From bold vision to real-world impact: The origins of Connected Nation and the leader who started it all

Bowling Green, Ky. (April 22, 2026) — For 25 years, the national nonprofit Connected Nation (CN) has been a driving force in broadband access and digital empowerment. Throughout its history, the organization has championed efforts to expand the access, adoption, and use of broadband and related technologies for communities across the country.

But where did it all begin? And perhaps more importantly, who helped spark the movement? To find out, we need to go back to 1991 before laptops, cell phones, and AI were part of our everyday lives.

A Kentucky college campus

Dr. Linda Ellis Johnson began her journey at Western Kentucky University as a Professor of Information Systems in the Gordon Ford College of Business. She spent many years there, ultimately becoming Chair of the Information Systems Department. In this role, she specialized in the strategic use of information systems for a competitive advantage.

In spring 1999, she and her faculty held a strategic planning meeting when a colleague said, “What we need is a center for information technology enterprise that would allow us to help our business and industry constituency.”

Johnson had noticed that when businesses needed advice on computer literacy, they often reached out to her. This realization led to the creation of the nonprofit Center for Information Technology Enterprise (CITE Inc.) in 2001.

Johnson took a sabbatical from WKU to launch CITE and serve as its founding CEO. As the organization gained traction, her strategic leadership developed a business model that earned broad support from Kentucky’s business community and state government leaders. CITE then became a successful bidder for an RFP from the state’s New Economy Office for a strategic technology capacity initiative. That initiative became known as ConnectKentucky.

“CITE very simply is an information technology and communications consulting firm headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky,” said Johnson. “But what makes CITE unique is that it’s a not-for-profit. Our core strategic advantage is our ability to construct public-private partnerships in the information technology space. CITE serves as a catalyst for growing the information technology and communications cluster.”

From consulting firm to statewide initiative

Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton began the initiative to bring the commonwealth into the information age. He tapped the retired Chairman and CEO of Ashland Oil, John Hall, and the newly hired Dr. Bill Brundage, Commissioner of the Office of the New Economy for Economic Development, to co-chair this initiative. Over 20 leaders from business and industry joined ConnectKentucky, with all the universities in the commonwealth participating. This initiative carried well into Gov. Ernie Fletcher’s administration as well.

“If we are going to be successful in building a new economy, we must have to have a strong information technology and communications cluster of businesses because it’s an enabler to every sector of our economy,” she said. “But if you delve deep into what we are doing, it’s about growing that IT communications cluster in our state, and creating cultural change.”

So, what exactly did ConnectKentucky do, and what were its objectives? It was split into three major activities: the assessment, partnership, and the strategy.

The assessment

The ConnectKentucky team heard from local stakeholders and organizations that the state needed more fiber optic cable, more capacity, a network operations center — and billions of dollars to fix the problem. The team knew it was time to do an assessment.

They used Computer System Policy Project (CSPP) guidelines that were widely distributed across the country and internationally to understand the Kentucky internet highway (infrastructure), what high-speed on-ramps looked like (i.e., were available and affordable), and who was using the internet (the drivers on the highway) in Kentucky. They used the results from the assessment to formulate a plan for significant improvements.

The partnership

ConnectKentucky partners not only funded the assessment but also used its findings to drive meaningful change. They actively participated in shaping the action strategies that were pursued, ensuring the work reflected shared priorities. Just as importantly, they took real ownership of the initiatives, staying engaged all the way through to completion.

Some of their early partners included Ashland Oil, Belcan, CSX, Humana, Toyota, Yum Brands, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the Kentucky League of Cities, among others. All of Kentucky’s universities had representatives.

The strategy 

Considering all the research conducted during the first year, ConnectKentucky leaders crafted a strategy that would set things into motion. That included creating public awareness of the benefits of e-commerce, e-government and e-learning to Kentucky’s businesses, governmental agencies, and citizens.

A key part of this strategy also included pursuing public policy initiatives that would promote competition, eliminate regulatory barriers, and enhance the deployment of broadband statewide.

“ConnectKentucky is about change,” said Johnson. “It’s about creating positive momentum during the three-year lifespan that will start the ball rolling down the hill so that we will not rest until we have improved the economic opportunities for our citizens.”

ConnectKentucky becomes Connected Nation

Over the next seven years, ConnectKentucky continued to grow and formed similar initiatives in other states, including ConnectOhio and ConnectedTennessee. Then in 2011, the entity was renamed and branded into what it is today, Connected Nation. Johnson stayed on as CEO until 2004.

Her ideas, expertise, and skills left a long-lasting impression on CN, its employees, and partners. Today, Johnson is an investor and director of several startup ventures in the technology arena. For over a decade, she served on the Board of Directors of Computer Services Inc. (formerly a publicly traded company) where she also served as Chair of the Audit Committee. It was sold to private equity in 2022. Johnson was a partner in Kentucky private equity firm Manchester Capital LLC for over a decade. She was also awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in Telecommunications Systems Management by Murray State University in 2014. That same year, she was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by Western Kentucky University.

As CN celebrates 25 years in 2026, the organization’s mission remains the same as it was from the beginning — improving lives by expanding access, adoption, and use of high-speed internet and its related technologies. The commitment is stronger than ever. Everyone belongs in a Connected Nation.

Hear Dr. Johnson speak on the “Leadership at CN through the years” panel from the Connected Nation 20th Anniversary. Watch the video below.