Session Speakers: WISPAPALOOZA 2022

Profile Picture	Full Name	Company	Job Title	Speaking At	Attendee Bio
	Bryan Mauk	Pc's For People	Chief Innovation Officer	All Things MDU - From Sales to Service to Tech From Lead to Installed: The Customer Journey	Bryan started with PCs for People as the Executive Director for Ohio, as the founding director of that office. Through his work, his role has expanded to Chief Innovation Officer, where he leads in national expansion of new markets, development and deployment of internet services, and new strategic initiatives. Since the start of the Covid Pandemic, Bryan has identified the need for digital equity and inclusion in terms of internet accessibility. Bryan has spearheaded the WISP and ISP department of PCs for People, where we are now creating wireless internet opportunities for communities across the country. Prior to joining PCs for People, Bryan Mauk was the Vice President of Workforce Development for Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry for seven years. He has been serving the community for over 15 years helping to provide outreach and employment services to individuals who were homeless and previously incarcerated. Bryan has a B.A. from John Carroll University and a Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Organizations (MNO) from Case Western Reserve University. Bryan has also served as an adjunct faculty member at John Carroll University teaching classes on social entrepreneurship at the graduate and undergraduate levels.
	Michael Mazer	Mazer Telecom Advisors, LLC	President	All Things Private Equity	Investment banker specializing in the telecom industry
	Kathleen McDonald	Aristotle Unified Communications L.L.C	Regulatory and Compliance Officer	How To Fund And Build Your Fixed Wireless Network To Comply With Environmental, RF, and Other Infrastructure Siting Rules	Kathleen McDonald is the Regulatory and Compliance Officer of Aristotle Unified Communications L.L.C., a leading provider of broadband connectivity solutions that is committed to moving the needle on digital equity and inclusion in Arkansas, and soon in Mississippi, Oklahoma, and other areas. Prior to re-joining the Aristotle team in late 2020, Kathleen represented individuals and businesses in immigration matters after having served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Pulaski County, Arkansas for several years. She received her J.D. from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and is a summa cum laude graduate of UA Little Rock’s Donaghey Scholars Program where she received bachelor’s degrees in International Studies and in French. Kathleen is a member of the Federal Communications Bar Association, and she is on the Board of Trustees of the Arkansas Bar Association.
	JJ McGrath	TekWav	CEO	The Importance Of Grassroots Advocacy To Growing Your Business Understanding the Subsidy Landscape: How the Government is Affecting Your Business	JJ McGrath, CEO of TekWav has more than 20 years of experience in Information Technology. JJ Started TekWav as a WISP in 2013 and has grown the business to over 1900+ subs over the course of 10 years with plans to transition to a FTTH provider. TekWav is a recipient of Rural Digital Opportunity Fund support to deploy gigabit fiber and JJ is currently executing on the company’s buildout requirements. Understanding the importance of strong federal and state engagement to the industry, JJ currently serves as Chairman of the WISPA Government Affairs Committee, as well as the WISPA Texas State Broadband Advocate.
	Patrik Melander	Connect 5G, Inc.	Chairman and CEO	Building Customer Confidence To Switch to FWA Earning Additional Revenue from Customers	Patrik Melander is the Chairman, CEO and co-founder of Connect 5G, which enables acceleration of mobile network deployments through focus on quality, agility and automation with expertise in multi-vendor Services of 5G, CBRS, LTE and legacy technologies, bridging the digital divide in Rural America and enables 5G across the USA through new and innovative solutions. Patrik has 27 years of global telecom and services experience, building global organizations, leading transformations, and since 2016 an entrepreneur in the AI, IoT and 5G space serving on BoD and Advisory boards of growth companies in this space and is in addition the Chairman and President of the Swedish American Chamber, Dallas-Fort Worth He is Swedish of origin and spent 24 years within the Ericsson group, living in Sweden, Japan, Brazil, Costa Rica, UAE and San Diego, Chicago, Boca Raton and Dallas in diverse leadership and General management positions. Patrik currently lives in Dallas, TX with his wife Kristina and two children.
	Katie Merce	Crown Castle	Senior Attorney - Government Relations	The Importance of State Advocacy In BEAD Funding Decisions	Katie Merce is Senior Attorney – Government Relations for Crown Castle and has more than ten years of broad experience in the telecommunications industry, including extensive background in real estate, customer agreements and municipal approvals. As a key partner of Crown Castle’s network deployment and government affairs teams, she strategically employs federal, state, and local law to facilitate timely construction of small cells and fiber, and advocates for Crown Castle before local and state government officials. Previously at Crown Castle, Katie worked closely with Crown Castle’s tower customer sales group, with a focus on constructing complex agreements and supporting expansion into new business segments, including ensuring Crown Castle’s internal legal processes accommodated the needs of WISPS. Prior to joining Crown Castle, Katie served as real estate counsel for a small wireless infrastructure company drafting ground leases and long-term easements to support rapid expansion. Katie received her undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, and her juris doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
(not set)	Jason Mies	Infinite Electronics/KP Performance Antennas	Director of Sales	Grounding - Stop Losing Equipment	(not set)
	Ilissa Miller	DE-CIX	VP Market Development	Best Practices for Marketing	Ilissa Miller is the CEO and founder of iMiller Public Relations, the President of NEDAS, a co-founder of the Independent Data Center Alliance and serves as the VP of Market Development for DE-CIX, the world's largest carrier and data center neutral interconnection ecosystem. With more than 25 years in the digital infrastructure space, Ilissa is a data center, IXP, interconnection and network expert.
	Tom Mitchell	netElastic	Vice President, Strategy & Business Development	Technical Considerations in Multi Access Networks	Tom Mitchell is Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at netElastic Systems, Inc. a leading supplier of virtual networking technologies for Service Providers. He has over 30 years of networking industry experience driving strategic customer, partner and investor relationships. Tom co-founded and served as the Chief Executive of RadioLAN, and has held senior Sales, Marketing, and Business Development roles at companies such as Alloy Computer Products, Apple, Brocade, and Proxim. Tom can be reached at tmitchell@netelastic.com
	Jeffrey Moore	Wave7 Research	Principal	Competition - Fiber, Satellite, Cable, DSL, 5G	Jeff Moore is Principal of Wave7 Research, a wireless research company that covers U.S. postpaid, prepaid, smartphone, and fixed wireless competition. He writes a monthly column for Fierce Wireless and is an expert on wireless retail. He is also Conference Director of the All Wireless & Prepaid Expo. Jeff has over 25 years of telecom industry experience, including 13 years of work for Sprint. Prior to Sprint, Jeff worked as a telecom analyst for Current Analysis and The Strategis Group. Jeff holds an MBA from Cornell University.
	Craig Muller	Tarana	Sales Engineer	How Important are PALs to my CBRS Deployment?	Craig Muller is a Tarana Wireless Sales Engineer primarily supporting Eastern US clients. Craig has been involved in wireless delivery of internet and services for over 20 years. His experience includes being a field engineer, President of a WISP, 4 years in distribution, 9 years with two manufacturers and ownership of a wireless centric VAR. In addition, Craig has worked for SPRINT, NASA, and performed Satellite Communication Ground Station support for the US army.
	Timothy Murphy	Siklu Communications	Director of Network Development	Hybrid Wireless/Fiber to the Home Great Troubleshooting Methods	With over 25 years of expertise in the telecommunications/wireless data industry, Mr. Murphy has played a fundamental role in developing, designing, and implementing network deployments worldwide. These networks cover a broad range of applications, from mines, ports, energy production facilities to hospitals, retail centers, city-wide & neighborhood networks, campuses, and public safety projects. Some recent notable projects are the Statue of Liberty, NASA’s Johnson Space flight Center and the US National Mall & Capital. Mr. Murphy has held management roles with AT&T, NEC, Lucent/Bell Labs, Phillips, Sprint, Vivato, Vislink, PeckTeck, and Siklu.
	Gerrit Nagelhout	Preseem	CEO & Co-Founder	Exit Strategies	As CEO and co-founder of Aterlo Networks and Preseem, Gerrit’s passion is helping ISPs understand and improve subscriber Quality of Experience (QoE) on their networks, while uncovering new opportunities to help customers thrive and scale. Prior to co-founding Aterlo/Preseem, Gerrit spent 12+ years developing product and managing engineering teams for platforms used by some of the largest ISPs in the world. Now, however, he’s dedicated to helping local and regional ISPs take on the big guys and solve network problems with products that people love. Gerrit has a degree in computer engineering from the University of Waterloo.
(not set)	Sunil Naik	Cable Aml Inc	CEO	Practical Capacity and Distance for Licensed Backhaul	(not set)
(not set)	Garth Nicholas	New Wave Net Corp	CFO	Fiber Dos and Don'ts Legal Requirements of Installing Fiber	Cofounder & CFO New Wave Net Corp, Bloomington, IL. Founded in 1999 and now covering 12 counties in Central IL using a mix of unlicensed, CBRS, and EBS wireless spectrum as well as FTTH. Specializing in extending broadband to rural and small towns. Garth has experience with Government funding programs having won in CAF2 as a consortium member and recently being awarded 2M in the FCC’s Secure Equipment Funding program. Garth has been a strong advocate for the small and mid-sized WISPs and has served 2 terms on the WISPA Board and 3 of those years as Treasurer.
	Jesse Nichols	Houlihan Lokey	Managing Director	Issues In Selling And Buying A WISP	Mr. Nichols is a Managing Director in Houlihan Lokey’s Global Technology Group focusing on the Digital Infrastructure sector. Throughout his career, Mr. Nichols has led many sellside wireless and wireless infrastructure transactions and has an intimate knowledge of the digital infrastructure space. Prior to joining Houlihan Lokey, Mr. Nichols was a Managing Director at Alpina Capital, LLC, an independent M&A advisory firm that provides a range of advisory services to clients in the telecommunications sector. While there, he led communications infrastructure M&A and advisory. Mr. Nichols holds a B.A. in International Political Economy from Colorado College.
	Ajith Pasqual	Paraqum Technologies	CEO/Director		Ajith Pasqual is the CEO and Founder of Paraqum.
	Douglas Patterson	Crown Castle	Vice President, Implementation & Operations	Fiber Technologies - 10Gbps Design Overview Which Way to Build - Up or Down? Troubleshooting Fiber	Douglas Patterson - Crown Castle Vice President – West Region 24 years of Telecom Engineering, Construction & Operations. Crown Castle – 5 Years Previously with US West/Qwest/CenturyLink - Western U.S. - 18 Years
	Doug Payauys	Adtran	Strategic Sales Development Mgr.	Fiber Dos and Don'ts	Adtran’s Doug Payauys [pay-I-us] serves as a Strategic Sales Development Manager where he fosters business development opportunities with other industry leading companies and works with customers on innovative broadband solutions. Doug spent over 20 years in the electric cooperative and internet service provider industries. His experience from the early days of the internet with dial-up, PTP and PTMP wireless, DSL, and satellite services highlighted the need for a fully owned and operated fiber network. He was the driving force behind an electric utility’s investment in middle-mile fiber. In 2017, he developed a residential broadband business plan and began deploying fiber-to-the-home for electric members and others in the community. Doug holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Safety and Industrial Technology from Illinois State University and Master of Science in Computer Information Systems from the University of Phoenix. He is a graduate of NRECA’s Robert I. Kabat Management Internship Program. He is a founding member of the Ohio Internet Exchange (Ohio IX) where he serves as the board chair.
	Rob Payne	Preseem	Director of Sales	Selling to Businesses	As Director of Sales, Rob manages and oversees all sales operations within Aterlo Networks/ Preseem. Rob has over 25 years of experience as a customer-focused and solutions-oriented sales leader. Prior to working at Preseem, Rob held the title of Sales Director at Auvik Networks, and before that, was granted the Carswell Award of Excellence during his time working in the Legal Division at Thomson Reuters. Based in Waterloo, ON, Rob is a highly driven and enthusiastic sales professional, automotive enthusiast and avid golfer.
	Bob Pensworth	CresComm WiFi. LLC	CEO	What Does it Mean to be a Manager?	My first job was Operations Manager for a radio paging company. I climbed towers, and maintained the sites. I launched their WISP business in 2006. In 2011, I was hired by CresComm WiFi, LLC (current employer) to handle commercial accounts. I worked in the Long Beach office. In 2014, I was promoted to General Manager and in 2016 I became CEO. My first major project was migration of accounts to Powercode. I do everything from Site Surveys, Installer Training, Network Design, and Deployment. We moved our main office to Port Angeles, WA in 2019 and maintain a satellite office in Astoria, OR. My hobbies include Amateur Radio, Dancing, Photography, Alumni Groups, and travel.
	Louis Peraertz	Wireless Internet Service Providers Association	Vice President of Policy	Spectrum Update	Louis Peraertz is WISPA’s Vice President of Policy. In this role, Louis works to advance WISPA’s successful track record before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), and other federal agencies. Prior to WISPA, Louis worked in several capacities at the FCC. Notably, for more than seven years, Louis served as legal advisor to former FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn in the areas of wireless, satellite, public safety, and international policies. In this position, Louis worked to achieve many of the Commissioner’s top policy priorities to bridge the digital divide, such as: increased spectrum for unlicensed services in the TV White Spaces, CBRS, 5 GHz, 6 GHz, and spectrum bands above 24 GHz; dynamic spectrum access management policies in the TV White Spaces, 3.5 GHz, and 37 GHz bands; design of geographic area licenses and competitive bidding policies to enhance the ability of small wireless companies to acquire spectrum at auctions; reform of universal service policies for commercial wireless services. Before the FCC, Louis worked as a federal appellate court litigator for the U.S. Department of Justice, and served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps. He has a BA from Princeton University and a JD from Harvard Law School.
	Marc Perea	RemoteWinBox	CEO	Great Troubleshooting Methods IP Conservation	MikroTikMarc has decades of route/switch experience paired with multi-vendor certifications as well as computer science and management information systems degrees combined with entrepreneurial spirit resulting in a wealth of knowledge for Marc Perea to draw from
(not set)	Scott Piehn	Computer Dynamics/JCWIFI	Manager	Grounding - Stop Losing Equipment	(not set)
	Andrew Pigney	American Tower	Technology Principal	RF Design and Planning	Andrew Pigney currently works for American Tower Corporation as Technology Principal, providing technical and engineering support for many internal groups globally. He has over 40 years work experience ranging from military electronic warfare systems to wireless telecom service and infrastructure providers. He is well versed in many technology disciplines including RF engineering planning, design, and deployment of outdoor and indoor wireless infrastructure ranging from broadband to microwave to 5G. He lives in New England, is father to seven children, four grandchildren, and enjoys playing guitar in several bands
	Kendra Pignotti	DE-CIX North America	Regional Director of Strategic Partners	Amazing Customer Service - It's All in The Little Things Transport to Peering: An Efficient Way to Improve Network Performance	Working to ensure synergy with our partners across North America to strengthen our go-to-market business scheme. As a global leader in the industry providing Interconnection and Cloud Services it is crucial that we have the right partners to scale in the local market needs.
	Spencer Pous	BluBroadband ISP	Founder/CEO	All Things MDU - From Sales to Service to Tech Next Generation Network Monitoring Beyond SNMP Selling to Businesses	Spencer is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of SJP Network Solutions. His company serves areas in Florida. He is also a member of the WISPA Board of Directors.
	Absolom Quinlivan	Fonex	VP of Business Development	Fiber Technologies - 10Gbps Design Overview	(not set)
(not set)	Jesse Raasch	Baicells Technologies	CTO	Helium, Pollen and Other Ways to Monetize Your Existing Broadcast Sites	(not set)
(not set)	Cody Racette	Crown Castle USA Inc.	(not set)	Dealing With Interference - Session Sponsored by Wireless Coverage GIS Mapping Isn't Just for Equipment Loading	(not set)
	Mark Radabaugh	Amplex	CEO	WISP Financing Technical Considerations in Multi Access Networks	Mark Radabaugh is the President of Amplex Internet that has been providing broadband to Northwest Ohio since 1997 and now serves thousands of residences and businesses. He has been a member of WISPA since 2006. In 2020, Mark was elected Chairman of the WISPA Board of Directors.
	Ryan Reid	ROAMR Wireless & Broadband	CEO	Service Installs: Let's Make Them More Efficient	(not set)
	Diane Rinaldo	Open RAN Policy Coalition	Executive Director	How the IIJA and Other Congressional Statutes Have Changed the Regulatory Landscape and Impacted Your Plans for Fiber and Wireless Deployments	Diane Rinaldo is one of the country’s leading authorities on 5G, telecommunications supply chain security and privacy. She served as Acting Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information. During her time at NTIA, Ms. Rinaldo directed the Administration’s efforts on privacy; testified in the House of Representatives and Senate on 5G and Internet security issues; served as a principal advising the White House and Congress on 5G and supply chain; as well as other successes in education and deployment of Internet access around the world. Prior to her Executive Branch service, Ms. Rinaldo served on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where she focused on Congress’ landmark cybersecurity legislation, the Cybersecurity Act of 2015. She also served as Congress’ oversight and budget monitor for the National Security Agency and the defense network systems, and as Deputy Chief of Staff to Congressman Mike Rogers as his top technology policy staffer. Ms. Rinaldo also spent time in the private sector as the Director of Government Affairs and cyber policy for SAP, and as a Vice President at a top consulting firm in Washington, DC. Recognized for her work on cybersecurity, Ms. Rinaldo was awarded the Executive Women’s Forum’s 2016 Influencer of the Year award; was named one of the top ten people in Washington, D.C. impacting cyber legislation; and has consulted on movies and television. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Maine and an Executive Certificate from Harvard University for Cyber Studies.
(not set)	Juan Rodriguez	Nokia	Senior Director	Universal Access Architecture with Adaptive Cloud Networking Plug and Play Cookie Cutter Concepts Simplify FTTH Deployments	(not set)
(not set)	MIKE ROWELL	HILLIARY COMMUNICATIONS	SVP, OPERATIONS	Fiber Deployment Options Plug and Play Cookie Cutter Concepts Simplify FTTH Deployments	(not set)
	Joseph Roybal	SECOM Inc.	Network Operations Supervisor		Starting with SECOM in 2015 as a Wireless Technician, Elijah is experienced in all aspects of Network Operations. He has quickly advanced through several leadership roles in the company and is now the Chief Network Officer. During his tenure at SECOM, he has overseen the network integration of three acquisitions as well as many wireless and FTTH deployments. During Elijah’s tenure in Network Engineering and Operations he has specialized in finding and integrating new technologies in order to increase SECOM’s offering, in terms of bandwidth and reliability. Leadership and leadership development are also near and dear to Elijah. As such, he places an strong emphasis on his personal growth as well as coaching his subordinates in their growth.
	Ken Ruppel	Aviat Networks	ISP Sales	Practical Capacity and Distance for Licensed Backhaul RF Design and Planning	Ken is an official ‘old guy’ with 40 years of experience in the wireless backhaul industry, starting off as an intern at Harris-Farinon in 1981. Ken has a BSEE degree in microwave communications from the University of Santa Clara, with 10 years working in microwave reconnaissance, and holding several technical leadership positions at microwave radio companies including Western Multiplex, Exalt Communications and now Aviat Networks. One of Ken’s notable achievements was his involvement in the early 90’s with the Part 15 Coalition, contributing to the creation of the original ISM and UNII bands and technologies such as WiFi and Bluetooth. Ken now leads the North American WISP business unit at Aviat Networks and is the co-host of the YouTube series ‘ShopTalk with Jim & Ken’.
	Jimmy Schaeffler	The Carmel Group	Chairman/CSO	Broad Policy Changes, Their Effects On Your Business, And Practical Strategies To Reduce Or Eliminate Their Debilitating Effects	Jimmy Schaeffler is chairman/CSO of The Carmel Group, a telecommunications, computer, and media industries business analysis and expert consultant. Under the umbrella of The Carmel Group, Mr. Schaeffler has helped wireless communication and media companies to plan, value, and optimize their systems, since 1995. He worked with and interviewed hundreds of wireless Internet service providers to create the Wireless Internet Service Provider Associations (WISPA) 2021 “Lift-off” report, which covers key benchmarks and trends in the Fixed Wireless and Hybrid Fiber Wireless Broadband industry. Mr. Schaeffler and The Carmel Group focus their expertise in cable, satellite, wireless, and telephony, and such new and/or advanced services as broadband, VOD, DVRs, HDTV, AI, VR, AR, interactive TV, and satellite radio. His insights and views are reported in such publications as Investor’s Business Daily, USA Today, Newsweek, TIME Magazine, Business Week, and The Wall Street Journal. He is also a regular speaker at international events such as the NAB, NCTA Cable Show, WISPAPALOOZA, CTAM, and CES. The Carmel Group’s website link is www.carmelgroup.com
(not set)	Amanda Scherer	AdTran	(not set)	Gigabit Marketing	(not set)
(not set)	Allie Schomaker	Fibersmith	Director of Marketing & Customer Engagement	WISP Marketing/PR	(not set)
(not set)	Vince Schuele	IP Architechs Managed Services	Network Architect	Network/Traffic Engineering	(not set)
	Steven Schwerbel	Wireless Internet Service Providers Association	State Advocacy Manager	The Importance of State Advocacy In BEAD Funding Decisions The Importance Of Grassroots Advocacy To Growing Your Business	Steven Schwerbel currently serves as State Advocacy Manager for WISPA. In this capacity, he helps engage our volunteer coordinators in advocacy opportunities with state broadband offices, legislators, and policymakers who are shaping state-level broadband decisions. Before arriving at WISPA, Schwerbel was a staffer for Wisconsin state senator Julian Bradley, serving as his Committee Clerk for the Senate Committee on Utilities, Technology, and Telecommunications. Here, he managed bills related to a variety of utilities policy, including bills making changes to Wisconsin’s broadband grant program, and maintained strong relationships with the state’s Public Service Commission. Prior to this, Schwerbel served as staff for state representative Romaine Quinn, where he focused on broadband and rural development policy, drafting bills aimed at expanding rural broadband access. Here, he also served as the Committee Clerk for the Assembly Committee on Science and Technology and advised Rep. Quinn on broadband and internet-security related policy questions. Schwerbel began his government service as a Peace Corps volunteer in Azerbaijan, where he worked with English teachers in a rural village school.
	Bryan Scott	9Stone LLC	Chief Everything Officer	Fiber for the Longhaul	(not set)
	John Scrivner	Live Oak Bank	VP - Broadband	WISP Financing	John Scrivner currently serves as VP of Broadband for Live Oak Bank where he has been for the last three plus years. He previously worked for a decade in the CATV industry and then built and sold his WISP, Mt.Vernon.Net, Inc. John also served on the founding board of WISPA where he held the offices of President, Treasurer and several committee chair positions.
	Dan Siemon	Preseem	CPO & Co-Founder	Universal Access Architecture with Adaptive Cloud Networking Network/Traffic Engineering	Co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Aterlo/Preseem and a self-proclaimed “networking geek,” Dan is responsible for the product direction at Preseem. Dan’s market knowledge and expertise has been informed by almost 25 years of ISP industry experience, including three years as the owner and operator of an ISP and 9 years on the board of directors for a local provider. As CPO, Dan is focused on providing the best tools and analytics to the ISP community to help them gain and retain customers by measuring, analyzing, and improving subscriber QoE. Prior to co-founding Preseem, Dan was a Senior Product Manager at Sandvine, working on 3GPP and wired network products. Dan holds an MSc in Computer Science from Western University in London, Ontario.
(not set)	Larissa Simone	Sonar Software	Director of Growth Marketing	Best Practices for Marketing	(not set)
	Raj Singh	Velankani Communications Technologies, Inc.	CEO	Drafting Grant Proposals to Apply for These Federal Funds	A creative and dynamic leader, Raj has been finding innovative solutions to complex problems in the broadband industry for more than 25 years. Raj became CEO of Velankani Communications Technologies, Inc. in 2005; technology developed by VCTI can be found can be found in the access networks of more than 500 service providers, globally. In 2019, VCTI pivoted to a mission to deliver software, SaaS and managed service solutions, leveraging machine learning and AI, that directly enable broadband providers to accelerate the expansion of their services and automation of operations. Today, VCTI’s unparalleled expertise in GIS modeling, network planning, software and services, legal and public affairs is being leveraged by leading and emerging broadband service providers to successfully win, defend and challenge subsidy programs.
	Layne Sisk	ServerPlus	CEO & Janitor	Updated Training for Customer Service Representatives	Layne is the CEO and Janitor at ServerPlus, and the Founder of Real Choice TV. Layne is a proud husband, father and grandfather. Layne has been active in the ISP industry for over 20 year and has a passion for great customer service.
	Eric Slee	Wireless Internet Service Providers Association	Vice President of Government Affairs	The Importance Of Grassroots Advocacy To Growing Your Business	Eric Slee currently serves as Vice President of Government Affairs for WISPA. In this capacity, he helps guide the advocacy efforts of the association’s 1000 members before Capitol Hill, as well WISPA’s growing state and local, and grassroots portfolio. Before arriving at WISPA, Slee was Legislative Director for Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), former Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. In that role, Eric managed Senator Roberts’ legislative staff and worked to implement the Senator’s legislative agenda. He also served as primary advisor to the Senator on policy matters related to telecom, energy, trade, and the environment. Prior to that, Slee was Senior Account Executive for the DCI Group in Washington, DC, developing and maintaining long-term relationships with think tanks, political activists, issue experts, and advocacy organizations on public policy issues related to the telecommunications industry. Other positions Eric has held include Communications Training Director for the Leadership Institute in Arlington, Virginia; and Legislative Correspondent for former Representative Mark Green (R-WI-8) in Washington, DC. Slee earned his BA degree in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.
	Jim Staheli	Positron	SVP Global Partner Management	All Things MDU - From Sales to Service to Tech MDU/MTU Cost Analysis - To Rewire or To NOT Rewire	Senior VP of Sales for Positron Access Solutions. Jim is a seasoned Sales & Operations Executive in the Technology, Broadband & Networking Industry. Jim has 25 years of experience nurturing technology manufacturers from start-up to global market leaders. Prior to joining Positron in 2019, Jim was instrumental in helping both Advanced Fibre Communications (1993-1999) and Calix Networks (2000-2017) grow from pre-revenue startups to $400 million+ annual revenue and from private to public companies with successful IPOs. Mimosa, Jim’s third start-up, was acquired by Airspan in 2019. Jim is a veteran of both direct and channel sales models both in the US and internationally, with large and small customers in a multitude of telecom market segments. He also has significant sales operations experience including the implementation of CRMs, employee and customer portals, and all manner of back office tools. Jim holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Systems from California Polytechnic University in Pomona California and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the Claremont Graduate School in Claremont California.