On June 10th, RTC Networks held its 74th Annual Meeting at the 4 Bears Event Center in New Town ND. 189 members registered for the meeting, and we provided meals for almost 300 attendees. The event began with Brooklyn Thompson, a student from North Shore Plaza Elementary School, singing the national anthem.
Wayne Skarda, Board President, officially called the meeting to order, and Peder Stenslie, the pastor at the Keene Lutheran Parishes, delivered the invocation, which emphasized the importance of connection in today’s world.
Vice President Terry Wilber led the election of directors, resulting in the re-election of Wayne Skarda for District 1A and the election of Michelle Hoff for District 4. Wayne will continue serving exchanges in Alexander, Arnegard, Beach, Fairview, Keene, Homesteaders Gap, Medora, Watford City, and Wibaux, while Michelle will represent the exchanges of Makoti, Parshall, Plaza, Roseglen, and Ryder.
RTC Networks’ Attorney, Alicia Brenna, also presented two by-law changes—one regarding cooperative membership eligibility and another addressing the reorganization of director district boundaries.
Jon Lee, Chief Financial Officer, took the stage to present RTC Networks’ financials. The audit report confirmed that RTC Networks is in a strong financial position, reflecting the organization’s healthy and sustainable growth.
RTC Networks' CEO/General Manager, Shane Hart, and Board President, Wayne Skarda, then provided a joint presentation. They highlighted the cooperative's strong performance over the past year, emphasizing the ongoing commitment to providing cutting-edge technology and top-notch service to members. They discussed the rise in phishing scams and the importance of cybersecurity awareness, encouraging members to be vigilant. A customer satisfaction survey was introduced, with members invited to submit the surveys they received during registration. The approval of a capital credit retirement of 20% from 2023 allocations was highlighted, this retirement resulted in over $2 million in checks distributed to nearly 10,000 members.
Additionally, the cooperative awarded $40,000 in college scholarships to 49 local high school seniors and introduced the Operation RoundUp program to support qualifying community organizations. These efforts showcase RTC Networks’ dedication to giving back to its members and the local community.
Shane and Wayne also recognized the exceptional service of retiring board member Jeanette Hoff, who served for 23 years, including 11 years as President, and presented her with a plaque in recognition for her outstanding leadership.
Thirty door prizes were given away to members. Congratulations to Shelly S., who won a free month of internet, and to Robin H., the lucky winner of the grand prize— a free year of 1 Gigx1Gig internet! Thank you to those who were able to attend the meeting. All attending members received a $25 bill credit.
We sincerely thank you, the member-owners of RTC Networks, for your patronage and continued support of RTC Networks. We look forward to serving you in the future.
