Leadership

Bruce Garrison joined BIG Fiber as CEO in December 2022. Garrison has over 20 years of experience in the fiber infrastructure and data center business.

Prior to BIG Fiber, Garrison was CEO of Kansas Fiber Network since June 2021 leading the company through a phase of transformation and growth initiatives. Before Kansas Fiber Network, Garrison served as Chief Revenue Officer at Bluebird Networks.  

Garrison also spent five years at Zayo with his last role as Senior Vice President in Zayo’s colocation segment, zColo. During his tenure with Zayo, he also served as Senior Vice President of Global Partners, which included the company’s Global Reach team, International Carriers, and the Indirect channel.

Garrison led teams in Europe as Vice President and Head of International Services for GTS Central Europe based in Prague, Czech Republic until its acquisition by Deutsche Telekom.  Garrison has also held senior leadership roles at EarthLink Business and Cavalier Telephone Corporation.

Outside of work, he serves on the board of directors of his local chapter of Junior Achievements, a non-profit teaching entrepreneurship and financial literacy to today’s youth. Garrison graduated from McNeese State University with a degree in marketing.

As BIG Fiber’s Chief Commercial Officer, Patton Lochridge is responsible for driving revenue and setting the company’s strategic marketing direction. He prioritizes putting the needs of BIG Fiber’s customers first to create custom solutions that will strengthen their ability to access mission-critical dark fiber routes that enable their businesses to operate. Lochridge’s lengthy experience in the communications infrastructure industry is instrumental as the company expands its low-latency dark fiber networks in the key data center markets of the San Francisco Bay Area, Greater Atlanta and Greater Portland.

Lochridge comes to BIG Fiber from Zayo, where he held several senior leadership roles managing Large Enterprise, Hyperscale, Wireless and Public Sector verticals. While there, he also served as Zayo’s Vice President of Fiber Solutions for the Mid Atlantic and East Regions and held positions in marketing and corporate development. Lochridge also brings experience from the utilities and renewable energy industries.   

Lochridge earned his MBA from University of Colorado Leeds School of Business. He resides in Colorado. When he’s not serving BIG Fiber’s customers, he enjoys spending time with his three children and exploring the state’s great outdoors. 

Mark Elder has been guiding emerging, fast-growth companies for most of his career.  As Chief Financial Officer, Mark is responsible for all accounting and financial matters to include establishing company-wide objectives, policies, procedures and practices to ensure our ongoing fiscal strength.

Prior to his role at BIG Fiber, Mr. Elder was the CFO of CPG Beyond, Inc., a leading data center services company, and its predecessor entity, Canara, Inc.  During his 10 years at CPG Beyond, Mark oversaw the exponential growth of the business through a series of acquisitions and organic growth.

Mark began his career at Montgomery Financial Management, a boutique consulting firm in Silicon Valley, and has since held a number of CFO positions at emerging and high-growth technology companies.  Mark earned his degree in economics from the University of California, San Diego.

Christopher Yost is General Counsel of BIG Fiber and has been making telecom contracts as frictionless as possible for over 20 years.  At BIG Fiber, Chris’ responsibilities include all commercial sales and vendor agreements, federal and state regulatory matters, underlying rights, real estate and security related matters.

Prior to BIG Fiber, Chris served as General Counsel of Zayo.  During his tenure at Zayo, Chris managed all aspects of the legal department supporting Zayo’s dark fiber, wireless infrastructure, lit services, and colocation businesses.  Chris led and/or supported Zayo’s substantial domestic and international M&A activity, and led legal diligence and integration of 42 acquisitions.    

Early in his career, Chris served in a variety of legal and executive roles at Level 3 Communications, including Group Vice President of Human Resources (2005-2007), and Vice President of Litigation and Employment (1999-2006).  Chris also spent 5+ years as a litigation, labor and employment associate at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, in the firm’s Washington DC office.  Chris received his B.S in Political Science and Public Administration from Western Michigan University and his J.D. from Catholic University of America Law School in Washington D.C.

Andy has been building fiber optic networks across the U.S. for over 25 years. As our Chief Network Officer at BIG Fiber, Andy is the person that keeps our crews busy and our network running. He is responsible for leading all aspects of network design, engineering, construction, and operations of our ever-growing dark fiber network.

Andy’s experience includes senior leadership positions on both the carrier and contractor sides of the industry, giving him extensive knowledge in construction management, network design and engineering. His ability to build productive relationships with vendors, service providers and especially customers are assets that will serve BIG Fiber well as we grow.

Prior to joining BIG Fiber, Andy held leadership positions at OnFiber Communications, CenturyLink, Zayo, G4S Communications, and Ledcor Technical Services. Andy is a proud supporter of his alma mater, the University of Colorado Buffaloes. He enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, snowboarding, hiking, and traveling.

Misha Batoon brings her skills as a business support professional to BIG Fiber as its Director of Business Operations. Misha was essential in architecting the sales operations and service delivery processes by integrating the company’s CRM and ERP systems. She manages day-to-day business operations ensuring projects are delivered to customers with only the quality that BIG Fiber can deliver. She also assists with setting the company’s strategic direction and overall business objectives.

In addition to business operations management, Misha has worked in various business roles, such as sales support, operations and logistics, where she developed her knowledge and understanding of various business processes. She has a passion for creating and maintaining smooth and seamless end-to-end business processes from the ground up. Prior to moving to the U.S., Misha worked at FactSet Research Systems as an Investment Analyst in the Philippines.

Misha holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Santo Tomas, where she studied business and managerial economics. She is also studying data analytics at the UC Berkeley Extension.

Maria brings over a decade of experience delivering complex network solutions to her VP of Sales role at BIG Fiber, with a career that spans network operations at Level 3 Communications, sales leadership at Zayo Group, and infrastructure strategy at Amazon Web Services (AWS). Her expertise bridges the technical and commercial sides of the industry, with a focus on multi-regional network planning and scalable solutions across the Americas. Known for her customer-first mindset, Maria is a collaborative leader who translates complex network needs into clear, effective solutions. She’s passionate about building lasting partnerships and helping customers grow with infrastructure that’s built for the long haul.

At BIG Fiber, Maria leads the sales team with energy, empathy, and a deep understanding of how great networks — and great relationships — are built. Her approach reflects BIG Fiber’s core values of tenacity, adaptability, and delivering a customer experience that truly stands out.

John is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Bandwidth Infrastructure Group, euNetworks, eX² Technology, Landways, Lemongrass, New Signature, Silica Fiber, SummitIG, Supply Networks, TerraPact, Vivacity, and Wyyerd Group. John previously served on the boards of ICG Communications (acquired by Level 3), New Global Telecom (acquired by Comcast), Presidio (acquired by American Securities), GTS CE (acquired by Deutsche Telekom), mindSHIFT (acquired by Best Buy), FDN Communications (acquired by NuVox), Virtustream (acquired by EMC), Cologix (majority stake acquired by Stonepeak), Cloud Sherpas (acquired by Accenture), Contino (acquired by Cognizant) and Zayo (NYSE: ZAYO) and represented Columbia Capital’s interests in Mpower Communications (acquired by TelePacific). Before joining Columbia Capital, John worked in Morgan Stanley’s Private Equity Group, where he specialized in investments in the telecommunications/data services arena. He also held positions with Fidelity Ventures, the private equity division of Fidelity Investments, and the Investment Banking Division of Alex. Brown & Sons, Incorporated. John received his B.A. from Princeton University and his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Nick is a Principal at Columbia Capital, focusing on investments in Digital Infrastructure and Enterprise Technology. Nick currently serves on the Board of BIG Fiber and Standvast. Prior to joining Columbia Capital, Nick was an Associate at CapitalSource in their Leveraged Finance practice, focusing on debt financings in the Software and Digital Infrastructure sectors. Nick received his B.A. from the University of Maryland, where he majored in Economics.

Since the mid 1990’s, Robert has also worked within the telecommunications sector to deploy fiber optic networks. He currently supports public agencies to expand their fiber optic communications networks designed to improve internal communications, bridge the digital divide, and develop intelligent transportation systems. He is the co-founder of Silica Networks, which is now Bandwidth Infrastructure Group.

Bill is currently the CEO of Cook Consulting, LLC and is a special advisor to Columbia Capital. His depth of knowledge in telecommunications infrastructure and his entrepreneurial style are valuable to investors and operators for developing new network solutions and providing valuable insight and direction to companies’ executive teams.

Prior to SummitIG, he was instrumental in launching Intellifiber Networks, serving as its VP of Service Delivery and Operations. As Senior Director of Project Management at OnFiber Communications, he not only successfully managed the implementation of network augments, but also demonstrated his unique ability to create effective customer solutions. This skill was also recognized during his years as Senior Director of Network Development and Operations for Metromedia Fiber Networks, constructing and operating most of their west coast and central US markets.

Bill began his career at MCI, acquiring rights-of-way for its national network build-out and ultimately leading the Program Management organization. Additionally, his career has included serving in leadership roles with FiberNet, KDL and Zayo.

Bill holds a BA from the University of Mississippi. He remains an active member with the National Eagle Scout Association.

Todd is a graduate of Dartmouth College. He is involved with multiple non-profits and has served on numerous corporate and non-profit boards.

As General Counsel at BIG Fiber, Abbi Dayton leads the company’s legal function, overseeing everything from customer and vendor contracts to regulatory matters, corporate governance, and underlying rights. Her role also extends well beyond the legal lane — Abbi is a key contributor to BIG Fiber’s commercial strategy, runs human resources, manages the company’s community development initiatives and the unofficial chairman of all party planning committees.

Before joining BIG Fiber, Abbi served as General Counsel for the Eastern U.S. & Canada at Zayo Group. There, she supported Zayo’s dark fiber and wireless infrastructure businesses across the U.S., managed its litigation department, and led legal diligence and integration efforts for numerous acquisitions. Her time at Zayo gave her a deep understanding of telecom law, infrastructure deals, and how to drive alignment between legal and business priorities. Abbi began her legal career in San Diego, representing insurance companies in complex litigation matters. After moving to Colorado in 2013, she worked with construction firms on construction defect claims before joining Zayo in 2014. Over seven and a half years, she took on increasingly strategic roles in Zayo’s legal department before joining BIG Fiber as a founding team member.

Abbi holds a J.D. from the University of Montana School of Law and a B.A. in English and Writing from Southern Oregon University. Outside the office, she’s a mom of two and a year-round outdoor enthusiast — hiking, skiing, and snowboarding whenever she can. That same energy shape her leadership style: grounded, agile, and always ready to move things forward.

Mike Brinck is responsible for driving revenue and strategic growth through customer acquisition and satisfaction. He has over 30 years of experience helping emerging-growth companies achieve critical customer traction, and has a proven record in sales leadership, direct sales and executive management. Mike is results-focused and has consistently driven customer and revenue growth in diverse sectors, including the data center industry.

Prior to joining BIG Fiber, Mike served as SVP of Strategic Accounts at CityLift Automated Parking, growing the business exponentially over five years. Previously, Mike co-founded Canara, Inc., a global data center services business (now part of CPG Beyond, Inc.) serving as its President and EVP of Strategic Accounts, overseeing Canara’s growth and the sale of the business. Previously, Mike has held senior sales positions at a number of high-growth technology companies.

Mike studied economics and international affairs at the University of Colorado Boulder and studied abroad at the School of Business Economics at the Universidad de Sevilla.

Bruce Garrison joined BandwidthIG as CEO in December 2022. Garrison has over 20 years of experience in the fiber infrastructure and data center business.

Prior to BIG Fiber, Garrison was CEO of Kansas Fiber Network since June 2021 leading the company through a phase of transformation and growth initiatives. Before Kansas Fiber Network, Garrison served as Chief Revenue Officer at Bluebird Networks.  

Garrison also spent five years at Zayo with his last role as Senior Vice President in Zayo’s colocation segment, zColo. During his tenure with Zayo, he also served as Senior Vice President of Global Partners, which included the company’s Global Reach team, International Carriers, and the Indirect channel.

Garrison led teams in Europe as Vice President and Head of International Services for GTS Central Europe based in Prague, Czech Republic until its acquisition by Deutsche Telekom.  Garrison has also held senior leadership roles at EarthLink Business and Cavalier Telephone Corporation.

Outside of work, he serves on the board of directors of his local chapter of Junior Achievements, a non-profit teaching entrepreneurship and financial literacy to today’s youth. Garrison graduated from McNeese State University with a degree in marketing.

Mark Elder has been guiding emerging, fast-growth companies for most of his career.  As Chief Financial Officer, Mark is responsible for all accounting and financial matters to include establishing company-wide objectives, policies, procedures and practices to ensure our ongoing fiscal strength.

Prior to his role at Silica, Mr. Elder was the CFO of CPG Beyond, Inc., a leading data center services company, and its predecessor entity, Canara, Inc.  During his 10 years at CPG Beyond, Mark oversaw the exponential growth of the business through a series of acquisitions and organic growth.

Mark began his career at Montgomery Financial Management, a boutique consulting firm in Silicon Valley, and has since held a number of CFO positions at emerging and high-growth technology companies.  Mark earned his degree in economics from the University of California, San Diego.

Christopher Yost is General Counsel of Silica Networks and has been making telecom contracts as frictionless as possible for over 20 years.  At Silica, Chris’ responsibilities include all commercial sales and vendor agreements, federal and state regulatory matters, underlying rights, real estate and security related matters.

Prior to Silica, Chris served as General Counsel of Zayo.  During his tenure at Zayo, Chris managed all aspects of the legal department supporting Zayo’s dark fiber, wireless infrastructure, lit services, and colocation businesses.  Chris led and/or supported Zayo’s substantial domestic and international M&A activity, and led legal diligence and integration of 42 acquisitions.    

Early in his career, Chris served in a variety of legal and executive roles at Level 3 Communications, including Group Vice President of Human Resources (2005-2007), and Vice President of Litigation and Employment (1999-2006).  Chris also spent 5+ years as a litigation, labor and employment associate at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, in the firm’s Washington DC office.  Chris received his B.S in Political Science and Public Administration from Western Michigan University and his J.D. from Catholic University of America Law School in Washington D.C.

Andy has been building fiber optic networks across the U.S. for the last 20 years.   As our VP of Operations at Silica, Andy is the person that keeps our crews busy and our network running.  His responsibilities include all aspects of construction management, network surveillance and service delivery.

Andy’s experience includes senior leadership positions on both the carrier and contractor sides of the industry, allowing him to gain extensive knowledge in construction management, network design and engineering.   His ability to build productive relationships with vendors, service providers and especially customers are assets that will serve Silica well as we grow.

Prior to his role at Silica, Andy was Project Director for Ledcor Technical Services, a diversified construction company that builds and services communications networks. At LTS, he led operations in the execution of an ongoing design-build metro network expansion for Verizon.

Prior to Ledcor, Andy held leadership roles at OnFiber Communications, CenturyLink, Zayo, and G4S Communications.  Andy is a proud supporter of his alma mater, the University of Colorado Buffaloes. He enjoys spending time with his family, watching his sons play on their various sports teams, snowboarding, traveling and maintaining his meticulously landscaped yard.

Emily Bennett is VP of Sales at Silica Networks.  Throughout her career, Emily has pridefully built long-lived, strategic relationships with clients such as, CyrusOne, QTS, Comcast, Cox Communications, Sprint, British Telecom, and Google by being thoughtful and delivering on her promises.  At Silica, Emily is responsible for helping our customers achieve the most reliable network possible by focusing on providing them the highest network diversity and scalability available.

Prior to her role at Silica, Ms. Bennett was Director of Sales at Zayo where she constantly sought an in-depth understanding of the needs of a vital account base consisting of data center operators, cable companies, telecom service providers as well as large enterprise clients and delivered on solutions that met them. 

Preceding Zayo, Emily built key customer relationships at AGL Networks, a metro dark fiber provider where she learned the value of buried infrastructure and gained her deep appreciation for telecom construction.  Prior to AGL, Emily was the southeast sales director for Metromedia Fiber Network, predecessor of Abovenet, which was later acquired by Zayo.

John is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Bandwidth Infrastructure Group, euNetworks, eX² Technology, Landways, Lemongrass, New Signature, Silica Fiber, SummitIG, Supply Networks, TerraPact, Vivacity, and Wyyerd Group. John previously served on the boards of ICG Communications (acquired by Level 3), New Global Telecom (acquired by Comcast), Presidio (acquired by American Securities), GTS CE (acquired by Deutsche Telekom), mindSHIFT (acquired by Best Buy), FDN Communications (acquired by NuVox), Virtustream (acquired by EMC), Cologix (majority stake acquired by Stonepeak), Cloud Sherpas (acquired by Accenture), Contino (acquired by Cognizant) and Zayo (NYSE: ZAYO) and represented Columbia Capital’s interests in Mpower Communications (acquired by TelePacific). Before joining Columbia Capital, John worked in Morgan Stanley’s Private Equity Group, where he specialized in investments in the telecommunications/data services arena. He also held positions with Fidelity Ventures, the private equity division of Fidelity Investments, and the Investment Banking Division of Alex. Brown & Sons, Incorporated. John received his B.A. from Princeton University and his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.