Chariton Valley Hosts Town Hall Meeting

by Chariton Valley
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MACON, MO – March 17, 2023 – Chariton Valley (CV) hosted a Town Hall meeting at its headquarters Tuesday, March 14th, facilitated by Louis Riggs, 5th District State Representative and Chair of the Missouri House Workforce Infrastructure Development Committee, to discuss workforce issues in northcentral Missouri.

The meeting gathered elected officials and local leaders from multiple industries and opened with Chariton Valley representatives providing an update about the company’s broadband deployment and discussing how broadband availability impacts the workforce. Kathryn de Wit of Pew Charitable Trusts followed with brief remarks from Washington D.C., and a discussion about workforce ensued amongst the community stakeholders.

“I’m often told that local providers view deployment differently because they’re as vested in the outcome as their neighbors are. This meeting illustrated why Chariton Valley has earned its reputation as a model for other ISPs deploying fiber, but the group they were able to bring together also showed me that they are viewed as a trusted community partner,” stated Kathryn de Wit. “From the state legislators and local officials to the ISP subcontractors and health care workers, this meeting focused on how to make sure these federal funds benefit the local workforce and this community. You don’t see that everywhere and I’m deeply appreciative that I was invited to join the conversation.”

In attendance were Rusty Neill of MA Bank; Sonja Gittings of Tiger Country Realty; Lisa Skelton of Macon Area Career and Technical Education Center; Patricia Knowles of Community Child Development Center; Melissa Cole of Cole Construction and Chariton Valley Board President; Avis Marshall, Macon City Administrator; Gareth Buerky of C-Com, Inc.; Tim Korman of Macon Electric Cooperative; Kathryn de Wit; 1st and 2nd District Macon County Commissioners Kevin Souther and Clarence Walker; Carli Taylor of Samaritan Hospital; Sue Goulder, Macon County Economic Development Director; Shari Schenewerk of the Missouri Department of Economic Development; Brian Gray of ConAgra; Adrianne Furniss of Benton Institute for Broadband & Society; Bridget Walsh Moore, Missouri State Representative; Jeremy Winder of C-Com, Inc.; Brent Stevens of the NEMO Workforce Development Board; Leslie Sieck of Tri-State Development and Culver-Stockton College; Ryan Johnson, Trisha Stevens, Daren Dowell and Donna Bell of Chariton Valley; and Representative Riggs.

The meeting provided an opportunity for stakeholders to address Missouri workforce issues, examine resolutions and discuss available resources, such as federal funding to assist with broadband expansion. The meeting was both collaborative and informative.

"I want to thank Chariton Valley for being such a good neighbor, resource partner and for hosting this event where we sat down and talked about broadband, workforce issues and how broadband affects workforce. It was also a really good opportunity to talk with people who are solving workforce problems today in real-time. Broadband is a necessity not a luxury. It’s always great to work with Chariton Valley," stated Representative Riggs.

"We were thrilled to host this meeting and work with other community leaders and government officials for the betterment of our area. Chariton Valley is committed to connecting rural Missourians to fast, reliable internet. We appreciate Louis Riggs’ efforts in workforce and broadband development and thank everyone who attended the meeting," added Ryan Johnson, Chariton Valley's Interim President and Chief Executive Officer.

About Chariton Valley

Through its influential leadership, innovative advances, and 70 years of experience, Chariton Valley, Missouri's premier communications provider, continues to enhance rural prosperity and living. Chariton Valley's reliable network utilizes fiber facilities to expand connectivity to students, families, farmers, businesses, medical facilities, and rural communities every day. Chariton Valley's success is driven by a commitment to deliver an exceptional customer experience and to continue supporting the communities it serves with pride. Learn more at www.cvalley.net.

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