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8:00am EDT
8:00am EDT
8:30am EDT
Chairperson’s Welcome
Thursday October 10, 2024 8:30am - 8:35am EDT
Speakers 
Group Director, Broadband, Questex
Alejandro Piñero is Group Director for Broadband and Streaming at Questex family. As part of this role, Alejandro oversees the strategic direction and product strategy for portfolios such as Broadband Nation and StreamTV. Prior to joining Questex, Alejandro was Senior Research Manager...
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8:35am EDT
Opening Keynote by TIA
Thursday October 10, 2024 8:35am - 8:55am EDT
Speakers 
Chief Executive Officer, Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)
8:55am EDT
9:20am EDT
State Roundtable - Funding Update & Roll-Out Plans and Strategy
Thursday October 10, 2024 9:20am - 10:00am EDT
Moderators 
Vice President of Broadband Advocacy and Partnerships, Bonfire Infrastructure Group
Senior Vice President, ConnectALL Office, Empire State Development
Joshua Breitbart is the Senior Vice President, ConnectALL, at Empire State Development. In that role, he serves as Director of the Division of Broadband Access, overseeing the statewide digital equity plan and administering over $1 billion in public investments across the state. Joshua...
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Director & General Counsel, Massachusetts Broadband Institute
Michael Baldino was named Director and General Counsel of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) at the Mass Tech Collaborative in January 2019. Michael comes to MBI with a wealth of public sector policy experience. He served in Mass Tech’s Legal Department for over 23...
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Area Vice President, Commercial Development, Calix
With over 25 years in the broadband industry, Greg Bathrick joined Calix in 2014 and is currently the Area Vice President of Broadband Development. He assists broadband service providers and rural communities in finding government grants and private equity. He earned his B.S. in Mechanical...
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State Broadband Program Director, North Dakota Information Technology (NDIT)
Brian Newby, broadband program director for the state of North Dakota, joined the
state's broadband office as it was in the process of being created in early 2023. Since then, his primary focus has been on developing the state's Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. North Dakota is to receive $130.16 million through BEAD and, as of this writing, the state is awaiting NT...
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Director of the Office of Science, Innovation and Technology (OSIT), State of Nevada Broadband Office
Brian Mitchell serves as the Director of the Office of Science, Innovation and Technology (OSIT), the State of Nevada's Broadband Office, and oversees the planning, mapping and procurement of broadband infrastructure. Brian leads the State's High Speed Nevada Initiative, a $500 million...
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10:00am EDT
Keynote by CommScope
Thursday October 10, 2024 10:00am - 10:20am EDT
Speakers 
VP, Technology CCS, CommScope
John Chamberlain is the Vice President of Technology for CommScopes CCS segment and is the technology lead for passive Fiber Cable, Connectivity, Data Center and Enterprise businesses.Mr. Chamberlain has previously served at CommScope in CTO, R&D, Product Line Management and Manufacturing...
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10:20am EDT
10:40am EDT
Broadband Nation Start-Up Presentation - Actifai
Thursday October 10, 2024 10:40am - 10:55am EDT
Speakers 
Chief Customer Officer, Actifai
As Chief Customer Officer of Actifai, Joel leads the AI company's customer and commercial strategy and is responsible for sales, partnerships, and customer development. He previously served as the CRO of Kasisto, focused on customer service AI applications. Prior to that, Joel held...
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11:20am EDT
Partner Keynote - What's Next? Leveraging Investments in Broadband
Thursday October 10, 2024 11:20am - 11:40am EDT
Speakers 
Senior Vice President, Mass Markets Product Management, AT&T
Erin Scarborough leads the team responsible for managing and innovating AT&T’s product portfolio across broadband and mobility, as well as leading fiber and wireless 5G investment initiatives; through participating in government funding programs and public private partnerships...
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11:40am EDT
12:00pm EDT
Leaders' Roundtable - From Underground Fiber to Satellites - How Tech Will Bridge the Digital Divide
Thursday October 10, 2024 12:00pm - 12:40pm EDT
Moderators 
Founder & CEO, The Besen Group LLC
Alex Besen is the Founder & CEO of The Besen Group LLC. He provides strategic advisory, business development, market research and training services in the mobile data industry.He has over 30 years of hands-on experience in the mobile industry working for operators and vendors in North...
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Solutions Marketing Senior Advisor, Broadband & 5G, Ciena
Vinicius (Vini) Santos is part of Ciena's Global Solutions Marketing team, responsible for business development involving advanced solutions like Next Generation Broadband and Private 5G. He has over 25 years of experience supporting the telecommunication market in Brazil, Italy...
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Senior Sales Engineer, Eutelsat/OneWeb
I am a Senior Sales Engineer for OneWeb based in Anchorage, Alaska. I have spent the last 25 years in the telecommunications industry, with the last decade focused on innovation and deployment of emerging technologies. Since joining OneWeb, I have supported our broadband deployments...
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President, MPORielly Consulting
Vice President, Technology Policy, Product & Standards, Comcast
Jason Livingood serves as Vice President of Technology Policy, Product & Standards at Comcast. He leads Comcast’s efforts in developing & deploying new open standards, supporting applied R&D via collaboration with the research community, engaging with governments, regulators, and...
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Head of BSS Consulting, Comarch
Tomasz is a visionary telecommunications industry leader, spearheading innovative Business Support System (BSS) initiatives as the Head of BSS Solutions at Comarch. With a keen focus on critical modules such as Billing, Product Catalog, Order Management and Customer Relationship Management...
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12:40pm EDT
12:40pm EDT
2:00pm EDT
Keynote Fireside Chat with Boldyn Networks
Thursday October 10, 2024 2:00pm - 2:20pm EDT
Moderators
Group Director, Broadband, Questex
Alejandro Piñero is Group Director for Broadband and Streaming at Questex family. As part of this role, Alejandro oversees the strategic direction and product strategy for portfolios such as Broadband Nation and StreamTV. Prior to joining Questex, Alejandro was Senior Research Manager...
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VP Connected Communities & External Affairs, Boldyn
As the Vice President of Connected Communities and External Affairs for Boldyn Networks’ US Business, a leading neutral host provider, Walter is responsible for building and maintaining core relationships at the federal and state levels where Boldyn operates.With more than 30 years...
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2:00pm EDT
2:00pm EDT
Keynote - The Merits of FWA to Bridge the Digital Divide
Thursday October 10, 2024 2:00pm - 2:20pm EDT
Speakers 
Chief Strategy & Legal Officer, NextLink Internet
Claude Aiken is the Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Legal Officer for Nextlink Internet, the premier provider of fixed-wireless and fiber Internet and phone services across Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois and Iowa. He leads the company’s work on strategic market development...
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2:00pm EDT
Keynote Fireside Chat – The National Imperative for Workforce Development
Thursday October 10, 2024 2:00pm - 2:20pm EDT
Moderators 
Senior Vice President, Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)
Melissa Newman has over 20 years of experience as a seasoned Executive in telecommunications companies with expertise in government affairs, public relations and legal. Recently, Melissa worked at Transit Wireless as Vice President of External Affairs and Senior Legal Counsel in New...
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Project Director, Broadband Access Initiative, The Pew Charitable Trusts
Kathryn de Wit directs Pew’s broadband access initiative, which works to accelerate efforts to connect millions of Americans to affordable, reliable high-speed internet. In addition to working with policymakers, researchers, and other stakeholders to improve policy outcomes, de...
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Senior Fellow, Governance Studies and Director, Center for Technology Innovation
2:20pm EDT
2:20pm EDT
Keynote - AI-Powered Fiber Deployment with amAIz: Maximizing Impact and Efficiency
Thursday October 10, 2024 2:20pm - 2:40pm EDT
Speakers 
Head of Solution Sales Architecture, Amdocs
Kiran Vemireddi is a proven Technology leader in the telecommunications industry. He has driven large scale IT and Network transformation programs at major Telecom/Cable operators across the Americas. Kiran is responsible for the growth and program success at the Communications, Media...
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2:20pm EDT
Fireside Chat - The Future of Convergence: Matching Experience with Brand
Thursday October 10, 2024 2:20pm - 2:40pm EDT
Moderators 
Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Foxhound Advisors
John Puskar is a corporate affairs executive, specializing in strategic communications, marketing, and government affairs. He currently serves as Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Foxhound Advisors, the go-to advisory firm for tech and telecom businesses. He helps companies tell...
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Wavelo, CEO
Justin Reilly is an industry veteran with deep experience in telecom, SaaS and consumer products. He is passionate about building systems that support the next generation of consumers.As CEO of Wavelo, Justin is focused on helping operators maximize value from their networks and enhance...
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2:20pm EDT
Panel – The Power of Public and Private Partnerships for Workforce Development
Thursday October 10, 2024 2:20pm - 3:05pm EDT
Moderators
Chief Executive Officer, Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)
President and CEO, Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE)
Maria Popo is president and CEO of the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (
SCTE®), a subsidiary of CableLabs®. Her journey from trade school to academia and boardrooms has been shaped by tenacity, adaptability, and lifelong learning. From customer service representative to senior executive of Global Fortune 50 Foxconn, CEO/president of Ubee Interactive Americas...
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Vice President of Education, Louisiana Community and Technical College System
Dr. William “Chandler” LeBoeuf serves as the Vice President of Education for the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) and the Executive Director for the LCTCS Foundation. In this capacity, he has oversight of enrollment management and student affairs, academics...
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Senior Advisor, Accenture
Kevin Gallagher is presently a Senior Advisor to Accenture’s Public Service Practice and a Senior Advisor at WestExec Advisors. Kevin previously served as Senior Advisor to U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. In that role, he advised the Secretary on a wide array of issues relating...
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Vice President Strategic Development, MasTec
Richard Zinno currently leads Strategic Development with MasTec Communications Group and is responsible for establishing the partnerships to build the next generation of Fiber Broadband networks. MasTec is a $13B company with 36K people and 220 office across the country. MasTec provides...
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2:40pm EDT
Panel - The Impact of Communication on all Aspects of Life
Thursday October 10, 2024 2:40pm - 3:10pm EDT
Moderators 
Broadband Interstate Coordinator, Communities Unlimited
COO, Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition
Kristen Engebretsen, Chief Operating Officer; Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband CoalitionKristen is a nonprofit leader with experience from startups to established national associations. Her 20 years in the fields of arts and education provide her with solid expertise in growing...
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Director of Digital Equity, Cook County, IL
Vice President, Government & Community Relations, EPB
Evann Freeman joined EPB in 2019 and serves as Vice President, Government and Community Relations. His responsibilities include leading EPB’s governmental relations and economic development efforts through maintaining key relationships with government partners on the local, state...
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2:40pm EDT
Panel - Middle Mile Networks - Building the Backbone of America's Broadband
Thursday October 10, 2024 2:40pm - 3:10pm EDT
Moderators 
Senior Public Policy Manager, Vernonburg Group
Alex serves as Senior Public Policy Manager at Vernonburg Group. At Vernonburg Group, Alex develops policy papers and reports for clients (most recently Vernonburg Group’s report “
Achieving Internet for All: Socioeconomics and Fixed Broadband in the United States”), leads stakeholder engagement efforts around broadband policy issues on behalf of clients, crafts advocacy strategies, and supports Vernonburg Group’s business development activities.Prior to joining Vernonburg Group, Alex had years of experience advocating specifically on technology and telecommunications policy issues. While at the Glen Ec...
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Manager for Systems Engineering and Principal Architect for Rural Regional Service Providers,, Ribbon
Assistant Administrator, Telecommunications Programs, Rural Utilities Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Laurel Leverrier is the Assistant Administrator of the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service, Telecommunications Programs, where she oversees RUS' $6 billion portfolio of telecommunications loans and grants.
Senior Manager, Field and Network Sales Engineering, Fujitsu
Greg is the Senior Manager of Field and Network Sales Engineering at Fujitsu Network Communications. He is a seasoned telecom professional with over 24 years of experience including a diverse background spanning product management, quality engineering, sales engineering, and management...
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Regional Broadband Program Director, Northwest Colorado Council of Governments
Originally from the east coast and more recently from Evergreen, Nate Walowitz has over 20 years of experience designing, and developing communication solutions for government and public safety enterprise clients. He’s guided the selection and implementation of new approaches for...
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SVP Government Affairs and Product Strategy, Zayo
Joel Daly is a seasoned entrepreneur and technology executive with a 25-year track record. He currently holds the position of SVP Government Affairs and Product Strategy at Zayo, where he successfully secured NTIA Middle Mile Awards totaling $93M. Over the past 5 years at Zayo, Joel...
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2:40pm EDT
Panel - The Wireless Competitive Advantage
Thursday October 10, 2024 2:40pm - 3:10pm EDT
Moderators 
Lead Analyst, News Street Research
VP Broadband Partners, Nokia
David Eckard is currently the Vice President of Broadband Partners at Nokia, overseeing the company’s response to the historical influx of capital from the various federal and state funding programs that aims to close the digital inequities in our country. Since 1999, David has...
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Vice President of Infrastructure and State Broadband Director, Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA)
Sandip Bhowmick currently serves as the Vice President of Infrastructure and State Broadband Director at the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA). He is responsible for overseeing the planning, development, and expansion of broadband infrastructure throughout Arizona. Prior to his current...
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Vice President of Government Affairs & Policy, Tarana Wireless
Director, Utah Broadband Center
3:10pm EDT
4:00pm EDT
Fireside Chat - Tribal Broadband
Thursday October 10, 2024 4:00pm - 4:20pm EDT
Moderators 
President, National Tribal Telecommunications Association, General Manager, Mescalero Apache Telecom
Godfrey Enjady started Mescalero Apache Telecom, Inc. (MATI) in Mescalero, NM and has served as its General Manager since its formation on August 4, 2000. Mr. Enjady additionally serves in the following positions: President of the National Tribal Telecommunications Association...
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Tribal & Programs Outreach Manager, Oklahoma Broadband Office
4:00pm EDT
Fireside Chat with AT&T
Thursday October 10, 2024 4:00pm - 4:20pm EDT
Moderators 
Editor in Chief, Fierce Network
Liz is editor in chief of Fierce Network. Previously, she was the managing editor for Silverlinings. She made her debut on the telecom stage back when writing 3,000 word articles about Class 5 switches was still a thing that people wanted to read. She honed her skills at Telephony...
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Assistant Vice President - Product Management and Development, AT&T
Angela Wilkin is a dynamic leader serving as the Assistant Vice President of Product Management and Development within AT&T’s Mass Markets Organization, where she spearheaded the launch, management and growth of AT&T Internet Air, AT&T’s 5G fixed wireless product.With a rich and...
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4:00pm EDT
Keynote – Strategies to Attract New Talent to Broadband
Thursday October 10, 2024 4:00pm - 4:20pm EDT
Speakers 
AVP - Talent Acquisition, AT&T
Jeremy Sieffert is an Assistant Vice President of Talent Acquisition at AT&T. Starting his journey with the company in 2000, Jeremy has accumulated a wealth of experience across various roles, beginning in call center and retail positions. Over the past 15 years, he has dedicated...
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4:00pm EDT
Panel - Construction & Engineering Networks to Reach Everyone
Thursday October 10, 2024 4:00pm - 4:35pm EDT
Moderators 
Principal, Broadband Success Partners
Mr. Strauss is the co-founder of Broadband Success Partners – the leading digital infrastructure M&A technical advisor and due diligence specialist. The firm has completed over 90 technical due diligence engagements for over 60 clients including Antin, Brookfield, CBRE, DigitalBridge...
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Director, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development
Bryan W. Horn serves as the Director of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. He brings 29 years of business and legal experience to the Youngkin Administration in the fields of residential, commercial and industrial construction, commercial and business litigation...
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Director, GIS & Solutions Engineering, Render Networks
A 17 year veteran of the industry based in Richmond, VA, Tom has a background in GIS for OSP management and construction. He joined Render in 2020, initially helping to establish their delivery team before shifting his focus to solutions engineering. With expertise in fiber construction...
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COO, GoNetSpeed
Thomas Perrone serves as GoNetspeed’s Chief Operations Officer. Based in Southport North Carolina, Tom is one of GoNetspeed’s founders and oversees all administrative, operational and construction functions of the company’s full footprint.With 25+ years of experience in the...
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CEO, Luck Grove
Vincent serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Luck Grove, an engineering and construction company for the telecom and utility industries. After accepting a role at Luck Grove, Vincent quickly rose through the ranks by developing new streams of revenue for the company and being...
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4:20pm EDT
Panel - The Merits of Open Access Networking
Thursday October 10, 2024 4:20pm - 5:00pm EDT
Moderators 
Director, Advanced Communications Law & Policy Institute, New York Law School
Michael is the Director of the Advanced Communications Law & Policy Institute (ACLP) at New York Law School. The ACLP studies the array of local, state, and federal legal, regulatory, and public policy issues impacting broadband connectivity. He has served on the FCC’s Consumer...
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Assistant Vice President – Business Development, AT&T
Justin Johnson is a dynamic and foresighted business leader focused expanding AT&T’s fiber network reach. With a strong background in technology and telecommunications, Justin has an innate ability to identify opportunities and spearhead strategic initiatives that drive growth and...
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Executive Director, UTOPIA Fiber
Roger has been serving as UTOPIA Fiber’s Executive Director since 2016 and has been a technology management professional in telecommunications and information technology for over 15 years. Roger has been designing and building networks throughout his career in various roles including...
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4:20pm EDT
Panel - Lasers, mmWave, FWA...Exploring the Flavors of Wireless
Thursday October 10, 2024 4:20pm - 5:00pm EDT
Moderators 
Editorial Director, Ookla
Sue Marek is Ookla’s editorial director and part of the company’s analyst team. She oversees the company’s thought leadership and editorial content. Sue is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience covering the telecom industry and her work has appeared in Fierce Network...
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Chief Growth Officer, X-Lumin
Zev Suissa, M.B.A., Chief Growth Officer at X-lumin Corporation, is leading the Sales and Marketing departments.Zev brings 25 years of experience to X-lumin, having specialized in emerging markets, new channel development,and strategic partnerships across three industries.In the pioneer...
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Vice President, Engineering and Network Operations, UScellular
As vice president of engineering and network operations for UScellular, Mike is responsible for ensuring the superior quality of UScellular’s high-speed network so that customers have the world’s best wireless experience. He also leads engineering teams across the country and...
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4:20pm EDT
Success Stories in Building Curricula for Broadband Professionals
Thursday October 10, 2024 4:20pm - 5:05pm EDT
Moderators 
Senior Fellow, National Skills Coalition
Jennifer Stiddard is a Senior Fellow at the National Skills Coalition, where she serves as an expert on higher education and workforce policy for the organization’s government affair’s team. In that role, Jennifer focuses particularly on federal policies to increase access and...
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Vice President of the New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC) and Executive Director, New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development (NJCCCWED)
Catherine Frugé Starghill, Esq. is the Vice President of the New Jersey Council of County Colleges (NJCCC) and Executive Director of the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development (NJCCCWED). She has been with the NJCCC since May 2020. And, she...
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CEO, NCTI
Stacey Slaughter is the president and CEO of NCTI, a leading provider of training, education, and workforce development services. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Washington, she built a 20-year career with Jones International, rising to CFO...
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Director of Workforce Development, NATE Workforce Development Committee
Dr. Gemma Frock has been engaged with the telecommunications industry since 2012 in her role as the Vice President of Education and Training at Aiken Technical College. She led the efforts to develop and implement a series of stackable certificates for a tower technicians’ program...
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FOA-CFOS/I Certified Fiber Optics Instructor, Wake Tech Community College
Gilberto was born in Argentina, where he graduated as an Industrial Engineer from UCA Buenos Aires with honors and received the CAI “Patricio Shanley Award for Overall Engineering Studies Performance.” He earned a post-graduate title in Advanced Management from UNC Chapel Hill...
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4:35pm EDT
Fireside Chat- Making Sense of the Converged Broadband and Entertainment Landscape
Thursday October 10, 2024 4:35pm - 4:55pm EDT
Moderators 
Vice President & General Manager, Bob Gold & Associates
Chris Huppertz is a transformative PR and Marketing executive with over 11 years in telecommunications, media, and technology industries. As Vice President & General Manager at Bob Gold & Associates, Chris is renowned for his business acumen and innovative approach, delivering award-winning...
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Vice President, Strategic Business, CSG, CSG
Reid Jenkins is Vice President, Strategic Business at CSG, responsible for the company's Communications, Media and Technology business unit. In his 10+ years at CSG, Reid has been pivotal in establishing consistency in how the company meets and exceeds customer goals and objectives...
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Director, Product Management, CSG, CSG
Rick Fernandez is Director, Product Management at CSG, responsible for the company's ACP offering and leading its fiber solutions and go-to-market strategy. In his 20 years at CSG, Rick has built high-performing, cross-functional teams that solve complex process, system and application...
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4:55pm EDT
Fireside Chat – Leveraging Vendor Relationships to Navigate BABA Compliance for BEAD
Thursday October 10, 2024 4:55pm - 5:15pm EDT
Moderators
Group Director, Broadband, Questex
Alejandro Piñero is Group Director for Broadband and Streaming at Questex family. As part of this role, Alejandro oversees the strategic direction and product strategy for portfolios such as Broadband Nation and StreamTV. Prior to joining Questex, Alejandro was Senior Research Manager...
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Market Strategy and Innovation Manager for Service Providers and Multiple System Operators, AFL
Josh Simer is AFL’s market strategy & innovation manager for service providers and multiple system operators (MSOs). He has been in the optical fiber and ICT industries for 16 years, prior to which he was a US Army Infantry Officer. Simer has served and continues to serve in a variety...
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Program Manager, Strategic Programs, Broadband, AFL
Will Miller, Program Manager, Strategic Programs, Broadband at AFL, boasts over 15 years of expertise in fiber optic cable and connectivity across multiple manufacturers. With a diverse career encompassing pivotal roles in field engineering, applications engineering, and product line...
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5:10pm EDT
