The Fiber that Binds – The Project that Connects: The Three Ring Binder Project: Broadband, Innovation, and Maine
The Three Ring Binder is a 1,100 mile fiber optic network stretching from southern Maine, through Midcoast and Downeast, reaching Ft. Kent, and traveling back down through central Maine. A private-public partnership, the construction of the network is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvest Act and private equity. Construction is underway in multiple areas, users are leveraging the fiber optics in a number of locations, and the project is ahead of schedule, with the completion of construction slated for the third quarter of 2012.
Emma Lishness, Manager of Marketing and Communications for Tilson Technology Management, will discuss the practical and innovative implications of increasing access to broadband for more than 110,000 households and businesses throughout the state. She will talk about how, as a team of consultants, Tilson tackled the project, bringing it toward a successful completion.
We will also learn the immediate and long-term economic implications for Maine and beyond. In Maine, we’ve witnessed a distinct shift in the drivers of our economy. The innovation economy has changed how the game is played, and calls for the production, not simply of physical goods, but also of content. This demands collaboration over distance and across industries. Participation in the economy, education, the delivery of basic government services, and telemedicine, to name a few, is increasingly driven by access to broadband. As consultants, we often find ourselves working on one or two parts of a project. However, as an IT and telecommunications consulting and project management firm, Tilson was uniquely positioned to consult on all aspects of the Three Ring Binder, and was engaged by Maine Fiber Company, Inc. (MFC), project owner, to do just that. Our roles and responsibilities have included standing up MFC as a business, ensuring compliance with a host of federal agencies, project management, vendor relations and procurement, and communications. Emma will address both the best practices and innovative methods Tilson applied to the project.
Bio: Emma Lishness serves as Manager of Marketing and Communications for Tilson. Emma works closely with the directors of Tilson’s practice groups to create compelling marketing and communications campaigns in support of strategic business development efforts. She also creates and manages content for Tilson’s websites, and leverages both traditional and new media channels. In addition, Emma plays an active role in the broadband policy world in Maine. She speaks frequently on the subjects of broadband infrastructure and application. Recent speaking engagements include the Maine Telemedicine Summit and a range of economic development forums. A native of Cape Elizabeth, Emma holds a M.A. (Honours) in French and International Relations from the University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland. She was recently named to MaineToday Media’s 2012 Forty Under 40 List, which recognizes up-and-coming leaders in Maine under the age of 40.
Roundtable
Takes place from 9:45 to 10:30 after the regular meeting and is optional.
Presenter: Doug Packard
Business: Renaissance Executive Forums
Doug Packard, is CEO of Renaissance Executive Forums, which organizes and leads advisory boards for top
executives and business owners.
Topic:
“The Five Temptations of a CEO” based on the book of the same title by Patrick Lencioni
We are all the CEO of our own career and we all have succumbed to at least one of the five temptations. Join us as we walk through the temptations and discover insights about those we work with and ourselves.
The A.C.E. regular meeting has networking, a buffet breakfast and a speaker. Guests are welcome.
Registrations are required by May 16, 2012. If you want to be included on the registration list at the meeting then you need to register by the due date.
You can pay online by credit card (Visa, MasterCard or Discover NOT AMERICAN EXPRESS!) or mail a check to:
A.C.E.
110 Marginal Way #142
Portland ME 04101
If you are mailing a check, please register here so the system can track the registrants for us. Thanks!
Members: the $22 fee only works if you pay in advance. At the door, it is $28.
