Jade and Its Founding Family Named “Pillars of the Community”

If you happen to be walking past the “Pillar of the Community” atrium at the San Luis Valley Health Regional Medical Center anytime soon, you might spot a shiny new plaque with our name on it. And honestly, we have a confession to make: we never actually set out to win it.

Recently, the San Luis Valley Health Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the San Luis Valley Health Regional Medical Center, handed Jade and the Wehe family this incredible honor. According to the foundation, a Pillar of the Community is someone who embodies “service, generosity, and leadership,” crossing the $100,000 mark in cumulative contributions to rural healthcare.

Seeing our name in that hospital showcase is incredibly humbling. We’re also a little mind-blown. This milestone snuck up on us simply by doing the two things we genuinely love doing most in the world: providing ridiculously good internet and putting on really great concerts.

Here is the story of how the Wehe family, founders of Jade and lovers of good music, came together to do something meaningful for our local hospital.

The Left Side: The Tech Behind Our Hometown Heroes

When First Responders are dispatched to remote regions of Colorado, the very last thing they should be dealing with is a spinning loading wheel or a dropped signal, especially with a life on the line.

“Poor cellular coverage has long been a challenge in our community,” says Jade’s Co-CEO Josh Wehe. “With SmartTown for First Responders we’re able to leverage the incredibly intelligent network we built to keep first responders connected in areas cell service doesn’t typically reach like the Conejos Canyon, parts of La Veta pass, and remote communities throughout Southern Colorado.”

Through our SmartTown for First Responders program, on-duty first responders, including nurses and EMTs at San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center, get free access to Wi-Fi throughout Jade’s service area. Even in remote areas with spotty cell service, first responders now have a clear line of communication they can count on to help those in need. 

“When a first responder drives up to a Jade-connected home with no or low cell service, they can be assured that their medical devices will remain safely connected to SmartTown,” said Alan Wehe, Jade’s founder and former CEO. 

“Our EMTs and ambulance crews now have access to on-the-go medical support, allowing for instant connectivity from the field with centralized care teams here at SLV Health for real-time consultations,” says Konnie Martin, San Luis Valley Health CEO. “We’re so grateful for this new communication tool to help our teams act quickly while in the field. A special thanks to the team at Jade for making this important tool available to the team.

The Right Side: Music and Entertainment for the Win

The other half of this plaque has absolutely zero to do with bandwidth, and everything to do with the Wehe family’s loud, unapologetic love for live music.

Over the years, the family has hosted and sponsored a whole lineup of benefit galas and concerts to raise money for the SLV Health Foundation. Spearheaded by Sandie Wehe’s Music Studio and together with the Premier Music Academy, the Wehe family has held about 10 benefit concerts over the last nine years to raise money for the SLV Health Foundation. The concerts have featured local students from around the San Luis Valley who specialize in piano, voice, and musical theatre, performing hits from shows like “The Jersey Boys,” “Wicked,” and “Mamma Mia.” Giving the community of the San Luis Valley a fantastic night out has proven to be a highly effective way to support local healthcare.

Building a community isn’t just about laying down fiber-optic cables, though that is important. It’s about relationships. People. Though many may claim that technology behind broadband will save us, the digital divide won’t be solved by technology alone. We built our business on relationships first. And understanding the unique challenges of the people who live here allows us to build and design technology to solve the real problems people face in rural Colorado.

It All Comes Back to Home

At the end of the day, Jade is a local company and one of our three core values is community. We’re proud to employ local people, work with local businesses, and support local non-profits, like the SLV Health Foundation. The people walking the halls of the SLV Regional Medical Center are our friends, our families, and our customers.

To the SLV Health Foundation: thank you for this incredible honor, and for the lovely spot in the showcase. 

To the first responders: thank you for everything you do. 

And to everyone who has ever bought a ticket to one of our galas, danced to the music, or chosen Jade for your internet or smarthome services: thank you. You are the reason we get to do cool stuff like this.

We promise to keep the Wi-Fi fast, the music loud, and to always have the community’s back.