CALL TO ORDER PRESIDENT INVOCATION HEIDI KLAASSEN MEDINA COMMUNITY CHURCH PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE PRESENTED BY SSG (RET) SHILO HARRIS NATIONAL ANTHEM LAURA WIMBERLY AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE EMMA FAYE RUDKIN INTRODUCTION PRESIDENT REPORT ON QUORUM CEO NOTICE OF MEETING & PROOF OF MAILING CEOMINUTES PRESIDENT SECRETARY’S REPORT SECRETARY/TREASURER CERTIFICATION OF CONSENT ELECTION SECRETARY/TREASURER ELECTION REPORT LEGAL COUNSEL & PARLIAMENTARIAN UNFINISHED BUSINESS PRESIDENT NEW BUSINESS PRESIDENT CEO REPORT CEO PRESENTATION OF AWARDS PRIZE GIVEAWAY MEETING ADJOURNSIN 1951 FIVE FOWARD- THINKERS IN THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY CAME TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY WANTED A BETTER WAY TO CONNECT As the future of our industry continues to evolve and broadband has become a necessity, HCTC is strategically positioning itself to meet the ever changing needs of its members, today and into the future. The Cooperative is governed by a Board of Directors, with the 11 members representing nine districts.On February 13, 1951 Eugene Lindig, Herman Eckhardt, Roy Jacoby, Walter Schlaudt, and Otto Schumann met and formed Hill Country Telephone Cooperative, Inc. (HCTC) for the purpose of furnishing area-wide telephone service in rural areas to the widest practical number of users. Today HCTC provides telecommunication services in 15 exchanges located in 14 counties spread across nearly 3,000 square miles in rugged Hill Country terrain. The Cooperative’s mission is to be the premier provider of modern telecommunications and broadband services throughout our region. Our objective is to fulfill this mission by continually enhancing our services and customer experience all at a fair and reasonable price. As the population of the Texas Hill Country continues to grow and the needs and demographics of its subscriber base evolve, HCTC, realizing the importance of broadband availability for rural economic development, has embarked on a vision to further expand our fiber broadband network to the furthest reaches of our territory. MISSION THE WHAT To be the premier provider of modern telecommunications and broadband services throughout our region. VISION THE WHY To further expand our fiber broadband network to the furthest extent of our current service areas and territories, to providing safe, fast, and reliable internet to the neighbors and communities we serve and reside in. STRATEGY THE HOW To fulfill HCTC’s mission by continually enhancing our services and executing the highest level of customer service to our members all at a reasonable and fair price.A message from the R. Craig Cook CEOOn behalf of our entire team and your Board of Directors, thank you for your support of HCTC in 2024! This has been a remarkable year full of challenge and opportunity – through which we’ve remained dedicated to our mission: “To be the premier provider of modern telecommunications and broadband services throughout our region.” This is not just a slogan, but our mantra that directs our corporate goals and our daily commitment to you! Speaking of commitment, we are devoted to the ongoing improvement of your customer experience. This means that every touch point you have with HCTC will be unmatched in quality, professionalism, respect and friendliness that you can only get from your local, hometown provider. We truly consider our customers part of the HCTC family! One of the benefits of being a member of the HCTC family is having world-class broadband services in some of the most remote areas of our State. We believe that rural living doesn’t require sacrificing connectivity to the world. You may have seen our tagline “Your World Connected.” We view this statement as our responsibility and work hard to assure that you have the world of news, business, sports and entertainment at your fingertips. Our management team and Board of Directors continue to strategically plan for the future and make the appropriate investments in our people and network to improve our services and extend our reach – to the most rural, hard to reach areas of our territory. To this end, HCTC increased its 2024 capital budget by more than 30% over 2023. This sizable investment in our network will ensure that you receive unparalleled service while fueling the expansion of our service territory. Earlier this year, HCTC began offering service in the communities of Harper, Eldorado, and Big Lake. Market expansion is part of our overall growth strategy and key to the future success of our Cooperative. More broadly, it is important to note that rural broadband has garnered much Good evening, HCTC Family!We deliver fast and reliable broadband as well as comprehensive telephone services. attention from policy makers – apparent by recent legislation creating numerous broadband funding programs. Billions of federal dollars will be directed toward rural broadband deployment across our country, with Texas set to receive $3.3 billion dollars from the Broadband Equity Access Deployment program. Additionally, Texas voters passed a constitutional amendment last November, creating the Broadband Infrastructure Fund which will provide $1.5 billion in state dollars to fund broadband projects in Texas. HCTC is closely monitoring the potential opportunities associated with these funding mechanisms. While we continue to focus on investments in our network and employees, we equally value the investments we make in our communities. And though it’s admirable to speak of one’s commitment and responsibility to the community, words only go so far. At HCTC our action speaks louder. Through various community events and charitable donations, HCTC is a proud partner of our local schools, libraries, hospitals, first-responders and other community organizations that provide vital services to the residents in our area. We know that these organizations are the foundation of our community, and we are grateful to play a role in supporting the critical services provided by these groups. Thank you again for your membership and support of your Cooperative - HCTC!Next >