The Chippewa Valley Internetworking Consortium (CINC) is a regional Community Area Network (CAN) formed in 1999 that is committed to “Broadband Serving the Public Interest.” CINC became an Unincorporated Association in 2011 and coordinates regional communication infrastructure projects with city, county and state government, educational institutions, libraries, hospitals, health care, nonprofits, and technology providers to facilitate network creation that is innovative, competitive, and sustainable. Through a coordinated regional communication infrastructure, CINC helps the Chippewa Valley be innovative, competitive, and economically viable for present and future generations.
CINC UA Holds 2020 Annual Member Meeting – 01/30/20
2020 CINC Executive Officers:
L-R: Secretary – Tom Stevens; Chair – Tom Lange; Vice-Chair – Andy Bauer; Treasurer – James Martin
2020 CINC Executive Committee Members hard at work to kick off the new year:
CINC UA Holds 2019 Annual Member Meeting – 01/17/19
Members of CINC UA met at CVTC in Eau Claire, WI to hold their annual membership meeting on January 17, 2019.
CINC chair Kevin Grosskreutz provided a report on 2018 activities and collaboration efforts. UWEC representative Daren Bauer gave construction updates on work performed over the past year. Treasurer, James Martin, presented a financial report for 2018 and organization projections for 2019.
CINC Treasurer – James Martin
Executive Committee Members for 2019:
- Dave Hayden – Eau Claire County
- Andy Bauer – Chippewa County
- Tom Stevens – Dove Healthcare (CINC Secretary)
- Kevin Groskreutz – HSHS (CINC Chair)
- Daren Bauer – UWEC
- Marty Helgeson, Rice Lake School District
- Tom Lange – CVTC (CINC Vice-Chair)
- Kevin Anason – Mayo Clinic
- Bob Nelson – City of Eau Claire
- Sarah Lipke – CESA 10
- Brett Schnobrich – Chippewa Area School District
- James Martin – Eau Claire Area School District (CINC Treasurer)
CINC UA Elects New Officers at 2018 Annual Meeting – 2/1/18
Officers
- Chair: Kevin Groskreutz, HSHS
- Vice-Chair: Tom Lange, CVTC
- Secretary: Tom Stevens, At-Large (representing Dove Healthcare)
- Treasurer: James Martin, Eau Claire Area School District
Executive Committee Members:
- Dave Hayden – Eau Claire County
- Christy Haun – Chippewa County
- Tom Stevens – Dove Healthcare
- Kevin Groskreutz – HSHS
- Daren Bauer – UWEC
- Marty Helgeson, Rice Lake School District
- Tom Lange – CVTC
- Kevin Anason – Mayo Clinic
- Wendi Jacobson – City of Eau Claire
- Sarah Lipke – CESA 10
- Brett Schnobrich – Chippewa Area School District
- James Martin – Eau Claire Area School District
CINC Presents Community & Legislator Updates – 12/8/16
CINC leaders presented a community leader and legislator update at the Chippewa Valley Technical College on December 8, 2016. Sen. Moulton and Sen. Harsdorf and other city and county elected officials attended. The briefing included updates on two PSC broadband grants in Eau Claire and Chippewa counties and other projects. 65 attended in Eau Claire, along with 35 via a video feed in La Crosse. A local television news story is linked below:
Check out a recorded copy of the event here (jump ahead to minute 10 due to audio issues): https://rev.cvtc.edu/#/videos/9fcf8a8b-8b1c-479d-8991-1142cfa91ea0
Presentation of WI PSC Broadband Grant by Lt. Gov Kleefisch
Saving Lives and Reducing Costs with a Telehealth Network
The attached case study highlights CINC in the development of a regional telehealth network in the Chippewa Valley.
Press Release: Japanese Researchers Visit Best Practice Broadband Network
Eau Claire Leader-Telegram (editorial) 4/3/2013 p. 6A.
On March 25, CINC hosted two researchers from Japan, Mr. Yasuichi Kitamura and Dr. Hiroshi Mizushima for a briefing on, “Strengthening a Health Care Community with Collaborative Advanced Broadband Networks in the Chippewa Valley.” This editorial was written by CINC member Kevin Groskreutz.
CINC Presents Annual Strategy Briefing
On March 14, 2013, CINC presented its annual Strategy Briefing and Update for Executive Leaders hosted in the Eau Claire County Board chambers. The presentation and discussion was led by Ross, Wilson, Daren Bauer, Jill Hietpas and John LeBrun and included a strategy briefing and update on the $32M federal broadband project in western Wisconsin. City-county government officials, library leaders, health care and education executives, college presidents and university chancellors in western Wisconsin were invited.
CINC’s annual Strategy Briefing and Update for Executive Leaders was held on March 14 at the Eau Claire County Courthouse on the $32M federal broadband project in western Wisconsin. City-county government officials, library leaders, health care and education executives, college presidents and university chancellors in western Wisconsin were invited. The briefing was followed by a demonstration of a mobile Battalion Command hotspot vehicle to demonstrate the CINC “air strategy” that is made possible by underground fiber and towers.
CINC Hosts Asia-Pacific Advanced Network Reps
On March 25, 2013, CINC and WiscNet hosted two researchers from Japan, Mr. Yasuichi Kitamura and Dr. Hiroshi Mizushima for a briefing on, “Strengthening a Health Care Community with Collaborative Advanced Broadband Networks in the Chippewa Valley,” hosted by Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire. Mr. Kitamura is a researcher at the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Japan, and a member of the Asia-Pacific Advanced Network. Dr. Mizushima is a Chief Senior Researcher at the National Institute of Public Health in Japan. They also visited colleagues at Internet2 and the NIH in Washington, DC, and best practice networks in Indiana and Michigan. The purpose of the visit was to study innovative high speed broadband fiber optic broadband networks, meet stakeholders in their collaborative models, and learn about their impact on health care.
CINC Cost Savings Highlighted in City of Eau Claire State of the City Address
“Information Architecture [is] another way the City safeguards a public system is through its oversight of a large information architecture that brings essential information to public sector and private citizens. The CINC (Chippewa Valley Internetworking Consortium) network was established in Chippewa Valley 12 years ago which connects public many public and private institutions with high capacity information infrastructure. CINC has subsequently become model for municipal cost saving through the establishment of the first of its kind Community Area Network (CAN). Because of the CINC network, in 2010 western WI was awarded a $35 million BTOP grant (Broadband Technology Opportunities Program). The $11.5 million of the grant monies invested in the Chippewa Valley laid 200 miles of fiber optic cable, and 1300 square miles of WiMax and additional WiFi coverage at 30 City facilities. The project also created new wireless hot spots that attract vendors to the City. Then, in 2012, when the Federal Communications Commission mandated that all two-way radio transmissions move to NarrowBand broadcast, the City was able to reduce project costs because of the common work being done as part of the BTOP grant, which was won in part because of the CINC network created 12 years ago. We all agree that in a healthy democracy information is a vital public system. And we can see that in Eau Claire access to information, in all its new technology, is guaranteed.”
–Kerry Kincaid
Eau Claire City Council President
State of the City message to citizens
(January 21, 2013)
Chippewa Valley Internetworking Consortium 