We are pleased to announce that Karen Kohne of Henry County Telephone Company is the new president of FRED. Karen is a dedicated supporter of FRED and has served as a board member for four years.

Welcome, Karen!

On April 19th, FRED welcomed fourteen high school students from various states to Washington D.C., for the Leadership Through Learning Program. Throughout the week, students were on the go from morning to night. They visited the all of the major memorials and various D.C. neighborhoods. They attended daily educational workshops, debates and lectures. A highlight of the week included a visit to Capitol Hill where all of the students attended visits with their congressional representatives and or staff.

On Thursday, April 23, the students attended a workshop at the OPASTCO offices that focused on rural telecommunications presented by staff from FRED, OPASTCO and NECA.

The 2010 LTL program brochures will be available in July. If you know a student who will be a junior or senior next year, please let them know about this opportunity. There is no cost to the student or the telco to participate.

FRED turns 20 this July, and as part of the celebration, we will share photos and stories about all of our program recipients throughout the last two decades. We're looking for updates from scholarship winners and participants in the Leadership Through Learning program. We also will share stories about projects that were funded through other programs, such as the Ethyl Grant program.

Providing an update is very easy and can be done in a few minutes by following the "Where Are the Now" link below. The brief survey will ask several questions and even allows the option of uploading a recent photo to share. The information compiled from this survey will be used in FRED publications and promoted at the FRED event in Colorado Springs this July.

FRED would like to thank those companies who participated in the FRED Taxes fundraising campaign. More than $10,000 was donated! Once again, your support has given FRED the opportunity to move forward with the programs that help OPASTCO members and their communities.

You are invited to share in FRED's 20th birthday celebration by attending the party in Colorado Springs this summer. Come join FRED for a dessert buffet and cocktail reception that will include birthday cake, ice cream sundaes, a hosted bar, gourmet coffee delights and party festivities. Take a walk down memory lane to see photos from the past 20 years. You just might see yourself in a few!

Don't miss an opportunity to catch up with your OPASTCO friends, do some business with new clients or just simply relax with a cold drink and a sweet treat! Be a part of celebrating FRED's 20 years of service to rural communities.

Register for the OPASTCO Convention
More about the FRED Event

Help FRED cover the costs of our birthday celebration by registering to sponsor part of the event in July. By becoming a sponsor, you're creating more publicity for your company at OPASTCO's convention, while showing your support for FRED. You will also enable FRED to put more of the funds raised towards its programs. Sponsorships are tax-deductible and are available to both telco and associate members of OPASTCO.

May 13, 2009 - Students are Notified of Scholarship Selection
July 27, 2009 - FRED's 20th Birthday Celebration
September 14, 2009 - Technology Grant Applications Due Date