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Leadership News
Leadership News: Investing in the Leaders Who Built Our Network
We are proud to announce the promotion of four executive leaders whose experience and dedication have shaped Smart City’s network and helped us deliver on our promise of reliable solutions and brilliant service. These leaders represent decades of combined tenure, deep technical expertise, and a steady hand guiding the infrastructure that keeps our customers and partners connected.
Carlos Palenzuela
Senior Vice President, Technology Services
Carlos has been a key executive leader at Smart City since 2007, overseeing network planning, engineering, installation, and maintenance across our data, internet, voice, transport, and video services. He brings deep industry experience, including 21 years as a District Manager at Embarq. Carlos and his team have been instrumental in evolving the telecommunications network for our largest clients. He is also leading Smart City’s expansion throughout Central Florida. Carlos earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Florida State University and a Florida Professional Engineer license.
Charles Allen
Vice President, Engineering
With more than 25 years of industry experience, Charles has been a valued leader at Smart City since 2017. Leveraging broad technical expertise across network technologies, from TDM to SDN, as well as a strong understanding of FCC and State of Florida regulatory requirements. He represents Smart City on monthly calls related to robocall mitigation and TDM-to-IP conversion. He is highly respected by his team, colleagues, partners, and vendors. Charles earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Mercer University. His recent achievement of earning his Florida Professional Engineer license further demonstrates his commitment to technical excellence and Smart City’s long-term success.
Tom Hoffman
Vice President, Network Operations
Tom began his career with MPINet in 2000 as a Network Analyst before the company was acquired by Smart City in 2002. Over the years, he has consistently demonstrated the judgment, initiative, and strategic thinking of a senior leader. His network analyses have informed key infrastructure investment decisions, and his guidance has supported sound decision-making on complex technical matters. Most recently, Tom was instrumental in the design and implementation of CORE2, one of Smart City’s largest and most complex infrastructure initiatives in our history. Tom earned a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems Technology from University of Central Florida and completed Rollins College Mini Master in Business Administration.
Greg Leslie
Vice President, Sales & Marketing
Greg is an accomplished telecom sales leader with more than 20 years of experience in sales, customer support, and team development. Since joining Smart City in 2019, he has helped drive commercial growth, expand revenue opportunities, and modernize key sales operations. His leadership has strengthened the sales organization, improved delivery pipelines, and positioned Smart City to compete more effectively beyond our traditional ILEC and Disney territories. Greg also developed a disciplined RFP process that has contributed to Smart City’s significant contract wins across the Enterprise, Government, and Education sectors. Greg earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Western Carolina University.
Why Tenure Matters for Customers and Partners
Leadership new like promotions are not just recognition of individual achievement. They are a direct investment in the stability, expertise, and continuity that customers and partners count on every day. Combined, this leadership team represents more than 60 years at Smart City and decades of industry experience beyond it. That kind of tenure translates into tangible advantages, including:
- Institutional knowledge that shortens the path to answers.
- Stronger, more consistent relationships.
- Proven judgment on complex projects.
- Regulatory and technical fluency.
- Sales and delivery teams built for the long term.
We instill confidence every day by delivering reliable solutions and brilliant service, and leadership continuity is one of the clearest ways we put that philosophy into practice. Congratulations to Carlos, Charles, Tom, and Greg on these well-earned promotions. We look forward to the continued impact of their leadership on the customers and partners we serve throughout Central Florida.
— The Smart City Telecom Team
Smart City Telecom · Central Florida’s trusted hometown telecommunications provider since 1969