Maverick County Broadband Committee Hosts Kickoff Event for Broadband Initiative & Study
Eagle Pass, Texas (February 24, 2022) – The Maverick County Broadband Committee invites local stakeholders, community residents, and media to attend a special kickoff event on Tuesday, March 8th, to discuss expanding and improving broadband access, adoption, and use throughout the county. Attendees will learn more about broadband access in Maverick County, the Connected Communities program at Connected Nation Texas (CN Texas), and the project timeline. The meeting will conclude with a Q/A session.
The kick-off event will take place Tuesday, March 8, at 4:00 p.m., at the City of Eagle Pass International Center for Trade (ICT), located at 3295 Bob Rogers Dr, Eagle Pass, TX 78852.
The Maverick County Broadband Committee will livestream the event via Facebook Live on Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ Facebook page for those who are unable to attend. https://www.facebook.com/mhmstx
The Maverick County Broadband Committee is comprised of Maverick County Judge David Saucedo; Eagle Pass Mayor, Rolando Salinas; Eagle Pass Maverick County Economic Development Alliance Executive Director, Judith Canales; Eagle Pass Economic Development Director, Arturo Marquez; Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas Director of Information Technology, Sonny Snyder; Eagle Pass ISD Chief Technology Officer, Jose Munoz Jr., Juan Garza from Sul Ross University Office of Information Technology; Oscar Galindo, Maverick County Ag Extension Agent; Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber; Eagle Pass Library Director, Cristina Olivas; Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas VP of Policy and Advocacy, Christine Yanas, Wesley Nurse, Juliet Martinez, and Wesley Nurse District Manager Patricia Villarreal.
Central to the kick off will be the launch of the Maverick County Community Broadband Survey for county residents and organizations. The survey results will be key to developing an assessment of local broadband availabilty and related needs.
“Maverick County is a growth region and broadband infrastructure is vital for our community. The Connect Maverick broadband survey gives us current information and data to drive investment in Maverick County. The more we understand the digital resources and needs of our area, the better we can serve our residents, public and private institutions,” said The Honorable David Saucedo, County Judge, Maverick County. “I encourage everyone to take part in the survey because improving internet access, adoption, and use is our goal for Maverick County."
"The Connect Maverick broadband survey of community residents and businesses will provide crucial data to guide broadband investment in Eagle Pass,” stated Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas. “A primary goal in Eagle Pass is to strengthen our community infrastructure. Broadband access and availability for our residents, businesses, and institutions is necessary for the advancement of our community. Let’s make this happen.”
The survey will be accessible through April 30. The Maverick County Broadband Committee’s goal is to engage at least 1,630 households in the survey to ensure adequate representation from the community. Survey results will assist the committee in identifying the unique challenges and opportunities that exist for expanding high-speed internet in Maverick County so that every family, business, and community organization can access the critical resources needed to be connected. The Maverick County Broadband Commmittee will then work with CN Texas to help close the Digital Divide within the community. To access and complete the short survey, visit: https://www.myconnectedcommunity.org/maverick-county
The broadband initiative is being provided at no cost to Maverick County residents thanks to a $51,000 grant from Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, In., headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.
Methodist Healthcare Ministries is a faith-based, nonprofit organization focused on improving the health and wellness of the least served. In Maverick County, Methodist Healthcare Ministries offers free health and wellness services through its Wesley Nurse program, located at the Eagle Pass First United Methodist Church.
Once the survey has been completed by the community, a Technology Action Plan will be developed for the county by leveraging Connected Nation’s Connected Community Engagement Program and will be shaped by the information provided by local stakeholders. For that reason, it’s important to include as much information as possible so that no area is left out of this plan.
The Connected Program has been used in nearly 650 communities across the country to develop county or regional Technology Action Plans that offer both short term and long-term broadband solutions.
For more information or if you have questions, email info@connectednation.org or head to connectednation.org/texas.
WHO: Judge David Saucedo, County Judge, Maverick County
George Antuna, City Manager, City of Eagle Pass
Judith Canales, Executive Director, Eagle Pass Maverick County Economic Development Alliance
Christine Yanas, Vice President of Policy & Advocacy, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas
Catherine Krantz, Broadband Solutions Manager, Connected Nation Texas
WHAT: Public Kickoff Event
WHERE: City of Eagle Pass International Center for Trade (ICT), located at
3295 Bob Rogers Dr, Eagle Pass, TX 78852
WHEN: Tuesday, March 8, 2022 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
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About Connected Nation Texas: CN Texas is the statewide subsidiary of the national nonprofit Connected Nation. Our mission is to improve lives by providing innovative solutions that expand access to and increase the adoption and use of broadband (high-speed internet) and its related technologies for all people. Everyone belongs in a Connected Nation.
Connected Nation works with consumers, local community leaders, states, technology providers, and foundations to develop and implement technology expansion programs with core competencies centered on a mission to improve digital inclusion for people and places previously underserved or overlooked. For more information, please visit: connectednation.org and follow Connected Nation on Facebook and Twitter.
About Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc.: Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. is a private, faith-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating access to health care for the uninsured through direct services, community partnerships and strategic grant-making in 74 counties across South Texas. Guided by its mission of "Serving Humanity to Honor God," Methodist Healthcare Ministries’ vision is to be the leader for improving wellness of the least served. The mission also includes Methodist Healthcare Ministries' one-half ownership of the Methodist Healthcare System, the largest healthcare system in South Texas, which creates a unique avenue to ensure that it continues to be a benefit to the community by providing quality care to all and charitable care when needed. For more information, visit www.mhm.org.