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SRT Chief Technology Officer Earns NTCA Innovation Award for Improved 911 Services Pilot Project

SRT Chief Technology Officer Earns NTCA Innovation Award for Improved 911 Services Pilot Project

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NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield presents the NTCA Excellence Award in Innovation to Shawn Grosz, SRT Chief Technology Officer, during the NTCA Rural Telecom Industry Meeting & EXPO (RTIME).

MINOT, N.D. – NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association recognized Shawn Grosz, SRT Chief Technology Officer, with the 2023 Excellence Award in Innovation.

The award was presented to Grosz during the NTCA Rural Telecom Industry Meeting & EXPO (RTIME) in February. Grosz earned the Innovation Award for his transformative work on 911 services in North Dakota.

SRT was the pilot telecommunications company involved in deploying North Dakota’s first end-to-end Internet Protocol (IP) 911 service in support of the state’s transition to Next Generation 911 (NG911). The North Dakota Association of Counties (NDACo), Dakota Carrier Network (DCN), and SRT collaborated to deliver end-to-end 911 calls from SRT subscribers to seven 911 call centers – known as Public Safety Answering Points or PSAPs.

“Not only does Shawn’s work on the 911 deployment benefit SRT’s subscribers; it’s the blueprint for replicating improved services for all North Dakotans as IP-based 911 is deployed statewide,” said Cassidy Hjelmstad, SRT CEO/General Manager. “That’s an outsized impact for community good, and one example in Shawn’s accomplished career of why he is valued and revered as a telecommunications champion across our industry.”

Leading SRT’s role in the project, Grosz collaborated with statewide partners and brought the telecommunications company perspective to discussions about IP-based 911 network design.

“Collaboration was key to our success with the Next Generation 911 initiative. I am grateful to NDACo, DCN, and DCN’s other member owners, for their partnership and shared common goal for the people of North Dakota,” said Grosz. He added, “We also could not have fulfilled our role as the pilot telecommunications company without SRT’s exceptional engineering and operations staff, who worked diligently to make this critical service available to our members and first responders.”

The faster, more flexible and efficient NG911 system offers benefits to callers and first responders alike. Callers can get help quickly from any device at any time, and first responders can share life-saving information instantly.

Grosz joined SRT in 1997 and has been SRT’s Chief Technology Officer for the last 10 years. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Minot State University. Grosz serves on NTCA’s Technical Committee and DCN’s Technical Committee, and routinely speaks in leadership groups and public forums about cybersecurity, streaming technology, and the future of broadband.

The NTCA Excellence Awards recognize broadband providers who have exceeded expectations to support their customers and community members and to advance communications services in rural America. Winners are selected by the association’s Awards Committee comprising NTCA members.

SRT Communications, headquartered in Minot, North Dakota, is the state’s largest telecommunications cooperative. Established in 1951, SRT employs nearly 190 people and serves roughly 8,000 square miles and 24,000 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.

NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing over 850 independent, community-based telecommunications companies that are leading innovative change in smart rural communities across America. In an era of transformative technological developments, regulatory challenges and marketplace competition, NTCA members are advancing efforts to close the digital divide by delivering robust and high-quality services over future-proof networks. Their commitment to building sustainable networks makes rural communities fertile ground for innovation in economic development, e-commerce, health care, agriculture and education, and it contributes billions of dollars to the U.S. economy each year. Visit www.ntca.org. 

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SRT Offers Local and National Scholarship Opportunities

SRT Offers Local and National Scholarship Opportunities

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Minot, ND – The 2024 SRT College Scholarship Program applications are now available. Five local scholarships totaling $8,500 will be awarded to students this year. National scholarships are also available through SRT’s partnership with the Foundation for Rural Service.

The SRT College Scholarship program awards four $1,500 scholarships. The program evaluates community involvement, school activities, an essay response, and grade point average.

The SRT Technical Scholarship will award $2,500 to one student. This scholarship is open to graduating high school seniors or undergraduate students studying telecommunications or other computer-technology-related fields.

SRT is also proud to partner as a member of the Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) to participate in a national scholarship program that can provide local students with scholarships. Students submitting an FRS application are eligible for multiple national scholarship opportunities.

Applications are available online at srt.com/srtcares. FRS Scholarship applications are due February 16 and SRT Scholarship applications are due March 1. Scholarship recipients will be announced in April and an awards luncheon will be held for the winners.

SRT Communications, headquartered in Minot, North Dakota, is the state’s largest telecommunications cooperative. Established in 1951, SRT employs nearly 190 people and serves roughly 8,000 square miles 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.

 

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SRT Supports Sawyer Drone and eSports Program with $5,000 Donation

SRT Supports Sawyer Drone and eSports Program with $5,000 Donation

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Sawyer, N.D. – SRT presented $5,000 on November 13 to Sawyer Public School, supporting its inaugural year of Drone Racing and eSports. SRT’s donation helped the school buy equipment like computers, accessories, drones, controllers, and headsets.

The program offers drone racing and gaming opportunities to students in grades 7-12. It’s the only in-house extra-curricular activity at Sawyer Public School. The school’s Athletic Director and program leader, Ryan Stockie, said it provides students with technological opportunities that challenge their minds and bodies as well as a social/emotional learning environment.

“It gets rid of the bias or stereotype linked to gaming because it uses technology as a keyhole to physical activity as well,” Stockie said. “It also gives exposure to training in potential jobs that may be available to these kids after high school.”

Drone-racing students practice and compete using drone simulation software and have four drones to fly onsite. While the state tournament was canceled this year, Stockie said they look forward to getting to next year’s.

“Programs like Sawyer Public School’s are an example of the future. Traditional athletics are important, but so are other opportunities that give students a chance to expand their minds and abilities,” said Kristi Miller, SRT Board President. “We at SRT feel it’s crucial to support our communities and technology opportunities like this one.”

The Drone Racing season will soon conclude and up next is a 10-week competitive eSports season. Students will continue to compete against others in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. Choosing from a variety of games, students are matched with their competitors by skill level. Drone Racing and eSports at Sawyer Public School are facilitated by Fenworks in Grand Forks.

SRT Communications, headquartered in Minot, North Dakota, is the state’s largest telecommunications cooperative. Established in 1951, SRT employs nearly 190 people and serves customers across north central North Dakota. SRT earned the distinction as a Certified Gig-Capable Provider in 2017. Services include internet, phone, and security/surveillance systems for home and business.

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Bonnie Mattern Joins SRT as Director of People and Culture

Bonnie Mattern Joins SRT as Director of People and Culture

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MINOT, N.D. – Bonnie Mattern, a human resources professional with more than 25 years of administration and leadership experience, has joined SRT as Director of People and Culture.

Mattern oversees all SRT human resources responsibilities including recruitment, onboarding, retention, labor relations, benefits and payroll, and risk management and compliance. She also develops and leads the strategy for an employee-oriented, high-performance culture that emphasizes quality, productivity, job satisfaction, goal attainment, and employee engagement.

“Bonnie’s depth and breadth of experience working for complex organizations affords us the opportunity to build on our current systems and position SRT for the future,” said Cassidy Hjelmstad, SRT CEO and General Manager. “Her addition to our team ensures that SRT has robust human resources capabilities that are vital to our continued success.”

Prior to joining SRT, Mattern spent three years as Director of Human Resources at Trinity Health, supporting a diverse workforce of 3,000 employees and leading a 20-person team. Mattern served as Human Resources Director for CHI St. Alexius Health Devils Lake Hospital before she joined Trinity Health, initially as Director of KeyCare Medical before leading HR. She also served more than 12 years as Director of Human Resources, and five years as Clinic Administrator, at the Heart of America Johnson Clinic.

“After more than 30 years in healthcare, I consider it a privilege to become part of SRT, a telecommunications organization of excellence,” said Mattern. “I’m a firm believer that people are our greatest asset in the workplace. I am honored to contribute to improved efficiency and satisfaction companywide.”

Originally from Rugby, ND, Mattern earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Mary, Bismarck. She added, “When I’m not at work, I enjoy spending time with my fiancé and two grandchildren, outdoor activities, and playing pinochle!”

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SRT Hosts Rural Prosperity Workshop for North Dakota Community Leaders

SRT Hosts Rural Prosperity Workshop for North Dakota Community Leaders

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Minot, N.D. – SRT welcomed a diverse group of community leaders to its Minot headquarters for Rural Prosperity: A Workshop for Enriching Communities on October 12. Thirty leaders and champions, representing more than a dozen communities across north-central North Dakota, attended the collaborative workshop.

The Rural Prosperity event offered the opportunity for attendees to learn about available funding and other resources, connect with their peers, hear real-life success stories from other communities, and begin building plans to help their own communities thrive.

Kristi Miller, SRT Board President, and Cassidy Hjelmstad, SRT CEO and General Manager, opened the day’s sessions by welcoming attendees and highlighting stories and goals for the day. Shirley Bloomfield, CEO of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association, delivered a video message of encouragement.

Erin Oban, State Director, USDA Rural Development, set the stage for the workshop, which was held during National Coop Month. Quoting from 8th grade North Dakota social studies and underscoring the theme of the day, Oban said, “Cooperatives are ‘formed by a group of people who want to pool their resources for a specific purpose.’” She continued with the “idea that we are better together than we are apart” and posed questions to the group: What do you want for your community? What do you dream of? What do you want for your kids?

Putting dreams into practical context, Megan Langley, Founder and Executive Director of Strengthen ND, discussed the benefits of incremental growth and building a culture of momentum: “Small actions can snowball and amount to meaningful change.” Attendees talked with each other about their communities’ strengths and where they can use support. Langley then prompted them to work on identifying how they could assemble their community team to make things happen. She offered strategies such as leveraging local grantmakers, engaging youth, and connecting with others.

Brian Gion of The Rural Electric and Telcom Development Center discussed how the success of one community can affect the overall economic health of rural North Dakota: “If a town loses its grocery store, its residents won’t necessarily drive to Minot to shop. They might move.” In addition to food access, Gion illustrated how the cooperative model can pool shared services to meet childcare, home care, and ambulance needs in rural communities.

Erin Oban shared funding opportunities available through USDA Rural Development for community programs, rural business and cooperative programs, SEARCH (water project) grants, and the Rural Energy for America Program. USDA Rural Development seeks to help the hundreds of communities that North Dakota has built to “survive and thrive.” Pointing to high-speed internet as essential infrastructure for rural communities to succeed, Oban said North Dakota was “really ahead of our time when we invested in broadband.”

Becky Towery, Community Relations Coordinator for SRT, provided an overview of opportunities that rural communities can pursue through the cooperative. She outlined the federal Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant program (REDLG), Rural Development Finance Corporation (RDFC) grants matched by SRT, Foundation for Rural Service (FRS) grants, and SRT’s own corporate giving program (SRT Cares), as funding options for eligible community betterment and development projects.

Langley wrapped up the day with an interactive session on putting “Big Dreams” into practice by breaking down the work and building a coalition of partners.

Attendees networked with each other throughout the day and left with practical information for their own communities. Daniel Dew of Mohall, associated with the Renville County Economic Development Committee, said, “There are at least three things I’m taking away from the workshop today,” which included exploring the ND Rural Grocery Initiative for food access and encouraging more dialogue about community needs and ideas: “We need to ask. We need to talk to people.”

For more information about SRT Cares and other resources that can support community development projects, visit srt.com/srtcares.

SRT Communications, headquartered in Minot, North Dakota, is the state’s largest telecommunications cooperative. Established in 1951, SRT employs nearly 190 people and serves roughly 8,000 square miles and 24,000 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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