Oklahoma Farm Bureau Treasurer and District 9 Director Jim Meek was recently elected to serve as chair of the Oklahoma Broadband Governing Board at the group’s regular meeting Tuesday, Oct. 10.
The Okmulgee County rancher was elected by unanimous vote after having served as vice chair since the governing board’s inception in 2022, when he was appointed to the board by Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall.
Meek and newly elected vice chair Amanda Mullins will lead the charge in the effort to expand access to reliable, affordable high-speed internet service in the state of Oklahoma.
“The future of rural Oklahoma depends heavily on access to quality and affordable broadband service,” Meek said. “Not only is agriculture becoming more dependent on technology, but many vital community resources, including medical services, financial transactions and educational opportunities rely on broadband availability to deliver their services to Oklahomans.”
The Oklahoma Broadband Governing Board oversees the work of the Oklahoma Broadband Office, which was established by the passage of the Oklahoma Broadband Expansion Act during the 2022 legislative session.
The nine-member board is composed of the lieutenant governor, the state treasurer, three appointees from the governor and two appointees each from the Senate president pro tempore and the speaker of the House.
To learn more about the Oklahoma Broadband Governing Board and the Oklahoma Broadband Office, visit oklahoma.gov/broadband.
