SCHEDULE
All events on Wednesday take place in the Kansas Grand Ballroom
WEDNESDAY - SEPTEMBER 18
10:00am - 10:10am: Welcome Shekinah Pepper - RUS
10:10am- 10:30am: Opening Comments Lt. Governor Lynn Rogers
10:30am - 12 noon: Understanding Broadband
Takeaway: Learn the difference between ILECs, CLECs, WISPs and how they deliver service to homes and businesses
Moderator - Mike Brigman, President - Kansas Fiber Network
Panelists: Mark Pflum -RVW (Engineering Technology) Rob McDonald (Fiber Technology) -MT Networks & Chris Hahn (Wireless Technology) - KanOkla
12 noon - 1:00pm: Lunch - an update from USDA
Shekinah Pepper - GRF, RUS RD
Lynn Hinrichsen - USDA State Director, Kansas
1:30pm - 2:30pm: ABC's of Funding
Takeaway: Learn more about how broadband networks are funded and how partnerships or consortiums/collations might help your community. What has changed over the years and how does it affect me and wanting to build out to our community?
Moderator: Shekinah Pepper - RUS
Panelists: Mike Teeples - TCA, Andy Smith - CoBank & Rob McDonald - MT Networks
2:30pm - 3:30pm: Broadband Based Businesses
Takeaway: Success stories about how EDC's, Businesses and Entrepreneurs are leveraging broadband to improve and build businesses
Moderator: Stacy Simmer - Rainbow Communications
Panelist: Mendi Anschutz - NexTech & Lisa Roberts Proffitt - Flagship.KS.Tech & Darin Miller- Iron Clad Coworking
3:30p - 4p NETWORKING BREAK
4:00pm -5:00pm: Broadband Adoption
Takeaway: Learn how communities are using broadband to improve the lives of residents, and how they can make the case that quality broadband will help communities thrive and grow
Moderator - Angie Schwerdtfeger - TCT Broadband
Panelists: Justin Rupert - Goodwill Industries, Chris Pedersen - Connected Nation & Brandon Hines - Hays Public Library
5:00pm - 6:00pm: Networking Reception - Corporate Hills Ballroom - Meet and mingle with speakers, panelists and other attendees
Sponsored by TCA
THURSDAY - SEPTEMBER 19
8:00am - 9:00am: Breakfast in Kansas Grand Ballroom
9:00am - 9:05am: Welcome SITA President
9:05am - 9:30am: Kansas Broadband Task Force updates
Get updates from several members of the Broadband Task force about the committee's efforts to expand broadband in Kansas.
Panelists: Colleen Jamison - SITA & Stanley Adams - KS Department of Commerce
9:30am - 9:45am: Q&A - Broadband Task Force
BREAK OUT SESSIONS
Ballroom ABC
ROOM #2
Wichita Grand
Atrium
10:00a -11:00a: Broadband Partnerships
Examples of partnerships that have built broadband-based projects and how they are managed.
Panelists - Angie Kreider, Rainbow Communications & Chris Pedersen - Connected Nation
Moderator - Stacy Simmer, Rainbow Communications
10:00a -11:00a: Creative Funding (repeats)
Examples of creative ways broadband projects have been funded.
Panelists - Rob McDonald - MT Networks, Rick Tidwell - ValuNet Fiber & Andy Smith - CoBank
Moderator - Shekinah Pepper - RUS
10:00am -11:00am:
A Regional Approach to Broadband (repeats)
Examples of how using a regional approach to broadband can improve access to broadband for urban and rural communities.
Panelists - Jean Rice, NTIA & Stanley Adams - KS Department of Commerce
Moderator - Angie Schwerdtfeger -TCT Broadband
11:00a - 11:15a BREAK
Ballroom ABC
11:15a - 12:15p: Broadband Based Work Paths and Careers
Examples of the how robust broadband is cultivating entrepreneurship and attracting telecommuting workers to Kansas communities.
Panelists - Chris Pedersen, Connected Nation & Darin Miller- Iron Clad Coworking
Moderator - Jada Ackerman, Blue Valley
Wichita Grand
11:15a - 12:15p: Creative Funding
Examples of creative ways broadband projects have been funded.
Panelists - Rob McDonald - MT Networks, Rick Tidwell - ValueNet Fiber & Andy Smith - CoBank
Moderator - Shekinah Pepper - RUS
Atrium
11:15a - 12:15p: A Regional Approach to Broadband
Examples of how using a regional approach to broadband can improve access to broadband for urban and rural communities.
Panelists - Jean Rice - NTIA & Stanley Adams - KS Department of Commerce
Moderator - Angie Schwerdtfeger - TCT Broadband
12:15p - 1:15p: Lunch - Kansas Grand Ballroom
1:30p - 2:30p - Panel Discussion on Broadband Mapping - Kansas Grand Ballroom
Join our panel of experts as they discuss this important topic. Moderator: Catherine Moyer - CEO/General Manager of Pioneer Communications Panelist: Stanley Adams - Kansas Department of Commerce, Katie Moore - Senior Legislative Assistant for Congressman Roger Marshall & Mike Zamrzla -Deputy State Director for Senator Jerry Moran
2:30p - Chairman Pai - Remarks - Kansas Grand Ballroom
3:00p - 5:00p - KS USDA ReConnect Program Workshop - Open to Public
Atrium