2023 TT&S Annual Conference & Vendor Showcase

The 2023 TT&S Annual Conference & Vendor Showcase at the Bismarck Hotel was a conference like no other. Our members and other regional companies must have seen something they liked, because they turned out in record numbers. From the comments we heard, this was our best yet.

TT&S works with a volunteer group made up of TT&S staff and board members and a variety of our regular conference exhibitors. Credit goes to them for the continued improvements, but feedback and ideas may come from anywhere.

Carissa Swenson, Executive Director of BAND, 
provides the keynote address to a full room

The conference opened on Tuesday, February 14, with the keynote by Carissa Swenson, Executive Director of the Broadband Association of North Dakota (BAND). For those who aren't familiar, North Dakota is one of the most fiber-connected states in the nation, thanks to our local telecommunications cooperatives. Details about what BAND does can be found on their website at broadbandnd.com.

After Carissa, attendees learned about cybersecurity from Nathan Heinert, an IT analyst with the North Dakota State and Local Intelligence Center. Nathan has worked in cyber security for National Information Services Cooperative (NISC) and North Dakota Information Technology (NDIT). His current mission for NDSLIC is producing and disseminating cyber intelligence to help protect the residents and critical infrastructure of North Dakota. 

Tuesday's hoard of 
door prizes

The opening day ended with the Tuesday exhibitor social in the Dakota Ballroom. Door prizes are always a big attraction, and this year was no exception. Items included mugs, shirts, electronics,  camping and fishing equipment, coolers, gift cards, and more! It can be a challenge to give away all the door prizes from TT&S and many of the exhibitors and sponsors, but nearly everyone goes home with something special by the end of the conference. And then there is the big cooler. Attendees must have cards stamped by exhibitors for a chance to win either a Yeti or another heavy-duty brand at each social. One cooler was given away on Tuesday and a second on Wednesday.

While TT&S's conference team were giving away door prizes, the first ever Tech Wars tournament was taking place. Not all companies had a team for the competition, but those who did participate were challenged. Times were added together for the cat 5 termination and fiber splicing and then had deductions for the third team member's skills at a cornhole toss. The best time was set by Polar Communications, with a close second from Consolidated Telcom. Winners received glass steins etched with the 2023 Tech Wars logo and bragging of being the "Champion Team" for technical skills.

Wednesday started with breakfast in the hotel Courtyard, and then it was off to breakout sessions. Crucial Conversations was a new topic for those who didn't want to attend the technical sessions. The technical sessions that attendees had the option to attend at the same time included home security systems, WLAN security, and locating. After these initial two-hour sessions, the remaining options were one-hour sessions, including the Art and Science of Communication, Building Relationships Between Contractors and End Users and Engineers, IPv6, Cybersecurity, FTTH testing, retirement planning from Jane Wigen, WiFi 6 sessions from Adtran and Calix, XGS PON, NISC's products explained for all levels of telecom workers, power in FTTx, and a last minute session from one of our own member company employees on mapping and staking using NISC's software.

Sean Kelly of Light Brigade instructs
BSC students

While this full slate was happening in the south end of the hotel, the vendor room was host to some hands-on fiber training in the morning for the attending BSC students and staff and anyone who wanted an introduction to fiber optic cable handling. The instructional vendor, Light Brigade, provided their expertise to introduce the students to fiber optic cables with equipment and tools that they would use on the job as a telecom technician.

This carried on with a presentation and discussion on fiber troubleshooting in the afternoon for all those who had more experience working with fiber optic cable.

For the luncheon, a potato bar was served with something for everyone while TT&S Director Kyla Bratz called out individuals who deserved special recognitions. Mileage awards were announced for those who had reached specific levels in the last year without a reportable accident. Ten individuals earned certificates for 250K miles, 500K miles, and even 750K miles. Also recognized were the TT&S board of directors and the conference planning committee, especially for their individual contributions to this year's conference.

After the luncheon, afternoon sessions continued, including a session on reasonable suspicion and roundtable discussions in which speakers voluntarily stick around to answer any unanswered questions that attendees may have had after their sessions. 

Wednesday ended with a new level of excitement at the social. Aside from drinks, music, visiting with exhibitors, and another hoard of door prizes, the cornhole tournament was the real draw. Twenty-eight mixed doubles teams competed. Jeff Tweten, who built the TT&S official cornhole boards, set up the boards and judging according to official rules. Although single elimination helped to cull the teams quickly, the tournament did run past the social end time. The final round came down to a nail-biter between the best two teams. The top two teams took home trophies and bag sets from TT&S and $100 from Bachmann Industries.

The TT&S Annual Conference and Vendor Showcase closed out on Thursday morning. While attendees finished their breakfast, they were treated to Monica Kramer McConkey's engaging presentation about mental resilience in the workplace. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor who owns and operates a Mental Health Consulting business called Eyes on the Horizon Consulting. Following the mental health presentation was Rachel Iverson, a local sports nutritionist and expert in physical wellness who has been featured on local news stations.

TT&S would like to thank everyone who made the 2023 Annual Conference & Vendor Showcase an outstanding success! We look forward to making the 2024 conference another fun and educational event.

Twas the Day Before the Conference

'Twas the day before the conf'rence

And everything's done.

It's all put together

so we can have fun.

All the name badges stuffed,

And the prizes packed up,

Ready to go

In the back of a truck.

To the venue we'll take them

On Tuesday, the first day,

And set up the table

To get registration away.

Then all the excitement

Takes off in a flurry.

After the speakers,

To the social you'll hurry.

This year, we have games

To liven the mood,

With prizes and vendors

And all the good food!

We can't wait to see you

At the conference this year.

Get ready to learn

And bring your good cheer!

2023 TT&S Conference Opening Day Speakers

TT&S is excited to announce the opening day speakers for our 2023 Annual Conference!

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:  Tuesday, February 14, 2023 @ 2 pm

Carissa Swenson

Executive Director of the Broadband Association of North Dakota

Carissa Swenson has been involved in the rural broadband industry for eleven years as a cooperative director and consultant.  Then in August 2022, she was named the Executive Director for the Broadband Association of North Dakota (BAND).  She has earned bachelor’s degrees in business administration and Business Education and a master’s degree in Instructional Technology.  She has spent most of her life in towns with populations less than 500, so she understands rural!  She is passionate about the rural broadband industry and loves the opportunity to share the success stories of the members she serves.  She and her husband Doug have two sons and live in Bismarck, ND.

---

OPENING SESSION: Tuesday, February 14, 2023 @ 2:45 pm

Cybersecurity Threats - New and Lingering Threats Everyone Needs to Know

Nathan Heinert 

IT Analyst at ND State and Local Intelligence Center

Nathan Heinert is a cyber threat analyst for the North Dakota State & Local Intelligence Center (NDSLIC). He is a graduate of the Bismarck State College (BSC) Telecom program and will be graduating this year from Bismarck State with a bachelor’s in Cyber Security. Nathan has worked in cyber security for National Information Services Cooperative (NISC) and North Dakota Information Technology (NDIT). His current mission for the NDSLIC is producing and disseminating cyber intelligence to help protect the residents and critical infrastructure of North Dakota.

Be sure to visit the TT&S website to register for the conference today. There's still time!

Register online at https://www.ttsafety.com/annual-conference/attendee-registration/

Conference Countdown: Ham and Pickle Rollups

Visions of ham and pickle rollups danced in our heads.

 

It was not Christmas time – no, it was TT&S conference planning season. And Melanie and I were five pages deep into a banquet menu from the Bismarck Hotel and Conference Center, choosing entrees and appetizers for the conference.

 

“How about Mexican pinwheels this year for an appetizer?”

 

“Ooh, the chicken bruschetta sounds amazing.”

 

“Everyone always loves the jumbo shrimp cocktail, and if we pair it with the pulled pork sliders, it should be a good combination.”

 

We drooled over those pages for a good forty-five minutes, bringing to mind comments about the food from previous years, trying to anticipate food allergies or specific diets, and conscious of pairing a variety of tastes and textures together.

 

This type of behind-the-scenes moment happens a lot this time of year, with every little detail about the conference fretted over and questioned. 

 

A million questions get asked every year on every nuance of the event with some changes as new pieces are introduced: Do you think people will like this buffet or that buffet? Who’s going to officiate the games? Do we have enough prizes?  And on and on, until the details are pinned down.

 

We draw on Melanie’s vast experience with conference planning frequently. She’s the real brains behind this operation, and I get to jump in every once in a while to add my two cents.

 

Point being: we’re working really hard on this conference. And we’re excited to see you there!

 

And, yes, there will be ham and pickle rollups.

 

Feb 1st to April 30th: OSHA 300A Form Posting Requirements

 It's the new year, and everyone's mind is on the posting requirements for the OSHA 300A log.

Well, maybe not, but we're here to make it simple for you to know what's required.

The OSHA 300A log is a form that includes key information about the previous year, including number of work-related injuries or illnesses within the company, some basic information about those incidents, and total number of employees as well as total hours worked by all employees.

You can access the form at the following link, which also includes the 300 and 301 forms:

https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/OSHA-RK-Forms-Package.pdf

The 2022 completed form, including a signature from a company executive, must be posted somewhere conspicuous, such as where labor law posters are displayed, from February 1st to April 30th of this year.

Last year, I conducted a training on OSHA Recordables and the OSHA 300A log. This training can be found at the following Vimeo link:

 https://vimeo.com/698185884/c144648069

However, if you have any questions about the forms, whether an injury or illness would be considered a recordable, or any related question, please feel free to reach out.

 

New Year, New Blog

Welcome to our blog!

For the past few years, TT&S has put together a quarterly newsletter. In 2023, we've decided to transition to a blog instead. With the blog format, we can send you updates to safety requirements, as well as timely safety reminders, as soon as they become relevant to you. We can also more easily share a blog post on our social media sites, hopefully to achieve more reach with our safety-focused content.

Another feature of the blog is the comment section. This allows for dialogue about the content. Anyone can ask a question or express their thoughts about the post, and we can provide responses if there are specific questions.

You can expect the same great content that TT&S has delivered over the years through the newsletter, but without the restrictions in space and the need to conform to a specific publishing schedule.

We appreciate feedback on the new layout and any suggestions for types of content that will be the most useful for you.