Pioneer wasn’t greeted well by Mother Nature, but still managed to have nearly 500 members register for its 72nd annual meeting.

The event was held Tuesday morning and afternoon at the Kingfisher County Fairgrounds Exhibit Building.

Rain poured for much of the morning as Kingfisher received over 1.25 inches.

Pioneer employees, though, kept attendees dry.

They walked them to their cars under the cover of umbrellas, either to a covered golf cart to take them to the building on site or to a bus waiting to transport them from the First Baptist Church.

All told, 499 members registered for the meeting.

It fell short of the 683 required for a quorum, but with no bylaw changes on the business meeting agenda, the quorum wasn’t necessary.

Attendees were treated to a meal, played Bingo, had tech tips sessions with employees and numerous prizes were awarded.

They were addressed by General Manager Blake Callaham and Board President Gail Parker.

The latter touched on the cooperative’s expanded offerings in 2024, including Arlo cameras, Outdoor Wi-Fi and PowerON, which is a backup power solution to ensure connectivity doesn’t get interrupted during severe weather.

She also mentioned the broadband plans that can cater to businesses of any size as well as the launch of a new service, SmartBiz.

Callaham noted that 15 communities within Pioneer’s service area were fully transitioned to fiber within the past year.

Pioneer’s fiber infrastructure now spans more than 14,000 miles across 80 communities, he said.

While installing more than 1,000 miles of fiber and converting customers comes at a cost, Callaham said Pioneer paid down nearly $20 million in debt.

“This achievement speaks to our financial responsibility and operational efficiency, ensuring we continue delivering exceptional service while maintaining fiscal strength,” Callaham said.

Callaham also discussed Project Lightspeed, which is Pioneer’s strategic plan to position the cooperative through the remainder of this decade.

Callaham mentioned some key focus areas of Project Lightspeed, which include continuing to expand fiber services, investing in emerging technologies in order to offer new products and services, strengthening its internal workforce and deepening community engagement.

Noting Pioneer’s mission statement – “Pioneer will enhance the quality of life for our members and subscribers through continual innovation and technology.” – Callaham said the co-op strives to be the technology partner of its members.

“We are committed to keeping western Oklahoma more connected, innovative and resilient than ever before,” he said.