Bozeman Fiber Incorporated began development in 2015 after a City-led broadband planning study recommended that the city needed a modern gigabit fiber network to support local businesses, attract new businesses, and help ensure economic growth.
Bozeman Fiber is led by a board of community leaders dedicated to the idea that businesses and residents should have access to world class broadband and Internet, and should be able to choose from a variety of service providers offering a wide variety of services at competitive prices.
In addition to our bank partners, Bozeman Fiber would not have been possible without the generous support of many community focused organizations including the City of Bozeman, Bozeman Public Schools, Gallatin County, and the Downtown Bozeman Partnership.
Our current network is capable of providing gigabit service at any point on the fiber in our system. The system is expandable at any time, and within a couple of weeks we could grow from our current 30 gigabit system to a 100 gigabit system! If the demand was there, we have a nearly infinite ability to expand.
Even more so than your mobile phone or tablet, the electronics which drive the worlds, and our network, continue to double in capability every 18 or so months. A single strand of fiber has the capability to circle the globe and carry the entire worlds communications! Of course, the limitations of the system in reality are affected by splices, routers and end user's electronic devices. This system is something that we can all be very proud of and can, without hesitation say, is world class, opening our valley to any business exist today. We, Bozeman, are no longer an island, but are on the leading edge of the superhighway of communications technology.
Bozeman Fiber is entering its next stage of its expansion and is pleased to announce the free upgrade of its Broadband connection for small and medium sized businesses to 1 gigabit/second. That’s a 4-10x increase in download speeds at no additional cost. Learn more under the NEWS tab.
Greg Metzger was born in Bellingham, Washington and raised in Ferndale. Greg graduated high school in 1974 and spent seven years in the US Navy as a weather forecaster.
Greg earned an Industrial Technology degree at Western Washington University in 1985 and worked at Boeing as an Industrial Engineer and a Composites Research Engineer. While at Boeing, he achieved an MBA at City University in 1987.
The next step in his journey was Trigon Packaging, an international New Zealand based company. He started as a planner and became the President in 1989. Trigon were bought by WR Grace in 1995. My family took this opportunity to move to Montana in 1996 and purchased Montana Furniture which we owned until June 2010. Since then, I have worked in advertising, car sales and the fiber based communications industry.
Greg came to Bozeman Fiber in August 2017, and is focused on successful growth and future expansion.
Greg is married to Kim, and has two adult children. When he's taking a break from expanding Bozeman Fiber, he enjoys walking with his wife and dog, golf, and spending time with his family.
Chris became the Executive Director of the Downtown Bozeman Partnership in May of 2007. As such, he directs the Downtown Business Improvement District and the Downtown Urban Renewal District. Previously, he served as a member of the Downtown Urban Renewal District board from 2005 to 2007. From 1995 to 2009, Chris and his wife, Laura, owned and operated Barrel Mountaineering, an outdoor store located on Main Street in historic downtown Bozeman. Born in Evanston, Illinois and raised in Jefferson City, Missouri, Chris received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Geologic Sciences in 1991 from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. After several mountain adventures in Asia, Chris settled in Bozeman back in 1993.
Steve has been employed at Bozeman Public Schools since 1986, he is currently the Deputy Superintendent Operations. He is a native Montanan and graduate of Montana State University. Steve has been involved with governmental accounting his entire professional career, with the Montana Legislative Auditor, Helena Public Schools and Bozeman Public Schools. Steve is a member of the Montana Association of School Business Officials and has served as its President. Steve is also a past President of the Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce and currently serves as a Green Coat Ambassador for the Bozeman Chamber. He received the Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce Guy Sperry Award in 2009 for his service to the Chamber and the community of Bozeman.
Brit is the Director of Economic Development for the City of Bozeman, Montana. He has worked for the Bozeman community for over a decade in various capacities – from City Clerk to Assistant to the City Manager.
Currently he is responsible for implementing the City’s economic development strategy of job creation and industry diversification. Brit engages both public and private sectors to collectively and creatively offer solutions to many of the pressing economic issues in and around Bozeman. Additionally, he provides support to local business by aiding in the navigation of various local regulatory processes.
Brit holds a B.A. degree in Political Science from the University of Louisiana in Lafayette and earned an M.A. in History from Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana.
Daryl Schliem, President/CEO, joined the Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce with over twenty years of experience in for-profit and non-profit development. (He is beginning his 10th year in Bozeman) His leadership in the non-profit sector included Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Commission, Convention and Visitors Bureau and Tourism Business Improvement Districts. Daryl was the Vice President / Project Manager of the Aurora, Illinois Chamber of Commerce and President / CEO of the Corsicana Navarro County Texas Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Commission and Convention and Visitors Bureau. He graduated from the Institute for Organizational Management in 2000.
In the for-profit sector, Daryl represented both large and small businesses around the country, with his main role as a Senior Vice President for the Grand Sierra Resort Corporation in Reno, Nevada. Daryl also owned his own consulting company that worked on public/private partnerships, federal, state, county and city grants and permitting for the Triple AAA Baseball Team of the Arizona Diamond Backs called the Reno Aces.
Following a 43-year career in the banking industry, Bruce has been enjoying retirement since June 2017. He is now enjoying Montana’s seasons (including some Arizona winter sun), serving on three non-profit boards, and his grand kids.
Bruce is a 1970 graduate of Simms (MT) High School and holds a BS degree in agricultural economics from Montana State University. His banking career included tours of duty with the cooperative Farm Credit System, Wells Fargo Bank (Norwest Bank at the time) and First Interstate Bank. For the last four years, he served as Bozeman Regional President for First Interstate.
Professionally, Bruce served a three-year term as a board member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and went through the chairs of the Montana Bankers Association. In his many stops along the way, he was active in community organizations including Jaycees, Chamber, United Way and (primarily educational) non-profit charitable foundations.
Scott McMahan is the Information Technology Director for the City of Bozeman, Montana. He has worked for the City for nine years.
Scott was born and raised in Montana and enjoys the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing. Prior to working for the City, he lived in Bend Oregon. He spent 17 years as an employee and partner of a small consulting firm called AccTech Solutions, Inc. The firm focused on technical support and planning for local government and small businesses.
Scott manages the IT staff members, IT related projects, and he is involved with developing long-term strategic technology initiatives. He has been providing technical services to local government for 26 years. His areas of focus have been helping local government with network design and implementation, server and pc infrastructure design and support, long term IT planning, disaster recovery, and cloud based services. Scott earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Montana.
He has been married for 28 years and is a proud father of three.
Jackie Haines is the Executive Director of the Northern Rocky Mountain Economic Development District headquartered in Bozeman, Montana. NRMEDD is an economic development organization that serves Gallatin and Park Counties in Montana.
Previously, Jackie worked as the Economic Development Director for HRDC, for 4.5 years. In this role, she oversaw workforce development programming, founded a homeless youth shelter in Bozeman, and facilitated a volunteer income tax assistance program.
Jackie received her Master’s Degree in Applied Economics from Montana State University. In her free time she enjoys traveling the world, exploring the Montana outdoors, and going on hikes with her goldendoodle, June and her husband, Steve.