Kent Bohanon, State Farm Insurance
 Kent joined the Telecommunications Systems Management program at its inception as the MSU Program of Distinction, and in 2002 he became one of the program’s inaugural bachelor degree recipients. While continuing his master’s studies, he put his TSM skills right to work with State Farm Insurance by developing network and application security solutions for the company’s agency force. In 2005, Kent received his MBA from Murray State. During his career with State Farm in Bloomington, IL, Kent progressed to lead solution development teams and focus on the creation of the company’s future security architecture. In late 2007, Kent was asked to lead State Farm’s marketing activities in Kentucky. Working with associates and vendors across the state, he grew the State Farm brand in the marketplace. The additional exposure to the daily activities of the company’s agents prompted Kent’s family to make an important decision; In 2009, he will be opening his own business as a State Farm agent in Paducah, KY. This new venture will allow Kent’s family to personally impact the lives of the community members in his hometown, something that has been their dream for many years. Kent has always taken pride in Murray State University and the TSM Program. He continues to support the TSM program through his membership on the TSM Advisory Board and through helping students in the TSM program find opportunities at State Farm.
Michael Ramage, Executive Director, Connected Tennessee, a division of Connected Nation, Inc.
 Mr. Ramage is responsible for leading the successful implementation of the State of Tennessee’s Trail to Innovation, a comprehensive broadband deployment and adoption plan slated to leverage state, federal and private investment aimed at blanketing Tennessee with high-speed Internet access, as well as improving the use of technology and the Internet.
Mr. Ramage previously served as a Project Manager for ConnectKentucky, Connected Nation’s Kentucky initiative. In this role, he was responsible for facilitating comprehensive GIS-based Inventory Assessment of existing broadband infrastructure and service availability, the community-by-community implementation planning process and ensuring that every county in Kentucky’s western region has an online presence and the ability to improve the quality of life at the local level. Through this effort, communities were empowered to use technology applications and build partnerships that provided real-time budget savings and process efficiencies over the Internet, ensuring their ability to compete within the local and global marketplace.
Prior to joining ConnectKentucky, Mr. Ramage served Murray State University as Special Projects Leader, Lecturer and Network Manager within the Department of Industrial and Engineering Technology and the Center for Telecommunications Systems Management. While at Murray State, he was the recipient of grants from the National Science Foundation, Cisco Systems Inc., the United States Department of Education and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Other accomplishments include the development of GIS mapping for Calloway County, which was the precursor to the mapping performed by Connected Nation, and the development of the International Telecommunications Education and Research Association. Additionally, Mr. Ramage led the West Kentucky Telehealth Initiative and conducted research on various telecommunications topics. Prior to joining Murray State University, he worked as a Network Specialist for BellSouth Telecommunications in Nashville following his employment as a Computer Technician at Camco Technologies in Paducah, Kentucky.
James Weatherly, Undergraduate Program Coordinator, Murray State TSM
 Graduated from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville with a BS and MS in electrical engineering
Worked for the Tennessee Valley Authority in the areas of power distribution and telecommunications
Has been on the faculty at Murray State University for 34 years teaching in the programs of Electrical Engineering Technology, Electromechanical Engineering Technology and Telecommunications Systems Management
Chaired the Department of Engineering Technology for six years during which time several programs became ABET/TAC accredited for the first time
Started the student chapter of the Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers IEEE) at Murray State University
Has been a member of IEEE for 40 years
Is currently the undergraduate program coordinator for the TSM program
Community-related activities have included Boy Scout Scoutmaster, coaching the Murray High Boys Soccer Team and Church activities. |
