Session Speakers: WISPAPALOOZA 2022

Profile Picture	Full Name	Company	Job Title	Speaking At	Attendee Bio
	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.
	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.
	Vardin Amiri	Tarana	Technical Sales Engineer	Dealing With Interference - Session Sponsored by Wireless Coverage WiFi 6e for Fixed Wireless Access Deep Dive	Vardin Amiri is a highly seasoned Technical Sales Engineer with more than 22 years of experience in the Wireless industry. He has worked for manufacturers of Point-to-Point as well as Point-to-MultiPoint wireless solutions built on proprietary and standard based technologies, such as LTE and 802.11xx chipsets.
	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
(not set)	Todd Webb	Komodo Systems	VP Development	Next Generation Network Monitoring Beyond SNMP	Todd’s education and training is in research software engineering, where researching the requirements is a significant part of each project. Todd has a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Master’s degrees in Mathematics and Software Engineering.
	Todd Harpest	MetaLink Technologies	External Affairs & Regulatory Director	Playing Offense and Defense: The $42.45 Billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program Basics About Filing Form 477 And The New Broadband Data Collection Submission Understanding the Subsidy Landscape: How the Government is Affecting Your Business	Todd Harpest is one of the founders of MetaLINK Technologies, Inc. (“MetaLINK”) and today serves in the capacity of External Affairs & Regulatory Director. MetaLINK is one of the largest fixed wireless service providers in the Midwest. He has served with MetaLINK in numerous capacities over the last 26 years and has over 36 years of IT and business management experience. Todd currently serves on the Mapping and Analyzing Connectivity on Agricultural Lands Working Group of FCC Precision Agriculture Connectivity Task Force. Additionally, Todd currently serves WISPA as the Board of Director Chairperson, and Government Affairs, Policy, and State Coordinator Member. Todd received his MBA degree from the University of Dayton and BSAS from Miami University.
	Terry Chevalier	Sunstone Associates	Owner and Managing Director	How the IIJA and Other Congressional Statutes Have Changed the Regulatory Landscape and Impacted Your Plans for Fiber and Wireless Deployments Drafting Grant Proposals to Apply for These Federal Funds	Terry Chevalier is currently the owner and Managing Director at Sunstone Associates, a growth consulting and advisory firm. Terry currently advises business owners of technology, media, and telecom (TMT) businesses with growth strategy including public financing, strategic program management, and exit or transition planning to achieve their growth vision. In his 25+ year career, he has had multiple executive roles in strategy, corporate development, business development, and operations across multiple industries including telecommunications, financial services, management consulting, and government contracting. Terry commenced his career in the U.S. Intelligence Community as a technical operations officer deploying time-sensitive, mission-critical communications systems. He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the Missouri University of Science and Technology, a Masters in Business Administration from Duke University, and is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor with the Exit Planning Institute.
	Bruce Terry	King Communication	Technical/Fiber manager	Fiber Deployment Options	Technical/Fiber manager at King for 8 years, in the industry for 30, been with MSOs, software developers and engineering contractors. Working with fiber technologies and architectures for 10 years in Greenfields, Brownfields areas, front and backhaul, FTTx and vertical designs.
	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.
	Steven Glapa	Tarana Wireless	VP of Marketing	Building Customer Confidence To Switch to FWA	Steven is VP of Marketing at Tarana Wireless. He has more than 20 years of experience in telecommunications innovation, with prior stints at Ruckus (where he led business and channel development that drove 10x revenue gains over 4 years and a $1b IPO), Zhone, ArrayComm, Lucent, and other startups in wireless, machine learning, and robotics. He holds an MBA from Columbia University, a BA in Physics from Carleton College, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science from George Washington University.
	Steve Coran	Lerman Senter	(not set)	Playing Offense and Defense: The $42.45 Billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program Spectrum Update Understanding the Subsidy Landscape: How the Government is Affecting Your Business Broad Policy Changes, Their Effects On Your Business, And Practical Strategies To Reduce Or Eliminate Their Debilitating Effects	Steve Coran chairs Lerman Senter's Broadband, Spectrum, Utilities, and Communications Infrastructure practice group. He represents broadband providers, equipment and technology companies, and new technology firms, serving their policy, transactional, compliance, and licensing needs. He actively represents a trade association before the FCC, Congress, and other federal agencies in matters involving spectrum policy, Internet regulation, the Universal Service Fund, and other proceedings affecting wireless broadband service providers and other wireless technology interests. Steve has extensive experience in negotiating complex, multi-party transactions for the purchase, sale, and financing of established and start-up communications businesses, and also drafting and negotiating spectrum lease, tower lease, dark fiber, and other agreements. He has represented financial institutions and foreign companies in connection with public and private investments. Steve also advises on regulatory compliance and FCC enforcement matters. Steve comes by his career honestly, having spent his undergraduate years as a news reporter for radio stations in his native Ohio. Learning to write for the ear and the eye and ask hard questions makes him a persuasive communicator and an effective builder of successful relationships to promote advocacy results. Steve spreads the word through frequent presentations at seminars and conferences on a wide variety of regulatory, legislative, and communications industry issues. Steve has been recognized as a Best Lawyer in America in Communications Law and is A/V rated by Martindale Hubbell, the highest peer review rating available to attorneys, and one which provides an objective indicator that a lawyer has the highest ethical standards and professional ability.
	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.
	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.
(not set)	Somi Alapati	Mavenir	VP Strategy, Business Development, Head of ORAN Solutions NA	The Benefits of pLTE WiFi 6e for Fixed Wireless Access Deep Dive Revenue Now, Fiber Later	SOMI ALAPATI is a VP of Strategy, Business Development, Head of ORAN Solutions, North America, at Mavenir based in Richardson, Texas. He is responsible for strategy, ORAN solutions for MNOs, Rural Carriers, and Cable Carriers in the USA. Prior roles have spanned radio access, voice core, and packet core network products. With over 27 years of experience in wireless & communications systems, Somi held a variety of technology and leadership roles including product architecture, product management, engineering, research & development, and technology trials. Somi holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from University of North Texas, Denton. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science & Engineering from National Institute of Technology, Warangal, India. Somi lives in the Dallas area with his wife and two children.
	S. Jenell Trigg	Lerman Senter, PLLC	Member	Rules That All WISPs Should Know Opportunities in the MTE-MDU Market New Developments In Privacy And Cybersecurity For ISPs as Critical Infrastructure Entities	S. Jenell Trigg, CIPP/US, a former broadcast television sales and marketing executive spanning a sixteen-year advertising career in the Chicago and Baltimore markets, is a Member of Lerman Senter PLLC and is founding Chair of the firm’s Privacy, Data Protection and Cybersecurity practice group. In addition to more than two decades practicing in the broadcast, cable, Internet and telecommunications regulatory areas, Jenell also specializes in privacy/data protection and cybersecurity issues, intellectual property concerns, government regulation of the Internet and new technologies. Jenell has received her Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP) credentials through the International Association of Privacy Professionals. Prior to private practice, Jenell served as Assistant Chief Counsel for Telecommunications for the Office of Advocacy, U.S. Small Business Administration, and as a law clerk for FCC Commrs. Ness and Chong, as well as an FCC senior telecom policy analyst. Jenell has also received WISPA’s Presidential Medal of Honor under two administrations, the last for her extensive pro bono work as WISPA’s representative on the FCC Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment. Jenell is also recognized nationally in Best Lawyers of America®, Lawyers of Distinction ®and The National Black Lawyers Top 100® for her work in communications and privacy/data security law.
(not set)	Brian Vargyas	Vargyas Consulting, LLC	CEO	Fiber Technologies - 10Gbps Design Overview Exit Strategies	Serial Entrepreneur focused on IoT, 5G wireless technologies.
	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.
	Scott Woods	Ready.net	Vice President for Community Engagement and Strategic Partnerships	Drafting Grant Proposals to Apply for These Federal Funds	Scott D. Woods is the former inaugural Director of the Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives in NTIA’s Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth (OIGC). While at NTIA, he served as the principal liaison between the OIGC program office and key strategic partners and external stakeholder groups, including representatives from state and local governments, telecommunications companies, for-profit and nonprofit corporations, and colleges/universities. Scott is a broadband funding, implementation and stakeholder engagement expert and served as a key member of the OIGC leadership team responsible for the implementation and launch of the Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives and the historic $65 billion broadband funding program authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA). Scott’s expertise and devotion to increasing broadband access and digital inclusion has helped transform the lives of many communities throughout the U.S. through programs such as the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP), BroadbandUSA Technical Assistance Program, BroadbandUSA Community Education Workshops; HBCU College Partnership Program; the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program; and his influence among national, state and corporate decision makers, and his on-the-groundwork building community-based broadband coalitions. Scott has long advocated for better broadband maps, data collection and utilization and in his various roles at NTIA, has used broadband data, mapping, and visualizations to make better broadband funding and programmatic decisions. As the Vice President for Community Engagement and Strategic Partnerships for Ready.net, Scott will facilitate and develop key public-private partnerships formed via the Broadband.Money platform; develop a platform for local communities to express their needs for broadband access and digital equity investments; and develop industry partnerships and foster alliances with key stakeholders to advance and support community-based broadband education and advocacy initiatives. Scott received his Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from Morehouse College; Master of Arts in Public Policy from American University; and Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law.
	Ryan Grewell	Smart Way Communications, LLC	General Manager	All Things Employee - Your Most Important Resource What Does it Mean to be a Manager?	Ryan Grewell is the founder and General Manager of Smart Way Communications, a WISP in east central Ohio. With a background in technology and an entrepreneurial mindset, he has operated several tech related businesses that all were sidelined to focus on the WISP. His ability to engage and connect with people has contributed to his ability to build teams, manage and mentor people, and focus on leadership development.
	Rory Conaway	Triad Wireless	Managing Partner	What Does it Take to be a WISP Owner? Competition - Fiber, Satellite, Cable, DSL, 5G	Rory P. Conaway is an entrepreneur and technology expert with over 30 years of experience in the telecommunications and wireless industry. He is the founder and president of Triad Wireless, a leading wireless network engineering and consulting company based in Phoenix, Arizona. Rory began his career in the early 1990s as a telecommunications engineer and quickly became a recognized expert in the field. He has worked on a wide range of projects, from designing wireless networks for major companies and government agencies to developing cutting-edge technologies for wireless communication. His expertise in wireless network design, deployment, and optimization has earned him a reputation as a leading authority in the field. Mr. Conaway is also the author of "Tales from the Tower", a popular blog series that is on the Triad Wireless website and many other blog sites.
	Robert Klein	Pomegran Inc.	VP, Fibre Business Strategy	All Things Private Equity	Rob Klein is Vice President, Fibre Business Strategy at PomeGran Inc. (www.pomegran.io) whose mission is to become the dominant fibre-centric broadband service provider serving under-served residential, enterprise and government customers in rural and under-served communities across Eastern Canada and the Northeast United States. PomeGran wants to ensure that No One is Left Behind, a mantra that reflects our core values of social responsibility. Rob’s team is responsible for acquisition and commercializing of fibre assets and heads up the Company’s M&A team. Prior to joining PomeGran, Rob held various senior executive positions in Canadian/U.S. private and public telecommunications and technology companies and led the acquisition of 30+ companies. Rob was part of the executive team that helped Globalive launch Wind Mobile (Freedom Mobile) in 2008, and helped co-found the Application Service Provider (precursor to SaaS and Cloud computing) industry in the late 1990’s. In addition, Rob has authored two case studies for the Blockchain Research Institute.
	Richard Bernhardt	WISPA	National Spectrum Advisor	Opportunities in the MTE-MDU Market Spectrum Update	Richard Bernhardt is the National Spectrum Adviser for the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA). He serves as the liaison between WISPA members and industry related to spectrum policy and regulatory matters. He regularly represents WISPA to industry organizations and coalitions, manufacturers, and various wireless and telecom operators and service providers. Mr. Bernhardt serves on the board of directors and is an officer of the Wireless Innovation Forum (WInnForum), a global spectrum standards development organization and is the lead representative for WISPA to the WInnForum. WInnForum created the baseline standards for CBRS and is currently working on the 6 GHz band standards. He serves as the co-chair of its Spectrum Sharing Committee (SSC) and chairs its Operations working group which covers bests practices for CPIs, CAs (security), band co-existence, PALs, secondary market and many other CBRS technical areas. Mr. Bernhardt is the co-chair of the FCC rules directed 6 GHz multi-stakeholder group (MSG) and he serves on numerous industry panels and committees including chairing the Fixed Wireless Access group for CBRS Alliance (now the OnGo Alliance). He has served in leadership roles in the networking, wireless and telecom industry for over 30 years. Mr. Bernhardt holds a B.A. in communications from the University of California, Davis, and a J.D. from California Western School of Law in San Diego, CA.
	Tom Coburn	ADVA	Product Line Manager: Infrastructure Management Solutions	Troubleshooting Fiber	Product Line Manager: Fiber Assurance Solutions Adtran\ADVA Tom is the Product Line Manager for the ADVA’s Infrastructure Management (AIM) business unit. He is responsible for ADVA’s ALM (Advanced Link Monitoring) solutions which provide real-time monitoring of fiber optic infrastructures for service providers, carriers and utilities. Tom brings over 30 years of PLM experience to Adtran\ADVA, a global provider of optical transport, packet edge and timing solutions. He has held PLM positions with MRV Communications, Cabletron Systems, Enterasys, and Cisco Systems.
	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.
(not set)	Michael Jamgochian	Nokia	Solution Manager	Practical Capacity and Distance for Licensed Backhaul	NA
	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.
	Daniel White	Atheral LLC	Co-Founder	Culture vs Company Values: What Do I Need?	Mr. White is a 20-year telecommunications veteran and the Co-Founder of Atheral LLC, a white-Label services company that builds customer-centric cloud solutions that are geo-redundant, highly available, and scalable. Atheral offers a white-label cloud VoIP solution that more than 150 WISPs utilize in their network today. Before Atheral, he was the Managing Director of Sales and Operations for CTIconnect, and the Managing Director of North America for SAF Tehinka. He also served in engineering, installation, and tower climbing roles. Mr. White previously served on the WISPA Board of Directors.
	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.
	Adrian Berezowsky	Dynamic Environmental	(not set)	How To Fund And Build Your Fixed Wireless Network To Comply With Environmental, RF, and Other Infrastructure Siting Rules	Mr. Berezowsky is Vice President at Dynamic Environmental Associates (DEA), He has over 15 years of experience in the wireless infrastructure industry having helped to found IVI Telecom Services, Inc., a nationwide environmental consulting firm which also specialized in environmental and regulatory due diligence for wireless infrastructure development. IVI was acquired by CBRE in late 2014 where he served as Senior Managing Director until 2018 after which he founded BirchCo, Inc., a boutique firm specializing in regulatory and environmental oversight for commercial projects, whose operations were merged into DEA’s in early 2020. He attended The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science & Art and Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and is a board member, and former Vice President for the New York State Wireless Association and co-chair of the Wireless Infrastructure Associations Environmental Engineering and Consultants Working Group. He lives in the lower Hudson Valley of New York with his wife and three young boys and enjoys spending time with them as well as mountain biking, reading and attending various events of the Ukrainian diaspora.
	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
	Matt Larsen	Vistabeam	(not set)	Developing Public Private Partnerships With States and Local Governments WISP Financing Broad Policy Changes, Their Effects On Your Business, And Practical Strategies To Reduce Or Eliminate Their Debilitating Effects	Matt Larsen started deploying wireless broadband in 1999 and is experienced in the design of data networks, NOC operations, wireless deployments, voice over IP implementation, business development and overall management of ISP operations. In 1995, Larsen was part of the volunteer group that launched FortNet, the first ISP in Fort Collins, Colorado. After moving to Scottsbluff, Nebraska in 1997, he started Scottsbluff Networx, an ISP that provided competitive dialup Internet access in Western Nebraska and was the first non-ILEC to offer DSL service in Nebraska. Frustrated with the incumbent bureaucracy, Matt turned to wireless as an alternate way to deliver broadband, bypassing the phone companies completely. In November 2000, Larsen sold Scottsbluff Networx to Airwave Wireless, a company that held LMDS and cellular licenses for the Scottsbluff area. From November 2000 through October 2003, Larsen worked on ISP operations for Airwave, and concentrated on business development and the deployment of unlicensed wireless broadband systems. In October 2003, Larsen left Airwave to pursue opportunities in wireless broadband access and established Vistabeam. Vistabeam has deployed wireless broadband systems covering approximately 40,000 square miles across Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota and Nebraska.
	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.
	Mark Albertyn	Wisper ISP, LLC	CFO	Financial Accounting for WISP's Preparing for a Financial Statement Audit	Mark is currently the CFO at Wisper ISP and has been with Wisper for almost 4 years. Before joining Wisper Mark was in South Africa as the CFO in the Education and Training space. Mark has been in finance for over 25 years and has worked for the licensed operator of the National Lottery in South Africa as well as in the financial services sector for one of the top 4 banks. Mark has been a part owner in a currency trading business as well as having his own import and export company. Mark holds a bachelor’s and post graduate honors degrees in finance from the University of Pretoria in South Africa and Mark is a qualified Chartered Accountant (SA)… similar to a CPA qualification in the USA. Mark is passionate about sports and grew up swimming while later representing his home country of South Africa in Indoor and Beach Volleyball.
	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.
	Elizabeth Bowles	Aristotle Unified Communications L.L.C.	CEO	How the IIJA and Other Congressional Statutes Have Changed the Regulatory Landscape and Impacted Your Plans for Fiber and Wireless Deployments Developing Public Private Partnerships With States and Local Governments The Importance Of Grassroots Advocacy To Growing Your Business Understanding the Subsidy Landscape: How the Government is Affecting Your Business	L. Elizabeth Bowles is CEO of Aristotle Unified Communications, LLC, a broadband internet service provider headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. In that position, Elizabeth guides the strategic direction and vision of Aristotle and is integral to the development of Aristotle’s business relationships, including partnerships, investment strategies, and joint ventures. A passionate advocate for the expansion of affordable broadband services in rural and underserved areas, Elizabeth has testified before Congress and the FCC and served two terms as Chair of the FCC’s Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee, which is an independent advisory body tasked with making policy recommendations for eliminating the digital divide. A past President of the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA), Elizabeth currently serves on WISPA’s Policy Committee and is its Arkansas State Coordinator and Regional Ambassador for the Southeast Region. Elizabeth is licensed to practice law in Washington, D.C. and Arkansas, as well as before the Supreme Court of the United States and a number of U.S. Courts of Appeals. Prior to joining Aristotle’s leadership team in 2000, Elizabeth was an attorney with the Washington, D.C. law firm of Arnold & Porter, where she practiced in the fields of intellectual property and commercial litigation with an emphasis on international and technology law. Elizabeth graduated summa cum laude from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a B.A. in International Studies and obtained her Doctor of Jurisprudence from the Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1993, where she graduated first in her class, Order of the Coif, and was awarded the Founder’s Medal. Elizabeth also received the top score on the 1993 bar exam. Elizabeth has served on numerous boards and committees, including the Arkansas State Bank Board, Better Business Bureau of Arkansas (past President), Rotary Club 99 (Communications Chair), Central Arkansas Executives Association, City Year Little Rock/North Little Rock (Founding Board Member), YPO Chapter Chair and Regional Education Chair, Arkansas’ Quality Digital Learning Study Committee, the Arkansas Broadband Council, and Arkansas’ FASTER committee.
	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.
	Kristian Hoffmann	Cal.net	Principal Engineer	GIS Mapping Isn't Just for Equipment Loading Mixing -48v, 48v, 24, In One System and How to Ground it All	Kristian Hoffmann began his career at a dial-up ISP in 1997 that adapted into a WISP, Fire2Wire, in 2000. The following decade at Fire2Wire included OSS, kernel, and other software development, along with network and RF design, planning, and implementation. In 2011, he moved from his role as CTO to President, managing day to day operations, business process development and automation, and ultimately leading the company to the acquisition by Cal.net in 2019. Kristian now serves as CTO for Cal.net in Central California, continuing his 24 years in the ISP/WISP industry, graciously supported by his wife Virginia and two children.
	Kimberly Young	MKY Ventures	President	Drafting Grant Proposals to Apply for These Federal Funds	Kimberly Young is the President of MKY Ventures, LLC, providing State and Federal Grant Writing, Consulting and Administrative Services to ISPs all over North America. MKY Ventures is focused on helping ISPs to increase broadband access and helping to connect rural communities throughout the North America and US Territories. Before starting MKY Ventures, Kimberly spent 25 years in a Healthcare Administration career in helping doctors and hospital provide the best care for patients through influencing lawmakers, policy and administrators. During her time in healthcare, Kimberly continued writing grants on case-by-case bases for a select few technology and internet clients for the past 15 years. Today, MKY Ventures provides grant services, consulting for ISPs, and partners with marketplace providers to offer a suite of services for ISPs in need of assistance.
	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’.
	K.C. Halm	Davis, Wright, Tremaine	Communications & Technology Partner	Rules That All WISPs Should Know Issues In Selling And Buying A WISP	K.C. Halm is a communications and technology partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, and co-chair of the firm’s national multi-disciplinary AI practice group. Broadband ISPs, wireless providers, and cable operators rely on K.C. for experienced counsel on a wide range of broadband policy and competition matters, broadband funding opportunities, wireless licensing and spectrum acquisition issues, privacy and special access (business data services) regulations, and state attorney general and PSC investigations. In addition, K.C. advises clients on privacy and data/network security issues under federal and state law, with a recent focus on issues arising under the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), the telephone and cable privacy sections of the Telecommunications Act (CPNI), and mobile privacy and location-based services. K.C. also co-chairs Davis Wright Tremaine LLP’s AI Team, a national cross-disciplinary team of lawyers and professionals providing strategic guidance to clients deploying AI/ML-enabled applications and services. He advises the firm’s AI clients on issues arising in the use of AI and machine learning applications under existing and emerging legal frameworks.
	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.
	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.
	Josh Luthman	Imagine Networks	President/Owner	Playing Offense and Defense: The $42.45 Billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program Basics About Filing Form 477 And The New Broadband Data Collection Submission	Josh Luthman began working at Imagine Networks in 2006 and became President and sole owner in 2015. Imagine Networks is a small rural WISP located in south west Ohio. Fiber deployments began in 2019 and are now in the process of expanding out to the rural market. Josh Luthman is a current member of WISPA’s Board of Directors and the Chairman of WISPA’s Policy Committee.
	Jonathan Black	CanWISP	Executive Director	Exit Strategies WISP Management Systems	Jonathan is the Executive Director of CanWISP (www.canwisp.ca) and an advisor to ISPs. In his role with CanWISP, Jonathan represents the WISP industry to the CRTC and at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) on matter such as equal access to government funding, spectrum and industry regulation. Outside of his involvement in CanWISP, Jonathan is a management consultant and advisor to WISPs through Kuro Partners. He has held senior operational, advisory and financial roles in various technology and software companies. Jonathan lived the upside of the Internet bubble in Venture Capital (late 1990s) and learned more difficult lessons working inside an internet startup when that bubble burst. Jonathan has an MBA from Ivey Business School at Western University, a Graduate Diploma from Regent College and an Honors B.Math (Comp Sci / Applied Math) from the University of Waterloo.
	John Sweeting	ARIN	Chief Customer Officer	Achieving Network Autonomy	John Sweeting, the Chief Customer Officer of the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) maintains and oversees all aspects of customer relations at the organization. He brings extensive expertise in the Internet industry, having a track record of building and managing large global networks with leading international carriers such as MCI, Cable & Wireless, Teleglobe and Tata. Prior to joining ARIN, John served as the Senior Director of Architecture & Engineering for Time Warner Cable, where he was responsible for selecting and testing all network infrastructure, from the core backbone to the service delivery platforms. John is a retired Chief Warrant Officer having served 24 years in the United States Army Signal Corps.
	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.
	John Hoadley	Mavenir	Vice President of Sales Engineering and Product Architecture – North America	CBRS and Other Private Network Strategies	John Hoadley has been in the wireless industry for over 25 years and has worked in technology, product management and sales executive roles at Nortel Networks, Taqua, Casa Systems and Mavenir. As Nortel’s Wireless CTO, John managed the advanced wireless research team that drove early LTE innovations. John also founded the small cell backhaul startup Relay IQ that was acquired by Taqua. Subsequently, he ran wireless and wireline product management at Taqua. John graduated from the University of British Columbia with a bachelors degree in electrical engineering and received an MBA from the University of Western Ontario. John is the North American Vice President of Sales Engineering and Product Architecture at Mavenir.
	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.
	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
	Jessica Gyllstrom	Telecommunications Law Professionals	Member	Rules That All WISPs Should Know	Jessica’s practice areas include a broad range of regulatory, policy and transactional telecommunications and media matters. Jessica regularly represents Internet service providers, VoIP providers, mobile wireless carriers broadcasters and tower companies before the Federal Communications Commission and other federal and state agencies. Jessica has particular experience advising wireless service providers on compliance, licensing and policy matters, spectrum acquisition and funding opportunities, and her transactional work largely involves the drafting and negotiation of complex submarine and terrestrial fiber optic cable system arrangements, both within the United States and internationally. Jessica has been recognized by several legal ranking organizations, including Chambers and Partners, Super Lawyers, The Legal 500, and was also recently recognized by the Wireless Infrastructure Association as a “Noteworthy Woman in Wireless Infrastructure.” She is an active member of the Federal Communications Bar Association and is admitted to practice in New York, New Jersey, the District of Columbia, and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.