USDA
United States Department of Agriculture
Rural Development
RUS Telecommunications
November 24, 2025
Program
Mr. John Mullins
1400 Independence Ave, SW
Director
Room 4121 - Stop 1590
Washington, DC 20250
County of Hickman
115 Murphree Avenue
Voice 202.720.0800
Centerville, Tennessee 37033-1443
Re: Grants.gov Application # GRANT14379026
Dear Mr. Mullins:
I am pleased to congratulate you on your organization's selection for $532,328 grant
under the FY 2025 Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) Grant Program
administered by the Rural Utilities Service (RUS). The RUS designation for your
grant is TN0780-A16.
Although we are very glad to be making this grant to County of Hickman, we would
appreciate if you did not announce this grant offer until USDA makes a formal
announcement.
In the near future, you will receive legal documents for your execution. This will
formalize the agreement and enable you to request funds. If you wish to view the grant
document, you will find a blank copy on our DLT website under the To Apply tab at:
https://www.rd.usda.gov/sites/default/files/dlt grant agreement.pdf.
To generate the legal documents, we request that you send an email to
dltinfo@usda.gov, confirming that (1) County of Hickman is the correct legal name
of the entity, and (2) Mr. Mullins can sign on behalf of County of Hickman and should
receive all correspondence regarding the TN0780-A16 grant.
If the entity's legal name is incorrect, please send an email to dltinfo@usda.gov
specifying the correct legal name along with acceptable evidence of legal existence.
Further, if Mr. Mullins is not the representative who can sign on behalf of County of
Hickman, please provide the name, title, phone number and email address of the
correct representative.
Please provide your email response to dltinfo@usda.gov by December 8, 2025.
A copy of your final budget is enclosed. Revisions, if any, are explained in detail at
the bottom of the budget. While the budget has been reviewed, items are still subject
to meet program requirements for eligibility. Please work with your General Field
Representative (GFR) if you have any questions or concerns about line-item
eligibility.
We look forward to working with you to bring the benefits of advanced
telecommunications services to rural America.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
2
Sincerely,
Shekinah D. Pepper
SHEKINAH PEPPER, Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator
Loan Origination and Approval Division
Telecommunications Program
Enclosure
cc: Patrick Jaynes, State Director, Tennessee
Tyler Hayes, General Field Representative, Tennessee
Application Number: DLT-2025-083
Executive Order 14173 Certification
As identified in Executive Order (EO) 14173, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring
Merit-Based Opportunity, it is the policy of the United States to protect the civil rights of all
Americans and to promote individual initiative, excellence, and hard work. Furthermore,
the Secretary of Agriculture has officially established as a priority via Secretary's
Memorandum 1078-004 the assurance that the Department's grants, cooperative
agreements, and other similar arrangements do not support programs or organizations that
promote or take part in diversity, equity, and inclusion ("DEI") initiatives or any other
initiatives that discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or
another protected characteristic.
By applying for or accepting federal funds from USDA, recipient(s) certify compliance with
all applicable Federal antidiscrimination laws and that complying with those laws is a
material condition of receiving federal funding for purposes of 31 U.S.C. § 3729(b)(4).
Recipients are responsible for ensuring subrecipients and contractors also comply.
Signature
Date