SCHEDULE

All events on Wednesday take place in the Kansas Grand Ballroom 

​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

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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?

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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 

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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

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5:00pm - 6:00pm: Networking Reception - Corporate Hills Ballroom - Meet and mingle with speakers, panelists and other attendees

Sponsored by TCA

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

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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

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9:30am - 9:45am: Q&A - Broadband Task Force

BREAK OUT SESSIONS

10:00a -11:00a: Broadband Partnerships 

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Examples of partnerships that have built  broadband-based projects and how they are managed. 

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Panelists -  Angie Kreider, Rainbow Communications & Chris Pedersen - Connected Nation

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Moderator -  Stacy Simmer, Rainbow Communications

10:00a -11:00a: Creative Funding (repeats)

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Examples of creative ways broadband projects have been funded.

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Panelists - Rob McDonald - MT Networks, Rick Tidwell - ValuNet Fiber & Andy Smith - CoBank

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Moderator - Shekinah Pepper - RUS

10:00am -11:00am: 

A Regional Approach to Broadband (repeats)

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Examples of how using a regional approach to broadband can improve access to broadband for urban and rural communities.

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Panelists - Jean Rice, NTIA & Stanley Adams - KS Department of Commerce

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Moderator - Angie Schwerdtfeger -TCT Broadband 

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.

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Panelists - Chris Pedersen, Connected Nation & Darin Miller- Iron Clad Coworking

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Moderator - Jada Ackerman, Blue Valley

11:15a - 12:15p:  Creative Funding

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Examples of creative ways broadband projects have been funded.

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Panelists -  Rob McDonald - MT Networks, Rick Tidwell - ValueNet Fiber & Andy Smith - CoBank

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Moderator -  Shekinah Pepper - RUS

11:15a - 12:15p: A Regional Approach to Broadband 

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Examples of how using a regional approach to broadband can improve access to broadband for urban and rural communities.

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Panelists -  Jean Rice - NTIA & Stanley Adams - KS Department of Commerce

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Moderator - Angie Schwerdtfeger - TCT Broadband

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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