Citizens Telephone Cooperative Marks Another Milestone in 2024
The 2024 Annual Meeting of Citizens Telephone Cooperative was held on Saturday, October 19th, at the Citizens’ office on Webbs Mill Road in Floyd. The meeting, led by President, Joe Italiano and General Manager, Donna Smith, marked another milestone for the Cooperative in completing the six-and-a-half-year construction project to bring fiber-to-the-home to 100% of residents in Floyd County.
President Joe Italiano opened the meeting, led the Pledge of Allegiance, and gave the President’s Report. Secretary, Shelby Quesenberry, read the minutes from the last meeting, and Director, Kevin Hubbard, presented the re-election of Board members Lynwood Allen (Floyd exchange) and Wesley Goff (Locust Grove exchange). President Italiano cited the Cooperative’s progress and commended the leadership and staff of the Cooperative for their commitment to reaching goals and remaining a leader in technology.
With over 120 members in attendance for the meeting, highlights of the Cooperative’s progressive year and milestones were shown through comments from Floyd County Community and Economic Development Director, Lydeana Martin, and a customer testimonial video. Smith summarized the year by stating ”Over the last six and a half years, we have learned so much from our community members. It’s amazing to hear the various uses and needs of the Internet. The Internet is a necessity for learning, working, and entertainment. The Internet is opening doors for entrepreneurs, keeping the youth of our community here while they attend college, and even allowing them to land jobs and remain in Floyd. She continued, “We hosted a Finish Line Party in August for our community to celebrate the end of construction. We are currently working in Ballard, the last area opened to connect. I could not be more pleased with our employees and their accomplishments,” stated Smith, referring to the fiber-to-the-home project. To date, 100% of Floyd County homes and businesses can connect to 1 Gbps Internet by using CitiZip Fiber.
Additionally, with the completion of the fiber build, over 1,800 customers have migrated to the SFN TV Now platform. “This economical TV service solution has allowed us to continue to offer local sports and events on CCTV Channel 20,” stated Smith. “I’m happy to say that customers of all ages tell us they are enjoying the experience.”
Traditions of the annual meeting continued with door prize drawings for members followed by a BBQ lunch. You can view the meeting and testimonial video below.