You have heard me say many times that ours’s is a relationship business. Yes, we are a technology company and our products are comprised of the intellectual property of our software and technology that our enterprise solutions deliver to the market. Every company I know has a mission statement or a listing of their corporate values, it’s the politically correct thing to do, the question is, are they real, are they part of the fabric of the organization, are the employees engaged and to they understand how important those values are to the success and future viability of their employer. The answer to that question is not what management would say, or people services would tout to recruits they are perusing, the true answer would be verbalized by our employees who are betting their careers on the culture and success of our organization, and most important by the Members we serve would say. For the past 50 years, we have been so fortunate to have Consolidated Telephone of Dickinson North Dakota as a Member. They were one of our early adopters, they believed in us even when our first product had not yet been released to the market. Over the years as a very progressive Telecommunication Member of our organization, they have rolled up their sleeves and participated in advisory committees, have beta tested our software and in the process have pushed us, prodded us and causes our organization to improve and expand our products offering. There have been some rocky times when we unintentionally disappointed them when they were frustrated with our performance and product delivery timeframes. But we worked through those uncomfortable times, and never, never once did we doubt their commitment to our organization, nor did we let up on our determination to improve our products, services, and dedication earning the right to be their Information Technology provider. As part of our 50th celebration, we deliver a plaque to the CEO of Consolidated, thanking them for this amazing 50-year partnership. The following is a message I received from the CEO: Thank you for the recognition of 50 years with NISC, it has been a relationship that I can honestly say is the ONE we revere within Consolidated. Working with organizations that are true to their principles is a rare occurrence these days, however, NISC has always been an organization that espouses integrity, honesty, and commitment. That is why we value our relationship so fondly. We are proud to have been affiliated with NISC over these past 50 years, looking forward to 50 more. WOW all I can say is WOW You know, we are not a perfect organization, but make no mistake Every product we deliver, every service we provide, every phone call, e-mail, Member visit we schedule, every class we provide everything is directed to serving our Member and doing that well … and doing that exceptionally is what will make our organization successful and provide long-term career opportunities for our employees. This message from the CEO of Consolidated is confirmation of our efforts and the importance we have placed on culture and values in our organization, and until such time as every single of our Members would feel comfortable sending a heartfelt message like Consolidated our work is not done. Thanks for all you do to diligently and tirelessly serve our Members Thanks for listening I appreciate you Vern
