I shared the live unveiling last week during the broadband conference but each of the winners has worked hard and I didn’t do individual posts about each one so I’ll post these local announcements as I see them. This one comes from County News Review…

Chisago County broadband advocate Nancy Hoffman was presented with a Courageous Leadership Award at the 15th annual Blandin Foundation broadband conference, Innovation: Putting Broadband to Work, held last week at Grand View Lodge in Nisswa.

Hoffman was honored for her consistent and positive work in promoting broadband access and use in Benton and Chisago counties and for her generous leadership of the Minnesota Rural Broadband Coalition.

“Nancy is emblematic of the citizen leaders across the State of Minnesota who invest hundreds of hours on this challenging and critical community vitality issue on behalf of their neighbors,” said Bernadine Joselyn, director of public policy and engagement at Blandin Foundation. “Nancy is truly an inspiration to Blandin Foundation and to her fellow broadband leaders throughout the state.”

Courageous Leadership Awards were created by Blandin Foundation to recognize and celebrate acts of leadership that have significantly contributed to the vibrancy of rural Minnesota communities.

Hoffman has been the executive director at Chisago County Housing and Redevelopment Authority – Economic Development Authority since 2012. In that role, she has been the key facilitator of successful township broadband projects by providing logistical and financial support. She also led Chisago Lakes efforts to become a finalist in the nationwide America’s Best Communities competition.

“Broadband is an essential infrastructure for a vital economy,” Hoffman said. “Legislators, local official and residents now have an understanding of the importance for broadband from border to border in Minnesota. Great strides have been made and the momentum is there to finish the job.”

Hoffman was honored alongside 11 other awardees at the conference who all have taken courageous action to bring the benefits of broadband to their communities.

“All of these individuals, organizations and communities knew early on what many communities are just now realizing – that broadband access, and the skills to use it, are fundamental for strong economies, leading-edge education and healthcare, and a high quality of life,” said Joselyn.

Here’s a video on the event: