According to Wall Street Journal, longtime Chattanooga CIO Brent Messner stepped down earlier this month. In eight years, Messner transitioned the city to the cloud and supervised a number of smart-city projects that utilized Chattanooga's municipally owned fiber system.
Morris intends to build on Messner's work and the city's existing infrastructure.
"Chattanooga is kind of that dream job,” Morris told the Journal. “I’m getting the keys to a very fast car."
Last year, Chattanooga releaseda 10-year study showing the economic benefits of its municipal broadband system and smart grid. Researchers have even examined how Chattanooga's system can inform the development of a more efficient and reliable national electric grid.
