KanREN Year-End Message from Executive Director Chris Crook

News Post: KanREN Year-End Message from Executive Director Chris Crook

Lawrence, Kan. — As we close out the year, Executive Director Chris Crook shares a message of gratitude and highlights key progress made in 2025—along with a look ahead to what’s next for KanREN.

A Message to KanREN Members

Dear KanREN Members,

As we close out the year, I want to take a moment to thank you for your partnership and trust in KanREN. We are grateful for the opportunity to support your missions and to serve Kansas’s research, education, and public-sector communities.

This past year was an important one for KanREN. We completed a major upgrade to our backbone network, strengthening performance, reliability, and capacity across the state. At the same time, our team remained focused on providing excellent customer support and maintaining a high standard of service—work that is central to everything we do.

We also made meaningful progress through strong partnerships. By working closely with our vendors, as well as the Kansas Office of Commerce and the Kansas Office of Broadband Development, we advanced efforts to expand network connectivity and access throughout the State of Kansas. These collaborations are helping extend high-quality connectivity to more communities and institutions, supporting economic development, education, research, and innovation statewide.

I am incredibly proud of the KanREN organization and the dedication our team brings to serving our members. Their commitment to excellence and collaboration continues to strengthen KanREN as a trusted partner.

Looking ahead to the coming year, we are excited about the opportunities before us. We will continue to focus on clear and effective member communications, strong network performance, and the launch of several new projects designed to meet evolving needs across the state. We look forward to continuing our work together and building on the momentum we’ve created.

On behalf of the KanREN team, I wish you and your colleagues a happy and healthy holiday season. Thank you for being a valued part of the KanREN community, and best wishes for a successful new year.

Warm regards,
Chris Crook
Executive Director, KanREN