MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2026 - PRE-CONFERENCE
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Building the Fiber Workforce: An OpTIC Path™ Work Session with BDI DataLynk
"The money's here; the crews aren't. Join BDI DataLynk for a two-hour working session on solving the fiber workforce gap. From attracting overlooked talent to certifying with FBA's OpTIC Path™ and hiring locally. Bring your workforce challenges; leave with a plan." Click here for agenda.
Location: Council Bluffs
Click HERE to RSVP
Location: Council Bluffs
Click HERE to RSVP
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Member Meetup
Networking with Fiber Broadband Association as we prepare to kick off the full conference.
Location: Courtyard
Location: Courtyard
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Co-Mixer
Hosted by FBA’s Women in Fiber Committee – This event is open to all. Cash bar available.
Location: Pavers & Pints (hotel lobby bar)
Location: Pavers & Pints (hotel lobby bar)
TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2026 - MAIN CONFERENCE
7:15 AM
Registration Opens
Sponsored by Wesco
7:15 AM - 8:00 AM
Networking Breakfast with Exhibitors
Sponsored by Power & Tel
8:00 AM - 8:05 AM
Welcome & Introduction
Jessica Koch, Risk Management & Compliance Administrator, Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association, Inc.
8:05 AM - 8:20 AM
Fiber Broadband: The Future that Fiber Enables
Gary Bolton, President & CEO, Fiber Broadband Association
8:20 AM - 8:25 AM
FBA OpTIC™ Program: Developing that Workforce Needed
Laura Hartmann, Workforce Development Program Manager, FBA
8:25 AM - 8:50 AM
Opening Keynote: Digital Agriculture – The Next Innovation Frontier
Dr. Scott Hutchins, Under Secretary, Research, Education, and Economics, USDA
8:50 AM - 9:30 AM
Future Ready Infrastructure: Where Fiber Fuels Intelligence
9:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Fireside Chat: Data Gravity: Understanding the Orbit of Edge Compute
Bill Severn, President and CEO, 1623 Farnam, LLC, with Rachel Hack Merlo, Head of Local Government Affairs Strategy, GFiber
10:00 AM
Breakfast Sponsor Remarks
Bob Zurek, Regional Sales Manager, Power & Tel
10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
Networking Break with Exhibitors
10:45 AM
Networking Break Sponsor Remarks
10:45 AM - 10:50 AM
The Dolly Parton Imagination Library and FBA Program
Ashley Travers, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, KGPCo
10:50 AM - 11:20 AM
Fireside Chat: How AI and Robotics Are Shaping What's Possible on the Farm
Xin (Rex) Sun, PhD, Endowed Chair and Director, Peltier Institute for Advancement in Agricultural Technology, North Dakota State University, with Joe Baeumel, VP, Business Development and Partner Strategy, KGPCo
11:20 AM - 12:00 PM
Fireside Chat: Precision Agriculture: How AI Enables Better Yields
Zach Hunnicutt, 5th Generation Farmer, Aurora, Nebraska with Jordan Dux, Senior Director of National Affairs, Nebraska Farm Bureau
12:00 PM - 12:45 PM
Networking Lunch
Sponsored by Graybar/Commscope
12:45 PM - 1:30 PM
Networking Dessert with Exhibitors
1:30 PM
Lunch Sponsor Remarks
Scott Jackson, National Market Manager, Graybar
1:30 PM - 2:10 PM
Fiber to the Farm: Where, When, and Connected to What
2:10 PM - 2:15 PM
Networking Reception Sponsor Remarks
Rob Buck, Director, Sterling Fleet Outfitters
2:15 PM - 2:40 PM
Fireside Chat: Fiber and Economic Development in Big Sky Country
Brit Fontenot, Director of Economic Development, City of Bozeman with Roger Timmerman, CEO, Utopia Fiber
2:40 PM - 2:50 PM
Sip & Stretch Coffee and Snack Break
2:50 PM
Membership Update and Introductions
Jennifer Vassil, Vice President of Membership, FBA
2:50 PM - 3:30 PM
Beyond Precision Ag: Rural Community Economic Impact
3:30 PM
Closing Remarks
Evann Freeman, Vice President of Government and Community Relations, EPB
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Networking Reception with Expo Hall
Sponsored by Sterling Fleet Outfitters
