“From a technology standpoint, fiber-to-the-home was the biggest thing that was needed in our community, so in 2020, Tishomingo Connect was deployed. We’ve been able to offer it to all of our members, and we now have over 7,600 subscribers. Being able to meet that need has been extremely rewarding, and the great thing about fiber is that it’s scalable. So hopefully, we have both solved a problem from a technology standpoint, and provided that connectivity to the internet, which is the bridge to pretty much all things technology now.”

“We want our members to know that we’re doing our best to use all technology at our disposal to make their lives better. Whether it’s through fiber-to-the-home, smart meters, better load management—anything that we can do to deploy various methods of technology that makes our members’ lives better or their bills lower is always our goal. We want to ensure that we’re doing things that make sense and invest those dollars in a way that’ll provide a great return to our membership. Having fiber deployed throughout the county enables us to leverage that asset and see deeper into our system in order to manage our load better, which, in turn, hopefully reduces bills. We want to be good stewards of the resources that we have and to make our grid operate as best as we possibly can.”

“Make sure that you study and stay informed on everything going on in the industry, technology or otherwise—you’ve got to stay on top of it.  You have to read those emails, go to those meetings. You have to talk to your peers and make sure that you’re doing your best to stay on top of the innovation that’s out there. Additionally, I would also advise you to understand and respect your board or your governing authorities’ position on technology and what is needed in your community. Our job is to educate, and their job is to make the final decision. At the end of the day, progress happens through partnership, and by staying informed and offering guidance, we help our leaders make the best choices for the community’s future.