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The company also holds director elections and welcomes special guests
Buffalo, Indiana – April 3, 2018– LightStream held its 64th Annual Membership Meeting on March 20th, 2018, at its headquarters in Buffalo. Members heard from the CEO, Chairman of the Board and State Senator Brian Buchanan. At the meeting, members learned about LightStream’s fiber construction, network upgrades, future plans, and also participated in director elections.
Mike McCormick, LightStream’s Chairman of the Board, talked about the importance of advocacy in Washington, DC, to “ensure that cooperatives like LightStream are not unduly hurt by policies that benefit large companies” and big cities. “We must continue to tell our story in DC and hold our policymakers’ feet to the fire. While there is great promise of infrastructure support in various programs, we still have to push to explain the difference in the cost structures so that we can provide [our members] in rural America–rural Indiana– the best data, voice and communications services,” said McCormick.
McCormick also introduced LightStream’s new CEO, Brent Gillum. Over the past decade, Brent served as IT Manager and, most recently, Director of Operations. “He has played an instrumental role in LightStream’s network improvements, from designing a new central office and data center to streamlining processes and managing the buildout of the company’s fiber network,” commented McCormick.
The meeting reviewed several important issues and initiatives including:
- The Federal Communications Commission’s repeal of Net Neutrality Rules and the potential impact on LightStream’s customers
- LightStream’s upgrade of In-Town Buffalo and In-Town Pulaski customers to fiber-based 100 Mbps Internet and the launch of new video services, including Video on Demand
- The completion of Phases 4 and 5 of the Monticello fiber construction project – bringing fiber-based internet to hundreds of homes and businesses
- LightStream’s progress on bringing fiber-based internet to approximately 800 homes and businesses in Winamac in summer 2018; and, the company’s work on a new Whole-Home WiFi platform
“It is such an exciting time to be in the telecommunications business,” said Gillum. “Our expansions in Winamac and Monticello have enabled us to make the needed capital investments in Buffalo, Pulaski and Star City. Our goal is to build fiber everywhere possible because that is the future.”
3 directors were elected to serve three-year terms on the Board of Directors. Incumbents Keith Crist (Pulaski district) and John Mitchell (Buffalo district) were re-elected to serve another term and Abagail Anspach was elected to represent the Star City district.
In attendance was State Senator Brian Buchanan who spoke about his new role in the Senate and his passion for bringing broadband to unserved and underserved areas of Indiana. Other special guests included John Koppin, President and CEO of the Indiana Broadband and Technology Association, Nathan Origer, Executive Director of the Pulaski County CDC & Economic Development, Randy Price, CEO of Carroll White REMC and Chairman of White County Economic Development, Casey Crabb, Communications and Public Relations Manager at Carroll White REMC and White County Council Member, Aaron Paulsen, President of Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce, and Jack Faker of the Monticello Chamber of Commerce and White County Visitors Bureau President.
About LightStream/PWRTC
Headquartered in Buffalo, Indiana, Pulaski White Rural Telephone Cooperative (PWRTC) has been providing telecommunications services in the greater Buffalo, Pulaski and Star City areas since 1954. PWRTC and its wholly owned subsidiary Pulaski White Communications, collectively doing business as LightStream, provide high-speed Internet, TV, voice and home security services to approximately 2,400 customers. The company is focused on expanding its fiber-optic network to ensure greater northern Indiana enjoys advanced communications services on par with major metropolitan areas at reasonable prices. For more information visit our Lightstream website.
Video snippet of the meeting below: