Session Speakers: WISPAPALOOZA 2022

Profile Picture	Full Name	Company	Job Title	Speaking At	Attendee Bio
	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.
(not set)	Michael Jamgochian	Nokia	Solution Manager	Practical Capacity and Distance for Licensed Backhaul	NA
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
(not set)	Brian Vargyas	Vargyas Consulting, LLC	CEO	Fiber Technologies - 10Gbps Design Overview Exit Strategies	Serial Entrepreneur focused on IoT, 5G wireless technologies.
	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)	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
(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.
	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
	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.
	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.
	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.