Garden Valley Directors Jim Ferden on the left and Byron Ness on the right, welcomed the newly elected member Allen Paulson who will serve on the board. Both Ferden and Ness were re-elected to their Districts.

Garden Valley Telephone Company staff was on hand at the annual meeting to inform members on the newest technology that is available. Fiber services allows the company to provide video and high speed internet to customers. The project was completed in the city of Fosston and this summer plans are to put out fiber to the home in the cities of Bagley and St. Hilaire.

“The WoodPicks,” a northern Minnesota band specializing in Gospel, Bluegrass, Country and Americana music at the 111th annual meeting of Garden Valley Telephone Company.

Over 300 Garden Valley members were in attendance for the 111th annual meeting. This was the first year for the new general manager, Tim Brinkman. He is the seventh manager that the company has hired over the years. It was announced that local businesses and organizations will be able to advertise on the IPTV channels such as HGTV, TBS, ESPN, TNT and others.

Jenna Tadych, one of the two students sponsored by Garden Valley to attend the Foundation for Rural Service, (FRS) Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. in 2015, reported on her trip. The Youth Tour introduces students to the telecommunications industry within a legislative context. She had entered an essay-style letter of application which earned her the trip to DC.

Warren Larson did not seek re-election to the Garden Valley Telephone Company board. He served 24 years representing District 7, which is the Bagley, Minerva and Shevlin exchanges. He also served four years as the President of the Board.

More than 300 Attend Garden Valley’s 111th Annual Meeting

Tue, 06/14/2016 - 11:06am admin

More than 300 persons, including 223 registered members, were in attendance at the 111th annual membership meeting of Garden Valley Telephone Company held at the Win-E-Mac School auditorium near Erskine on Tuesday, June 7, 2016.

As members registered and received their attendance gift, entertainment was provided by “The WoodPicks,” a northern Minnesota band specializing in Gospel, Bluegrass, Country and Americana music. Members and guests were also treated to coffee and donuts prior to calling the business meeting to order. The business meeting included reports from President Vernon Hamnes, Treasurer Joe Sandberg and General Manager Tim Brinkman. Jenna Tadych, one of the two students sponsored by Garden Valley to attend the FRS Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. in 2015, reported on her memorable trip. Retiring District 7 Director, Warren Larson, was recognized for his 24 years of service on the Board of Directors. Garden Valley employees were also on hand to answer questions about the cooperative’s products and services. Prizes were awarded and lunch was served following adjournment of the meeting. The winner of the adult grand prize, a 40” HDTV, was Dolorose Bushy, of Mentor, and winning the children’s drawing for a 24” bicycle was Adeline Frisk, of McIntosh.

Directors

Elected to Board

Directors Byron Ness (District 1—Beltrami, Fertile and Maple Bay exchanges) and Jim Ferden (District 4—McIntosh and Winger exchanges) were re-elected to serve on the cooperative's Board of Directors for the next three years. Allen Paulson, of Shevlin, was elected to a 3-year term as Director for District 7, serving the Bagley, Minerva and Shevlin exchanges

Board Names Corporate Officers

Following the June 7th annual meeting, Garden Valley's Board of Directors elected the following Directors to serve as officers of the cooperative:

President, Jerry Freitag; Secretary, Arlene Novak; Vice President, Byron Ness; Treasurer, Jim Ferden.

More than 300 Attend Garden Valley’s 111th Annual Meeting

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