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Press Release

SRT Awards College Scholarships

SRT Awards College Scholarships

MINOT, N.D. – SRT is pleased to announce the 2022 winners of five college scholarships. Of more than 100 applications submitted by outstanding area students, four winners were awarded the SRT Scholarship for $1,500 each. The SRT $2,500 Technical Scholarship winner was also selected.

The $1,500 SRT Scholarship recipients are:

  • Jersey Johnson – Minot High School
  • Madison Moberg – MLS Mohall High School
  • Jadyn Sandy – Velva High School
  • Niah Wollenzien – TGU Towner High School

The winner of the $2,500 SRT Technical Scholarship is Dylan McDonald of Glenburn Public School, who will be attending the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and will major in engineering or computer science.

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“SRT awards scholarships to recognize our area students’ exceptional achievements and support their promising college goals,” said Cassidy Hjelmstad, SRT CEO/General Manager. “As always, we received many impressive applications. It’s been an honor to see how much this scholarship program impacts area youth and we are happy to play a small role in their success.”

Applicants for the SRT Scholarship Program were judged on their scholastic performance and achievements, as well as volunteerism and community involvement. Students were required to write an essay discussing how technology has impacted their experience as a student, whether positively or negatively, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

SRT congratulates the winners and wishes all seniors the best in their future endeavors.

SRT Communications, headquartered in Minot, North Dakota, is the state’s largest telecommunications cooperative. Established in 1951, SRT employs nearly 200 people and serves more than 48,000 customers across north central North Dakota. SRT is committed to bringing the benefits of fiber to rural and urban communities alike and earned the distinction as a Certified Gig-Capable Provider in 2017. Services include internet, TV, phone, and security/surveillance systems for home and business.

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SRT Director Earns NTCA Life Achievement Award

SRT Director Earns NTCA Life Achievement Award

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MINOT, N.D. – Ardel Rice, a Director on SRT’s Board since 2000, was selected as a 2021 recipient of the NTCA James L. Bass Director Life Achievement Award in the Excellence Awards program.

The Excellence Awards of NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association – recognize NTCA members who have shown exceptional commitment to their communities and the rural broadband industry.

Rice notably served as SRT’s Board President from 2010-2012, an unprecedented time when a historic flood devastated the Minot area right as SRT’s rural fiber project began. As President, he also led the Board through SRT’s evolution from a telephone to a broadband company. When leading the Board’s 2012 strategic planning, Rice identified key priorities such as anticipating area growth and significant broadband and Fiber to the Home projects. “Many of these priorities are still relevant today, which speaks volumes about the sustainability of Ardel’s vision for our cooperative,” said Cassidy Hjelmstad, SRT CEO/General Manager.

During his more-than-two decades on the Board, Rice has served on several subcommittees. Currently he is a member of the SRT Strategic Planning, Building, Board Retreat, Board Policy, and Compensation Committees.

“Whether running his farming business, raising a family with his wife, or supporting his community, Ardel has been a man of exceptional character and attitude,” said fellow Director and previous Board President Allan Engh. “As his son Jay once told me, ‘He’s a man to look up to.’ SRT is privileged to have Ardel on the Board and has benefited immensely from his wisdom and leadership.”

Rice and other winners were announced at the Rural Telecom Industry Meeting & EXPO (RTIME) in February. “We are very fortunate to be surrounded by such talented and accomplished individuals in the telecommunications industry, and I am honored to be able to present them with the 2021 Excellence Awards,” said NTCA Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield.

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“The winners exemplify the values of dedication, service and innovation in the work and in their communities. I want to congratulate and thank Ardel for his contributions to our industry.”

A retired farmer, Rice resides in Mohall with his wife, Deanna. They have three sons and eight grandchildren.

SRT Communications, headquartered in Minot, North Dakota, is the state’s largest telecommunications cooperative. Established in 1951, SRT employs nearly 200 people and serves more than 48,000 customers across north central North Dakota. SRT is committed to bringing the benefits of fiber to rural and urban communities alike and earned the distinction as a Certified Gig-Capable Provider in 2017. Services include internet, TV, phone, and security/surveillance systems for home and business.

NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing nearly 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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Robin Anderson Joins SRT as Chief Growth Officer

Robin Anderson Joins SRT as Chief Growth Officer

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MINOT, N.D. – Robin Anderson, a marketing and development professional with 22 years of telecommunications experience, has been named Chief Growth Officer of SRT Communications. She joined SRT on January 10, 2022.

As Chief Growth Officer, Anderson will lead the business strategy and develop new opportunities and partnerships for SRT. She will also leverage data tools to identify customer needs and ensure SRT continues to thrive in the cooperative environment.

“Robin joins SRT at an ideal time, especially as we continue to build the fiber optic platform serving our members,” said Cassidy Hjelmstad, SRT CEO and General Manager. “As we look for future growth opportunities, her sales experience will serve our customers well. She is highly respected in the telecommunications industry. A North Dakota native with years of coop leadership experience, Robin understands the cooperative business model and appreciates the communities we serve. SRT is delighted to welcome this talented professional to our team.”

Originally from Binford, ND, Anderson earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Dickinson State University with a concentration in marketing and agriculture. Prior to joining SRT, she spent five years as Sales Manager at NISC (National Information Solutions Cooperative) and 13 years as Marketing Manager at Dakota Central Telecommunications Cooperative. Anderson also worked for four years as Director of Business Development and Senior Marketing Consultant for Pivot Group, a marketing agency specializing in the rural broadband industry.

“I am excited to be joining Cassidy and the talented team at SRT during a time of growth and transformation,” said Anderson. “SRT has a rich history built on trust and innovation. I look forward to being part of this next chapter as we continue to serve our members in delivering the best communication services available.”

Anderson and her husband, Glenn, have three children and have long enjoyed rodeo as a family. Their oldest son, Bridger, is a professional steer wrestler in Oklahoma; Cedar is a senior at Northwest Oklahoma State University; and Dawsyn is a senior at Carrington High School.

SRT Communications, headquartered in Minot, North Dakota, is the state’s largest telecommunications cooperative. Established in 1951, SRT employs nearly 200 people and serves more than 48,000 customers across north central North Dakota. SRT is committed to bringing the benefits of fiber to rural and urban communities alike and earned the distinction as a Certified Gig-Capable Provider in 2017. Services include internet, TV, phone, and security/surveillance systems for home and business.

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SRT Third Party Email Service Restored

SRT Third Party Email Service Restored

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MINOT, ND – SRT’s email service is being restored as of January 15, after third party email provider Mail2World experienced an outage that began Wednesday morning, January 12. Mail2World attributed the outage to a ransomware attack and reported that customer data was not compromised.

The ransomware attack was on Mail2World’s server that controls distribution of email, not on SRT directly. SRT email customers were not able to send or receive emails throughout the outage.

Founded in 2000, Mail2World supports email hosting services for companies across the country and millions of mailboxes globally. The company is headquartered in the United States with offices located worldwide.

“We know our members deserve better and expect more from SRT. We also expect better service from our vendors. We understand that email is an important part of business and personal life, and we want to thank our members for their patience during this outage,” said Cassidy Hjelmstad, SRT CEO and General Manager. “Moving forward, we will do a deep dive into our email product, review our own processes in place, and work even harder to regain your confidence in us.”

Mail2World has stated that email functions may be returned incrementally. Email may be delayed as it cycles through the queue.

SRT Communications located in Minot, North Dakota is the state’s largest telecommunications cooperative. SRT services include Internet, Security, TV, Phone and Business Services and has served north central North Dakota since 1951, employs nearly 200 people, and serves over 40,000 customers.

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Statement on SRT Email Service Interruption

Statement on SRT Email Service Interruption

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MINOT, ND – Mail2World, SRT’s third party email provider, continues to experience an outage that affects all SRT email customers. Mail2World attributes the outage to a ransomware attack and reports that customer data has not been compromised.

SRT email customers have not been able to send or receive emails since Mail2World reported the unplanned technology-related service interruption on Wednesday morning, January 12. While the email provider had estimated restoration by mid-afternoon on January 13, Mail2World is still working on restoring their servers and has not issued a revised timeline.

“The ransomware attack is on Mail2World’s server that controls distribution of email, not on SRT directly,” said Cassidy Hjelmstad, CEO and General Manager of SRT. “We believe Mail2World’s statement that our customers’ information has not been compromised. We know this is a highly sensitive issue and we will continue to ask questions of our email provider. But for now, we are hoping they can resolve the issue soon.”

Founded in 2000, Mail2World supports email hosting services for companies across the country and millions of mailboxes globally. The company is headquartered in the United States with offices located worldwide.

“Mail2World has been working around the clock to get services up as quickly as possible,” Hjelmstad added. “As a large, established email provider, they have security experts and systems in place and are working with government authorities to resolve the situation as soon as possible. We, along with our email customers, are experiencing firsthand the impact and havoc bad actors can cause to our daily lives.”

Hjelmstad concluded, “SRT takes our customers’ service experience seriously. We realize that the interruption has hindered our customers’ ability to communicate and conduct business. SRT sincerely apologizes for this inconvenience and appreciates everyone’s patience while Mail2World restores email services.”

SRT Communications located in Minot, North Dakota is the state’s largest telecommunications cooperative. SRT services include Internet, Security, TV, Phone and Business Services and has served north central North Dakota since 1951, employs nearly 200 people, and serves over 40,000 customers.

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