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Monday, February 22: Early Platform Access

Log onto the platform to check out the space, connect with attendees, complete your profile and view your personalized agenda.

RTIME Online Live Sessions

Gather together for the live updates, insights, and entertainment you have grown to expect from the annual RTIME event. Take advantage of the opportunity to connect with solution providers during Solutions eXchange LIVE to get to know their products, what they offer and collaborate on strategies to put your business plan in place.

All times listed are in Eastern Standard Time.

Tuesday, February 23

Solutions eXchange LIVE
2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. EST
Join Solutions eXchange LIVE to connect via video in a virtual booth with industry partners to learn how they can support you with the latest innovations to help your business thrive.

Opening General Session
3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. EST

Pledge of Allegiance
Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.)

Welcome Message
J. Frederick Johnson, NTCA Board Chairman

NTCA CEO Report
Shirley Bloomfield

Planting the Seeds of Connectivity
Josh Seidemann, Vice President, Policy, NTCA
Craig Cook, CEO, Hill Country Telephone Cooperative
Brent Gillum, President and CEO, LightStream

Smart Rural Communities (SRC) plow a future for residence and business; As SRC continues to flourish in Small Town America, learn how telcos gained their SRC status and how they use SRC for continued positive reinforcement in their communities.

Tech Trends for Your Subscribers
Shawn DuBravac, PhD, CFA Futurist, Trendcaster, Keynote Speaker, and New York Times Best Selling Author
Technology is evolving and adapting fast and making it easier for your subscribers to do what they are doing on your network. Learn how tech trends are making it easier for businesses to operate and residents to work from home.

Tips on Living in Isolation from the Man Who Spent a Year in Space
Scott Kelly, Former Astronaut
Working from home. Self-isolation. Video conferencing. Social distancing. As the new normal brought on by the coronavirus takes hold in homes across the globe, Captain Scott Kelly offers expert advice on how to manage it all successfully. During his year in space aboard the International Space Station, Captain Kelly faced the ultimate isolation challenge—unable to go outside, ever. In this virtual presentation, Kelly shares the seven strategies he followed in space to maintain a productive work schedule, to co-exist with his fellow astronauts, and to remain connected to family and friends.

Wednesday, February 24

Solutions eXchange LIVE
2:30 p.m.–3:00 p.m. EST (exclusive for executives)
Join Solutions eXchange LIVE to connect via video in a virtual booth with industry partners to learn how they can support you with the latest innovations to help your business thrive.

Second General Session
3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. EST

Opening Remarks
Keith Oliver, Southeast Region Commercial Director, NTCA Board of Directors

Supply Chain Management
Jill Canfield, General Counsel, NTCA
Laura Hershon, Management and Program Analyst National Risk Management Center, CISA

Join a discussion on supply chain issues that are impacting the industry.

Rural Communities Redefined
Matt Dunne, Executive  Director, Center on Rural Innovation
A post-pandemic look at how rural life and communities will see a continued revival and how communities can respond in ways to create stickiness for residents and consumers of broadband.

Game Plan for 2021
Mike Romano, Senior Vice President of Industry Affairs and Business Development, NTCA
Jonathan West, General Manager and CEO, Twin Lakes Telephone Cooperative

Policy and regulatory outlook with a new administration; covering what a new FCC looks like

Stop Being "A" Leader. Start Being "THE" Leader.
Ryan Avery, World Record Holder, Bestselling Author and World Champion 
Today’s world is competitive, innovative, and rapidly changing. When we are serious about growing the company, it is no longer acceptable to offer a product, solution or even be a leader. Today’s consumers, followers and your employees want the product, solution and the leader to follow. When we want to motivate others to action and produce solutions that actually matter, it’s time to go from "A" to "THE". (30 minutes)

Thursday, February 25 

Third General Session
3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. EST

Opening Remarks
Barry Adair, Northeast Region Cooperative, NTCA Board of Directors

FRS Update
Pamela Becker, Executive Director, FRS

The Soaring 20s
Ben Foster, President and CEO ISG Technology /Twin Valley Telephone
Jason Miller, General Manager, Delhi Telephone Co.
Ross Petrick, CEO, Alliance Communications

Hear a discussion from an industry panel and take a close look at the telecom industry's growth in the 20s. Where is it going to come from?

FCC Commissioner Remarks
Nathan Simington, FCC Commissioner

RTFC Economic Update
Sheldon Petersen, CEO, National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corp. and the Rural Telephone Finance Cooperative (RTFC)

Not by the Sword and Shield, But by the Head and Heart
Nadja West, First African American Army Surgeon General and Former Commanding General, U.S. Army Medical Command
The speaker is sponsored by RTFC.

What we as individuals can do to lead past the COVID-19 pandemic. The sword and the shield are great weapons when facing a peer or entities like ourselves, that have similar weaknesses and strengths. But when there is an indiscernible enemy, formless and shapeless to our eyes, other strategies and tactics must be employed. In this talk, Nadja West demonstrates that as leaders in the current fight against the pandemic, the greatest weapons in our armory are our heads and our hearts. Using examples from great leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., she inspires groups to embody the essence of Army leadership – to provide purpose, direction, and motivation – to successfully serve on the front lines of the COVID-19 battle, secure victory, and become stronger for the future.

Thursday, March 4

Live Town Halls With Favorite Track Presenters
1:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m. EST
Director Track Winner: Molly McPherson, PR Problem Solver, MollyMcPherson.com
Telco Track Winner: Ryan Avery, World Record Holder, Best-selling Author, World Champion

The votes are in from RTIME Online week one on-demand sessions. Join in this open dialogue led by the top-voted presenter in the director track and telco track to discuss your most pressing industry issues.

Closing General Session
2:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. EST

NTCA Business Session

NTCA 2020 eXcellence Awards Ceremony
Sponsored by:

AwardCeremonySponsors

 

 

 

Special Closing Entertainment
Riley Green, Country Music Recording Artist

On-Demand Breakout Sessions

RTIME Online is ready when and where you are. A library of presentations curated into two tracks for directors and telco staff offers you the latest, most relevant information in the rural broadband industry delivered by subject matter experts you know and trust.  

Telco Track

Director Track

It Is About More than Deployment
Mike Romano, Sr. Vice President, Industry Affairs and Business Development, NTCA
Kathryn de Wit, Manager, The Pew Chairitable Trusts
Christopher Ali, Associate Professor, Univerisity of Virginia

Join in an in-depth policy discussion surrounding the complete digital divide, looking at the need to tackle both availability and affordability.
What Makes a Co-op Member in the 2020s?
Adam Schwartz, Founder and Principal, The Cooperative Way
Who is a member of the co-op nowadays? With customer interest shifting beyond landlines, it is time to take a fresh look at what defines a cooperative member. In addition to broadband, how about wireless, video, and customers in competitive areas where you have expanded?
Team Leadership in the 20s
Molly McPherson, PR Problem Solver, MollyMcPherson.com
Hear an executive-level discussion that focuses on what we have learned about our teams and leadership in past year.
Advocacy Goals for 2021
Adam Jorde, Director of Government Affairs, NTCA 
Scott Lively, Senior Director of Government Affairs and Grassroots Advocacy, NTCA
Molly O'Leary, Director of Government Affairs, NTCA

We will get into the weeds bit with NTCA’s advocacy goals for the year with a new congress and administration.
Monetizing Disruption
Jim Costello, CEO/President, Lynxx Networks;
Eric Cramer, President and CEO,  Wilkes Communications
Steve Meltzer, President, JSI

Has the pandemic created opportunities for new business lines? How have rural broadband providers adapted, amplified existing offers, and met new needs, and how will those create new business opportunities down the line?
How Do We Pay for Universal Service?
Carol Mattey, Principal, Mattey Consulting
Chris Nelson, Public Utilities Commissioner State of South Dakota

Everyone says we need contributions reform. No one agrees on how to do it. Some large operators are arguing to scrap it altogether. What ideas are being talked about to fund all of the programs addressing all of the broadband challenges?
Mapping the Future for Rural Broadband
Brian Ford, Director of Industry Affairs at NTCA
Brent Legg, Executive Vice President, Government Affairs at Connected Nation Inc.
Eric McCrae, Director at Information Technology Outreach Services,Carl Vinson Institute of Government

Get a first-hand update on where we stand with the FCC’s mapping of broadband availability and the steps that accurate mapping advocates are taking today.
How We Will Arrange Our Networks in the Future
Josh Seidemann, VP of Policy, NTCA
Cassidy Hjelmstad, Director of Corporate Communications at SRT Communications

Interior designer Barclay Butera said that if you want to know the best way to arrange your furniture, just look at how people rearranged your furniture after your last party. That will tell you what works best. The same can be said about how customers are using your networks and services. Take a look back and try to discover what works best.
All the Regulatory Rest…From Infrastructure to Performance Testing to Robocalls, and More
Brian Ford Director of Industry Affairs, NTCA
Stacey Brigham, Regulatory Director, TCA Inc.

This fast-paced session will bring you up to speed on the status of the sundry of projects that the NTCA regulatory team is working on, including infrastructure, performance testing, and much more.
Business Continuity and the Boardroom
Molly McPherson, PR Problem Solver, MollyMcPherson.com
With nearly a year of turmoil under our belt, let us take a close look at business continuity. How did we do as a governing body and what can we do better as we prepare for future unknowns?
Impacts of a Cyber Breach
Fayyaz Patwa, Technical Sales Director, Nokia
Kevin Beyer, General Manager, Federated Telephone and Farmers Telephone Cooperatives
Gary Owen, Chief Information Security Officer, Wells Fargo

Bad actors are going after small businesses, too. Learn how a rural ILEC experienced a cyber breach and the story that unfolded after the discovery.
This session is brought to you by the Associate Member Advisory Council
The Rapidly Evolving Customer Experience
Pam Ferguson, Vice President of Product and Field Marketing, Calix
Aaryn Slafky, Director of Customer Experience, Pivot

Learn about what directors need to know about the customer experience and how the business-to-consumer relationship has changed dramatically over the past decade.
The Ongoing, Unfolding, Unending Story of LEOs
Larry Thompson, CEO, Vantage Point Solutions
Augie Ponturiero, VP of Business Development, Defense and Space, TriSept Corp.

Seriously, the ongoing real developments in the satellite broadband space. The advances are happening at a surprisingly rapid pace, and you’ll learn the latest here!
Six Steps to Become a Successful Board Leader
Mark Marion, Senior Director of Member Services and Engagement, NTCA
Leadership is fundamental for a successful board. Learn the top traits of successful leaders that put the organization first.
Survival of the Most Adaptable
Josh Seidemann, VP of Policy, NTCA
Tom Steinolfson, CEO, Red River Communications
Mike Riley, Vice President of Engineering, Mid-State Consultants Inc.

Darwin’s “survival of the fittest” is actually a misnomer - it is “survival of the most adaptable.” Join this conversation about meeting market disruptions and challenges without mentioning a single technology.
This session brought to you by the Innovation and Business Opportunity Committee.
Board/Manager Relations
Celeste Cook, President and CEO, cuStrategies
Clarity in roles and responsibilities among the board and the staff is more critical now than ever before. Good relationships and understanding promote good governance and operations.
How to Motivate Any Team
Ryan Avery, World Record Holder, Best-selling Author, World Champion
Most business leaders have something important to say. However, very few know how to say it in a way that gets people to react, feel motivated and be productive! What if you could learn from the Youngest World Champion of Public Speaking in history, Ryan Avery, on what he learned from never giving a speech to winning the championship in eight months? In this interactive session, you will gain strategies that took Ryan from novice to notable.
Critical Conversations in the Boardroom
Celeste Cook, President and CEO, cuStrategies
Problems arise when critical conversations are not happening in the boardroom or during virtual meetings. Learn how to make sure that all voices are heard and that issues are being put on the table. Holding things back is a sure-fire way to fail.

Solutions eXchange LIVE Hours:

Tuesday, February 23 | 2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. EST
Wednesday, February 24 | 2:30 p.m.–3:00 p.m. EST (exclusive for executives)

  • Get to know the products of participating solution providers and what they offer.
  • Collaborate on strategies to put your business plan in place.
  • Find out the best delivery method to transform your services as the “go to” for your customers.