MINOT, N.D. – SRT Communications will hold its annual meeting and director election on Thursday, June 19, 2025, at the North Dakota State Fair Center in Minot.

Registration and voting begin at 5:00 p.m. and officially close at 7:00 p.m. A catered dinner will be served 5:00-7:00 p.m. and live entertainment featuring Chloe Raye will begin at 6:00 p.m.

The business meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. and will include a report to the members, financial updates, and election results.

The following candidates are up for election:

District 1:   Allan Engh from Sherwood, Incumbent

District 2:   Tom Jespersen from Velva, Incumbent

District 3:   Stuart Rothe from Newburg, Incumbent

District 4:   Deven Mantz from Minot
                       Benjamin Roberston from Minot, Incumbent

Election results will also be posted on srt.com/annualmeeting.

Members are encouraged to bring the back page of the newsletter they received in the mail to be entered to win prizes.

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The SRT Board of Directors approved the distribution of $2,942,290 in capital credits back to members for 2025.

Credits will include a portion of the 2001 and/or 2024 allocations. Checks mail in early June.

“Belonging to a cooperative is much more than purchasing a service. Our members receive rewards for doing business with us each year,” said Kristi Miller, SRT Board President. “We always look forward to sharing the cooperative’s success and stability with our valued membership.”

Here is how SRT determines and distributes capital credits:

1. SRT tracks the money members spend on communication services throughout the year.
2. At the end of the fiscal year, SRT determines whether there are excess revenues, called margins.
3. The margins are allocated to members as capital credits based on the amount spent by the member during the year.
4. The Board of Directors decides to retire, or pay, the capital credits when the cooperative’s financial condition allows.
5. Members are notified how and when they will receive their capital credit distribution.

Members should inform SRT of changes to their current mailing address to ensure they receive any future capital credit retirements.

For more information on capital credits, visit srt.com/capitalcredits or call 701-858-1200.

SRT Communications, headquartered in Minot, North Dakota, is the state’s largest telecommunications cooperative. Established in 1951, SRT employs roughly 180 people and serves more than 25,000 customers across north central North Dakota. SRT earned the distinction as a Certified Gig-Capable Provider in 2017. Services include high-speed internet, phone, and security/surveillance systems for home and business. Learn more at www.srt.com.

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MINOT, N.D. –Perry Erdmann, Chief Financial Officer, will retire from SRT Communications on June 1 after serving the cooperative for 23 years.

Erdmann joined SRT as Controller in 2002 before advancing to CFO in 2004, the position he held until retirement. As CFO, he led SRT’s financial strategy through several defining moments in the cooperative’s history. These include the transition from telephone to broadband and the sale of SRT’s cellular tower portfolio. In addition, Erdmann oversaw all financial aspects of SRT’s fiber build, such as securing loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and local entities.

“From the beginning, Perry has navigated SRT through significant change and growth, always with an eye toward sustainability and impeccable accounting practices,” said Cassidy Hjelmstad, SRT CEO and General Manager. “His leadership over SRT’s financial health has positioned us for success throughout the cooperative’s evolution. For more than two decades, Perry’s commitment to our members has supported SRT’s vision. We are grateful for his service and wish him the best.”

Erdmann was succeeded by Jessamy Fornshell as SRT’s Chief Financial Officer. She joined the cooperative in May.

SRT Communications, headquartered in Minot, North Dakota, is the state’s largest telecommunications cooperative. Established in 1951, SRT employs roughly 180 people and serves more than 25,000 customers across north central North Dakota. SRT earned the distinction as a Certified Gig-Capable Provider in 2017. Services include high-speed internet, phone, and security/surveillance systems for home and business. Learn more at www.srt.com.

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MINOT, N.D. –Jessamy Fornshell has joined SRT Communications as Chief Financial Officer. She will lead SRT’s strategy for driving financial performance, ensuring operational efficiency, and providing guidance to propel the telecommunications cooperative’s growth.

As CFO at United Quality Cooperative prior to joining SRT, Fornshell was responsible for finance, accounting, inventory, human resources, and credit/collections. She also previously served ten years at CHS, Inc., both as Northland Region Accounting Manager overseeing business units across North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois, and as Controller for local Country Operations locations: CHS SunPrairie and Dakota Agronomy Partners.

“Jessamy brings a wealth of expertise from her combined cooperative background and her financial and business acumen,” said Cassidy Hjelmstad, SRT Chief Executive Officer and General Manager. “As we advance strategies that leverage our 100% fiber optic platform, Jessamy’s leadership will ensure solid growth and a sound financial future.”

Fornshell earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of North Dakota and is a Certified Public Accountant. “Joining SRT is an exciting opportunity to be part of a company that’s deeply rooted in its community and committed to delivering exceptional service,” she said. “I’m eager to collaborate with the team and contribute to SRT’s continued success and strategic growth.”

Hjelmstad added, “Jessamy understands our business model and the communities we serve. We look forward to her contribution to SRT as a member of our senior leadership team.”

Fornshell lives in Minot with her family. She succeeds Perry Erdmann as CFO, who is retiring after 23 years with SRT.

SRT Communications, headquartered in Minot, North Dakota, is the state’s largest telecommunications cooperative. Established in 1951, SRT employs roughly 180 people and serves more than 25,000 customers across north central North Dakota. SRT earned the distinction as a Certified Gig-Capable Provider in 2017. Services include high-speed internet, phone, and security/surveillance systems for home and business. Learn more at www.srt.com.

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Minot, N.D. – SRT has announced the 2025 winners of seven college scholarships totaling $15,000, this year’s Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) Youth Tour student, and a $2,500 FRS Scholarship winner.

New this year, the SRT Board of Directors voted to nearly double the total dollar amount of scholarships given to students in the SRT service area.

The following six students each won a $2,000 SRT General Scholarship:

• Josie Bryn (Rugby) – TGU Towner High School
• Alena Hall (Newburg) – Our Redeemer’s Christian School
• Cambel Johnson (Minot) – Minot North High School
• Melissa Kuhnhenn (Upham) – TGU Towner High School
• Rose Schiele (Balfour) – Velva High School
• Wilson Wald (Minot) – Minot High School

Austin Lakefield of Mohall won the $3,000 SRT Technical Scholarship. He will attend Valley City State University and study Career and Technical Education.

“With more than 100 applications this year, we are thrilled to see such great reception from area students,” said Cassidy Hjelmstad, SRT CEO and General Manager. “Year after year, it’s incredible to see the outstanding community stewardship and scholastics, and SRT is so proud to support these students in their next steps after high school.”

Additionally, a local winner of the $2,500 FRS Scholarship has been selected. Tukker Fedje of Bottineau High School was one of 50 selected from a pool of more than 2,000 applicants nationwide. He intends to study Finance at the University of North Dakota.

Logan Weems of Newburg School will represent SRT at the three-day Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. this summer, an opportunity also provided by FRS. He will learn about the telecommunications industry, tour the nation’s capital, and meet with legislative leaders to discuss their experiences in rural North Dakota.

A panel of SRT Board Members and employees judged the applications on scholastic performance and achievements, as well as volunteerism and community involvement. Students were required to write an essay discussing the ways technology has made community service or involvement more accessible.

The SRT Technical Scholarship can be awarded to a graduating high school senior or an undergraduate student currently enrolled in a two-year or four-year college. Applicants were required to submit volunteerism and community involvement, scholastic performance, and an essay describing how they can use their education and technology to reach rural and underserved populations. A letter of recommendation from a community member or educator was also required.

FRS Scholarship applicants were judged on scholastic performance and were required to write an essay about their intended field of study and how it could benefit their rural community. 

SRT Communications, headquartered in Minot, North Dakota, is the state’s largest telecommunications cooperative. Established in 1951, SRT employs roughly 180 people and serves more than 26,000 customers across north central North Dakota. SRT earned the distinction as a Certified Gig-Capable Provider in 2017. Services include high-speed fiber internet, phone, and security/surveillance systems for home and business. Learn more at www.srt.com.

The Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) was established in 1994 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) by NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association and plays a unique role within the telecommunications industry by supporting rural telecom companies, consumers and policymakers with educational information, products and programming.