Receiving the Leadership Award at the Blandin Foundation broadband conference on behalf of the Arrowhead Electric Association were (L to R): Roger Opp (Arrowhead Electric Cooperative Board president), John Twiest (general manager of True North Broadband), Sara McManus (Subscriber Services manager at True North Broadband), and Ginny Storlie (Cook County commissioner). Photo courtesy of Blandin Foundation
Representatives from Cook County and Arrowhead Electric Association were presented with a Courageous Leadership Award at the 15th annual Blandin Foundation broadband conference, Innovation: Putting Broadband to Work, held last month. They were honored for their innovative partnership that enabled deployment of over 800 miles of Fiber-to-the-Home network stretching from Lake Superior to the end of the Gunflint Trail and the Canadian border.
“With this network in place, Cook County is now poised to thrive,” said Bernadine Joselyn, director of public policy and development at Blandin Foundation. “Young entrepreneurs no longer have to leave the area to establish businesses dependent on technology. Home-based businesses can thrive. And everyone can reach out to people around the world. Blandin Foundation is proud to honor the vision and leadership by the Cook County board and Arrowhead Electric that made this happen.”
Courageous Leadership Awards were created by Blandin Foundation to recognize and celebrate acts of leadership that have significantly contributed to the vibrancy of rural Minnesota communities.
In 2010, the United States Department of Agriculture awarded Arrowhead Cooperative over $16 million in grants and low-interest loans to build a fiber-to-the-home broadband network throughout Cook County. To expand coverage to everyone in the County, Cook County awarded Arrowhead Cooperative a $4 million grant from its one percent local economic development sales tax fund to build a fiber optic network in Grand Marais.
“We were ranked last in the state for access to high-speed Internet,” said John Twiest, general manager of True North Broadband. “Local leaders started asking questions, formed a broadband commission, and led the direction. The leaders of Cook County and of Arrowhead Cooperative had a vision; the stars aligned, and Arrowhead was able to fulfill that vision.”
“I was delightfully surprised at the unity,” said Arrowhead Electric Cooperative Board President Roger Opp. “This is a county where controversy isn’t uncommon, but everyone wanted broadband so bad that they all came together.”
Cook County and Arrowhead Electric Association were honored alongside 11 other awardees that all have taken courageous action to bring the benefits of broadband to their communities. Award winners include: City of Windom, City of Monticello, the partnership between Lac qui Parle County and Farmers Mutual Telephone Company, Southwest Minnesota Broadband Services, the late Paul Bergman, RS Fiber, Jan Keough, Nancy Hoffman, Christopher Mitchell, Gary Evans, and PCs for People.
“All of these individuals, organizations and communities knew early on what many rural communities are just now realizing – that broadband access, and the skills to use it, are fundamental for strong economies, leading-edge education and healthcare, and a high quality of life,” said Joselyn.
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