Bio

BJ Tanksley joined the Department of Economic Development in January 2022, as the Director of the Office of Broadband Development. In his role as Director of the Office of Broadband, he has grown the office from one person to an office of eleven team members working to capitalize on the historic broadband opportunities. In January the team awarded just over $261 million in ARPA funded broadband grants to help bring quality internet service to unserved and underserved Missouri locations. In 2023 the team launched a $20 million cell tower program to improve cellular service across the state. While deploying ARPA funding the team is simultaneously planning for next opportunity promised by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). IIJA, too, promises to provide monumental funding for Missouri's unserved and underserved populations. BJ and his team will work to utilize these funds to Connect all Missourians by addressing the infrastructure and non-infrastructure barriers to fully engage Missourians in the digital economy. BJ holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in Political Science from Southeast Missouri State University. BJ and his wife, Ashley, live in Ashland and have two children, Abby and Charlie.