Hotel Information | Registration | Agenda | Sponsors
Golf | Fly Fishing

Our Annual Membership Meeting is a telecommunications policy conference attended by more than 100 BroadbandMT member senior execs from Montana’s telecom industry. We offer sponsorship opportunities and other ways for Associate Members to participate. It is a great venue for exposure to senior level telecom executives and the public policies that affect the industry.

200 S Pattee St.
Missoula, MT 59802
406-721-8550

Room reservations at the Holiday Inn Downtown can be made by calling 406-721-8550 or click here; reference BroadbandMT. Room rates start at $299/night plus tax. Room block rates expire July 18, 2025. Please note that the booking link above is NOT mobile compatible. Discounted rates are available three days before and after the contractual dates of August 17-20, but you must call to make your reservation.

Registration

Associate Member / Vendors
Registration and Sponsorships

Telco Member & Others
Registration
Coming Soon!

Telco Member Pricing
$450 | $500 after August 4th

Government Pricing
$200 | $250 after August 4th

Telco Guests
President's Reception: $50
Awards Luncheon: $40

No refunds after August 4th.

Tentative Agenda

Monday, August 18th

8am	Fly Fishing with Dustin Heath, CHR Solutions, Inc. and outfitters, Missoula Fly Guy This year, the trip includes a guided trip on rafts down the Clark Fork River! Cost: $400/person Click here for more details!
10:30am	Golf - Canyon River Golf Club 1268 Bandmann Trail Missoula, MT 59802 Cost: $175/person Click here for more details!
4-6pm	President's Welcome Reception with special guest band the Loose Mules!

Tuesday, August 19th

8:30am	Welcome Bridger Mahlum, BroadbandMT General Manager
8:45am	NTCA: Our Voice in D.C. Mike Romano serves as the Executive Vice President of NTCA, overseeing the association’s public policy, government affairs, and business development initiatives, the educational and community-focused mission of the Foundation for Rural Service, and several areas of internal operations including member engagement and information technology. Before joining NTCA, Mike served as the founding vice president and general counsel of GTT Communications, held a variety of positions with AOL and Level 3, and practiced in the telecom, media, and technology group of a Washington DC law firm.
9:30am	Federal Issues Update
10:15am	Break
10:30am	Economic Outlook Patrick Barkey, Director of Research at the Bureau of Business and Economic Research, UM
11:15am	TBD
12pm	Annual Awards Luncheon
1:20pm	A Word from Senator Daines’ Office remote Joshua Sizemore serves as an advisor to Senator Daines. Born and raised in Billings, Montana, his legislative portfolio includes Tech/Telecommunications, Commerce, Science, Energy and Natural Resources.
1:40pm	USDA Update Peter Hawkes, General Field Representative for Idaho & Montana
2:15pm	TBD
2:45pm	Break
3pm	Demystifying Compensation: Leveraging every employee conversation to maximize recruitment, retention, loyalty, and performance. In today’s competitive employer landscape, compensation packages are multifaceted and often complex. Set the stage for being an employer of choice and leverage those recruitment compensation conversations, and all employee conversations, on the investment you make in employees with wages and benefits. With existing employees often shopping wage and opportunities, this presentation will also explore the importance of investing in your workplace culture and living it out loud in your community at large. Jane Wigen, Director of Member Relations - NTCA
3:45pm	“Cyber For Real": What REALLY happens in the event of a claim? TBD: Womble Bond Dickenson Peter Elliot, President & CEO of Telcom Insurance Group, has 38 years in the insurance industry; 25 with TIG. He has worked for mutual, stock, and captive insurance companies and has authored all or parts of 15 different insurance policy types. He has been a certified CPCU since 1990, and is a frequent speaker at various telecom trade events on risk and other insurance matters. Moderator: Sean Benefiel, Account Executive at Telecom Insurance Group, has been with TIG since 2022, and has been licensed since 2020. He enjoys getting to know his clients and their organizations in order to better understand their needs. Sean lives in Derby, KS with his wife, Kylee, along with their two dogs and one cat. He's a big Oklahoma Sooner/Dallas Cowboy fan and loves to travel to new places.
4:30pm	Showcase Topics Discussion Bridger Mahlum and Charlotte Hilton, BroadbandMT COO

Wednesday, August 20th

8:30am	AI on the Frontier: The Critical Role of Rural Broadband in Montana’s Future AI is coming to rural Montana--and broadband providers are opening the gate. AI holds the promise to supercharge industries like education, healthcare, agriculture, and ranching, but without reliable, high-speed internet and data transfer, none of these tools can operate. Broadband companies are not just utilities--they will become key enablers of a smarter, more resilient rural economy. Erik E. Guzik, Ph.D. Assistant Clinical Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship University of Montana College of Business
9:15am	69th Legislature Recap
10am	Break
10:15am	Montana Department of Transportation Updates Chris Dorrington now serves as the Director of the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT), appointed by Governor Gianforte in June 2024. To fulfill MDT’s mission, Director Dorrington is focused on organizational excellence, clear and consistent communication, and accountability. He is actively advancing efficiencies and effectiveness of MDT programs while honoring our most valuable assets – our people. In July 2022 Governor Gianforte also appointed Director Dorrington as the Chair of the Housing Task Force, with an objective of quickly researching and then proposing improvements that both the Montana Legislature, Executive branch and locals could implement to address Montana’s housing crisis. Prior to his current role as MDT Director, he led the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) as Director for 3.5 years, and the Air, Energy, and Mining Division at DEQ for 4.5 years prior. He started his state career at MDT, working for 10.5 years in the Planning Division. In total, Director Dorrington has nearly 19 years in leadership with the state and six in private industry. He earned his Bachelor’s of Science in mechanical engineering from Gonzaga University, and a master’s degree in transportation policy, operations and logistics from George Mason University.
11am	Training the Next Broadband Workforce Helena College Highlands College, Montana Tech
11:45am	Concluding Remarks and Rural Education Fund Drawings
12:30pm	Board Meeting