Chattanooga’s Geoff Millener wins national award for work expanding tech access across Hamilton County
Geoff Millener, Senior Program and Operations Officer at The Enterprise Center in Chattanooga, has been named a 2021 “Charles Benton Digital Equity Champion.” The recognition came from the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) and the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society for his work expanding access to technology across Hamilton County.
For the last three years, Millener has championed the idea that digital equity is vital to equity in health, education, accessibility, and almost every other aspect of modern life. He has been a driving force of the Hamilton County Schools’ “EdConnect,” a program that has recently brought no-cost high-speed internet to 14,000 students’ homes. In addition, Millener has helped raise more than $8 million to support local digital equity efforts in the last year, and he has helped envision and implement countless programs that integrate digital literacy and access to technology into existing support systems.
Other of his accomplishments include being an integral part of the installation of more than 125 new Wi-Fi access points in Hamilton County, expanding The Enterprise Center’s signature digital equity program “Tech Goes Home,” implementing the 4K Microscope program in Hamilton County Schools, leading a local Digital Access and Equity Committee, and serving as the board chair for Thrive’s Regional Broadband Alliance that is focused on 16 counties across Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee.
Chattanooga and Hamilton County were recognized by NDIA in 2020 as a “Digital Inclusion Trailblazer,” and programs like HCS EdConnect and “Tech Goes Home” Chattanooga regularly receive national recognition.
