Actually, you might already know Don. He’s been with Connect Ohio for two years, and has been instrumental to the success of our eCommunity Strategies program and helped to pilot the first Every Citizen Online project late last year. He’s helped to identify opportunities for middle-mile expansion, designed last-mile solutions, provided computers to libraries and schools, helped people expand their community websites, built partnerships with service providers, participated in the creation of the first National Broadband Map, and generally helped Connect Ohio become a meaningful and important mission to advance the use of technology.
Don comes from a technology background and has an impressive resume.
With 25 years’ experience in program management and product development within the information and communication technologies industries, his prior experience includes bringing new products to market, building high-performing teams, and founding and leading successful venture-backed startups.
Prior to his work at Connect Ohio, Don secured multi-million dollar licensing agreements with Fortune 500 telecom partners, as Director of Strategic Alliances for the North American operations of SpinVox, a technology solutions provider offering voice-to-text services.
Don has served in senior product management roles with telecom companies including Ericsson, Cincinnati Bell, PowerNet Global Communications, and PageNet. At Ericsson, Don hired and led a dedicated team that built, packaged, and sold Mobile Internet solutions to wireless carriers across the Americas.
In 2000, with backing from Ericsson, Don founded and served as CEO for the Mobile Internet startup Brightpod, where he raised $5 million in capital and built a 25-person organization before orchestrating the venture’s successful sale to a public company.
Don began his career with the U.S. Army, where he served in the U.S. Military Joint Special Operations Command. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science from The Citadel.
In his new role, Don will oversee the Connect Ohio organization and serve as the main point of contact for the state of Ohio. Alongside the Connect Ohio team, Don will oversee the relationships and projects that help bring broadband into more businesses and consumers every day.
Please join me in congratulating Don on his new position. We’re excited about where the Connect Ohio program is going, and fortunate to have Don at the helm of a very capable and dedicated team. You can reach Don at the Connect Ohio office: 614/220-0190 or dshirley@connectohio.org.Sincerely,
Tom Fritz, Vice President of the US State and Local Programs division of Connected Nation
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