Years in Media & Broadband: Over 50
Education: Middlesex College
My personal superpower is: My ability to be truly open to unconventional ideas and shift my perspective
What is your proudest professional achievement over the past 12 months? Since joining SCTE in 2009, I’ve focused on raising the bar and transforming the organization into the recognized applied science leader for our industry. As part of that effort, I focused our teams on creating excellence across our different focus areas: We’ve enhanced our workforce training programs to meet the demands of the workforce of the future, expanded our ANSI-accredited Standards program through the launch of the Explorer Initiative to include new areas such as telehealth, telemedicine, aging in place, AI/ML, and more, and developed an energy management initiative that reached its five-year goals in 2020. This work helped to raise the profile of SCTE, positioning the Society for a transformational year in 2020. The move to combine forces with CableLabs® to further drive the industry forward is my proudest achievement over the past 12 months, and one that I believe will leave a lasting legacy in the industry. Bringing the entire business cycle, from ideation to implementation, under one umbrella has been a major goal of mine for years. I’m incredibly proud of our work to raise the profile and legacy of SCTE alongside these other cable industry heavy hitters and make it clear that SCTE plays an essential role in the future of the industry.For my part, I led the negotiations for SCTE throughout 2020 and drove the fundamentals of the deal to ensure it was mutually beneficial for both parties, protected the interests of the Society and its members and employees, convinced the SCTE board of the value of such a partnership, and coordinated the required 13,000 member vote to approve the deal. Once the deal gained overwhelming support, I remained on to represent SCTE and ensure that the concerns of those who didn’t vote for the deal were heard and addressed. I truly believe that by joining forces with CableLabs, we are setting the industry on a path that will lead to greater innovation and a more connected future.
How does the country narrow the digital divide? Throughout the last year of working from home, schooling from home, and largely doing life from home, the pandemic has demonstrated the fundamental importance of connectivity. Connectivity has become as essential to our lives as other basic utilities – like water or electricity. Luckily, I know that our industry is very focused on closing the digital divide and is already dedicating significant resources to make that a reality. From my perspective, there are a few components that will get us there: the ability to provide lower cost systems, especially wireless; the use of technology that can reduce the incremental cost of providing service; and continuing to explore new technologies and applications like AI and ML that will help to reduce upfront costs and start-up fees. I believe that narrowing and eliminating the digital divide is one of our industry’s most important tasks as it will help ensure people have equal access to secure and accurate information, educational tools, and opportunities. Narrowing the divide is an investment in our collective future. (Trimmed for space in print)
What are you most looking forward to this summer? Eager to reunite this summer after the COVID-19 pandemic, my wife and I will be joined by our children and grandchildren for fishing trips throughout the summer. In addition to my passion for family time, I’m an avid fisherman, and I hope to pass the joy of this hobby to my kids and grandkids. I’m looking forward to fishing off our dock in Long Beach Island with our grandchildren this summer. For a more adventurous fishing getaway, I’m thrilled to have our adult children joining us in Alaska to participate in fluke fishing, new species fishing, and whale watching, all while taking in the majestic beauty of Alaska. (Trimmed for space in print)
Last podcast listened to (or favorite): I enjoy Phil McKinney’s podcast, “Killer Innovations.”
