Speakers

Thomas Tyler is the founder of C207 Partners, a boutique consultancy focused on supporting the hardest parts of the BEAD post-award horizon — implementation, compliance, and accountability. Drawing on nearly five years leading one of the nation’s most recognized state broadband programs, he provides strategic advisory, program support, and business development across the full broadband ecosystem, helping states connect with the right capabilities and partners at every stage of deployment and non-deployment program design. C207 works alongside leading firms specializing in broadband location data and post-award compliance, federal policy advisory and non-deployment program design, and full-service program management and engineering — offering state broadband offices and their subgrantees a coordinated set of capabilities across the full BEAD implementation lifecycle.

Most recently, Thomas served as Deputy Director of ConnectLA, Louisiana’s Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity, where he played a central role in building what became one of the most nationally recognized state broadband programs in the country. Under his leadership, Louisiana became the first state in the nation to receive approvals across its federal broadband programs, and the office secured connectivity for nearly 200,000 locations across all 64 parishes through its GUMBO grant programs — generating an estimated $2–3 billion in economic impact and thousands of new jobs. The program identified more than $800 million in savings through efficient policy design and is on pace for statewide high-speed internet access years ahead of the federal deadline. He also led initial planning and advisory for hundreds of millions of dollars in BEAD non-deployment programming spanning workforce development, precision agriculture, telehealth infrastructure, digital equity, and broadband resiliency.

Earlier in his career, Thomas served as Director of Louisiana Economic Development’s Digital Interactive Media and Software Development Incentive Program, where he administered and grew one of the nation’s most comprehensive industry incentive programs. He also served as a cybersecurity and technology advisor with CapinCrouse, a Carr, Riggs & Ingram company, providing information security strategy, compliance consulting, and training to clients across a wide range of sectors and industries.

Thomas is recognized for his invaluable contributions to stakeholders, speaking and providing advisory services to organizations such as the US Department of Commerce, Pew Charitable Trusts, National Governors Association, Fiber Broadband Association, National Digital Inclusion Alliance, Telecommunications Industry Association, MetroConnect, Tech Policy Institute, Smart Cities Council, Mountain Connect, Collision Conference, Business Resource Network, Society of Louisiana CPAs and the Louisiana Bankers Association.

Thomas is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and a graduate of Louisiana State University, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He is an active member of the Sunrise Rotary Club of Baton Rouge and in 2022 was named to the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report’s “Forty Under 40” list. He resides in Baton Rouge with his wife and three children.