Carere, Conexon's SVP of Sales, Marketing, and Account …
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When it came to launching East Central Oklahoma Electric Cooperative's fiber services, CEO Tim Smith learned early on there's no such thing as overcommunication. His cooperative formed a task force that became fiber subsidiary ecoLINK's biggest champion, spreading its benefits by word of mouth like wildfire. Smith sits down with Conexon's SVP of Sa…
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After searching for the right internet solution for co-op members since Hurricane Ike in 2008, Mid-South Electric Co-op in Texas tested fiber internet in 2018 and immediately recognized its potential for the service area. Conexon’s SVP of Sales, Marketing and Account Management, Abby Carere, talks with Mid-South CEO Kerry Kelton about how the co-op…
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Before smart grid technology, Arkansas' South Central Electric Cooperative staff spent hours every month visiting meters and manually reading data. South Central Connect CEO Colby Wells speaks with Conexon's SVP of Sales, Marketing and Account Management, Abby Carere, about how the co-op has evolved and streamlined daily operatives after implementi…
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The feasibility challenges identified for Pemiscot-Dunklin Electric Cooperative’s fiber-to-the-home network stacked up: a density of just 5 meters per mile and existing electric infrastructure that is 100% underground meant a build of 5-7 years. Conexon’s Abby Carere talks to Pemiscot-Dunklin Fiber General Manager Jack Davis about how TAP architect…
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