Tommy Brown Named Cumberland Co. District Manager

Ben Lomand Connect’s General Manager and CEO, Greg Smartt, announces that Tommy Brown has been named the new Cumberland County District Manager.  Brown, with 21 years of experience at Ben Lomand, will begin his new role in mid-April.

Browns’ career began as a contractor with Ladd Engineering, working on the Ben Lomand Communications Competitive Exchange Carrier project in McMinnville and Sparta.  He was hired by Ben Lomand Connect in 2000 in the engineering department and promoted to Outside Plant Supervisor, overseeing construction and fiber splicing. “One of the first assignments at Ben Lomand, when we completed our CLEC build in McMinnville and Sparta, was to go to Cumberland County and do staking, so I have considerable knowledge of the plant facilities there,” states Brown.

Ben Lomand Connect has been the recipient of 5 broadband grants for Cumberland County. In 2018, Ben Lomand Connect was awarded a Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Grant for the Sunset Ridge area. Through grant funding and an additional investment from general company funds, Ben Lomand Connect provided high-speed broadband to a total of 192 homes. In 2020, the company was awarded two ReConnect grants totaling $4.1 million to bring 109 miles of fiber to the northeastern portion of the county and 73 miles of fiber to the southwestern part of the county. Ben Lomand Connect was also the recipient of a $2 million Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Grant in 2020 that includes 136 miles of fiber in northwestern Cumberland County.  Earlier this month, a $1.9 million Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Grant for 83 miles of fiber in the county’s northwestern part was awarded to Ben Lomand Connect. The combined investment, including grant awards and Ben Lomand Connect matching funds, totals over $14.7 million and includes 406 miles of fiber for Cumberland County.

CEO Smartt states, “Due to the number of current and future projects going on in Cumberland County, we are excited to name Tommy Brown as the new District Manager for our Crossville office. Tommy brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the job and will be a guiding force in the day-to-day operations in Cumberland County. Through our partnerships on state and federal grants, plus projects with the business community our footprint continues to grow in Cumberland County. Tommy will be a great fit in serving the fine folks of that area.”

Brown resides in Gainesboro, Tennessee and attended college at Tennessee Tech.  He is married to Mary Beth and has two sons, Blake and Conner Brown.  Through the years, Brown has contributed to his community by coaching middle school baseball, and he took care of the Jackson County High School Baseball field for eleven years.  Tommy enjoys hunting and fishing and attending church with his family and parents at Richmond Chapel Church of Christ.