Who We Are

Dr. Mohammad Shakouri
Corporate VP, Innovation and Marketing

Dr. Shakouri serves in the executive management team of Alvarion Ltd in the position of Corporate Vice President. In addition, Dr. Shakouri serves in a prominent industry role as a Board Dir of WiMAX Forum and WCAI.

Dr. Shakouri is regarded as a visionary in Wireless Broadband industry where he has been instrumental in growing WiMAX into a multi billion dollar industry. Considered to be the leading voice for the WiMAX industry, Dr. Shakouri’s diligent efforts have created a global reach for WiMAX Forum with regional presence in many countries.

Prior to joining Alvarion, Dr. Shakouri was with Lucent Technologies where he was responsible for managing, building and developing network solutions for European and South American broadband wireless markets. Before joining Lucent, Dr. Shakouri spent fourteen years in technical and management positions with Hewlett Packard developing microwave and fiber optic communication components and systems. He co-founded the wireless systems division, where he was responsible for the engineering team developing low-cost residential digital wireless systems for U.S. and Asian markets.

Dr. Shakouri earned his doctorate in electrical engineering from Stanford University on Subpicosecond GaAs Wafer Probe Systems. In addition to his industry leadership position with the WiMAX Forum, Dr. Shakouri is also on the advisory board for the Wireless Communication Alliance and is an IEEE MTT-SVC 2004 chairman.

Hank Hultquist
Vice President, Federal Regulatory

Hank joined AT&T (then SBC) in 2004. He represents AT&T at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on a number of issues including broadband and Internet policy, video and media policy, intercarrier compensation, and universal service. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Wireless Communications Association (WCA) and serves on the North American Numbering Council (NANC). Prior to joining AT&T, he was with MCI for eight years. Hank is a graduate of the George Mason University School of Law and Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. He resides in Arlington, Virginia with his wife and two children.

Philip Merrill
Owner

Philip C Merrill was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona.  He graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance in 1972. Mr. Merrill is a member of the Cable Television Pioneers Club.  Mr. Merrill cofounded, with several others, the first Wireless Cable Television industry association in 1979. He served for 20 years on the board of the association, now WCAI, including 3 years as its chairman in the early days. In 1983, he was one of the larger successful applicants for BRS licenses. His current project is BeamSpeed, LLC; a high speed wireless Internet Access Company in Yuma, Arizona. BeamSpeed has BRS and EBS channel rights for all of Yuma and Imperial counties and has agreements with Multivision and the Arvizu family for shared use of frequencies on both sides of the border with Mexico. Mr. Merrill has extensive experience in all aspects of the wired and wireless communications business. This includes lobbying state legislatures, the U.S. Congress and the FCC; channel acquisition, site development, FCC applications and filings, and business development and operation.

Dr. Michael R. Kelley
Professor of English and Telecommunications, George Mason University

Dr. Michael R. Kelley holds the rank of Distinguished Service Professor of English and Telecommunications at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. He started teaching at George Mason in 1970. In 1981, he founded The Capitol Connection, George Mason's business and educational EBS/BRS television service. He served on the Board of The Corporation for Public Broadcasting from 1979-1983, and has owned 2 commercial radio stations in Virginia. He is currently the licensee of 1 microwave BRS station in the metro Washington area and President of The George Mason University Instructional Foundation. He is also C.E.O. and founder of F Corporation, which operates a commercial satellite uplink on the GMU campus. Kelley is the author of two books and numerous articles. He is a voting member of The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

Cathleen Massey
VP Regulatory Affairs & Public Policy

As Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Public Policy for Clearwire, Cathy Massey is responsible for government relations and regulatory issues. She brings to her role more than 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry. Most recently she served as a Deputy Bureau Chief for the Federal Communications Commission’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. Prior to this, she worked at AT&T Wireless Services as the Vice President of Regulatory and State Affairs. Massey’s experience also includes positions at XO Communications and McCaw Cellular Communications. She holds a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law and a B.S. from Northwestern University.

Joseph M. Sandri, Jr.
Sr. VP, Regulatory and Government Affairs

Joseph Sandri serves as Senior Vice President of Regulatory and Government Affairs for FiberTower. He is responsible for all regulatory and business aspects related to FiberTower’s extensive spectrum assets. Prior to joining First Avenue, Sandri served as president of IDT Spectrum and senior vice president and regulatory counsel for Winstar/IDT Solutions. Prior to that, he interned in the FCC Mass Media Enforcement and Common Carrier Policy Bureaus. He holds a BS from the University of Maryland, a JD from the Catholic University Columbus School of Law, and certification from the Institute for Communications Law Studies in Washington, D.C.

Jeff Kohler

Co-Founder and Director

Jeff Kohler is a founder of JAB Wireless, Inc., one of the largest fixed wireless service providers in the United States.  He is responsible for mergers and acquisitions and all other corporate development activity for JAB.  Previously, Mr. Kohler served as Director of Corporate Finance and M&A with Bathgate Capital Partners LLC where he focused on mergers and acquisitions and capital formation within the wireless industry.  Bathgate Capital raised debt and equity capital and assisted in the acquisition of 45 companies for JAB under Mr. Kohler's oversight. He has over 25 years of business management experience, with particular emphasis on mergers and acquisitions and raising private debt and equity capital for emerging companies. Mr. Kohler was CEO and founder of Reason, Inc., a wireless management services company that was acquired in 2002. He previously held positions with AT&T Wireless and McCaw Cellular Communications. Mr. Kohler received his MBA degree from Regis University (Denver), a BSBA from the University of Denver, and is a licensed General Securities Registered Representative.

P. Kelley Dunne

Chief Executive Officer

Kelley Dunne, Chief Executive Officer of One Economy has more than 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry and is recognized as an industry pioneer in deploying some of the first 4G broadband wireless capacities across the country. Kelley’s career journey has always been grounded in his deep sense of purpose. His unique combination of telecommunications expertise, business acumen and commitment to service will allow One Economy to expand its impact in underserved communities around the world.

Prior to joining One Economy as CEO, Kelley was the founder and CEO of Digital Bridge Communications Corporation, a provider of broadband wireless to small and medium-sized communities. He has also held leadership positions with One Point Communications, AT&T Bell Labs and Verizon, where he launched Verizon’s Rural Broadband Initiative, leading some of the most innovative broadband wireless deployments in rural markets, Native American reservations, low-income housing areas and U.S. military bases. Kelley who grew up in a military family also served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps as both an enlisted service member and an officer.

Kelley received his BS degree in Communications Systems Management from Ohio University and his MS degree in Information and Communications Sciences from Ball State University.

He lives in Virginia with his wife and three daughters.

John Ogren
CEO & Founder

Founded SpeedNet LLC with Robert Liggett, Jr. of Liggett Broadcasting and Big Boy LLC in July of 2001.  Today the company markets its broadband service under the trademark SpeedConnect.   SpeedConnect is Michigan’s largest and fastest growing wireless broadband Internet provider, and recently expanded operations into Iowa.  SpeedConnect has pioneered fixed and mobile broadband service through its BRS and EBS spectrum holdings, and is serving thousands of Michigan and Iowa customers from its operation based in Saginaw, MI.  Prior to SpeedConnect Mr. Ogren served as Divisional Vice President for Harron Communications, a Philadelphia based cable television and satellite service provider, for 15 years.  In the cable television industry he also worked for Continental cablevision, Comcast, Mediacom and Adelphia.  A Michigan State University graduate Mr. Ogren holds an undergraduate degree in telecommunications and an MBA in finance.

Trey Hanbury

Director, Legal and Government Affairs

Trey Hanbury is director of spectrum proceedings for Sprint Nextel Corporation.  At Sprint Nextel, Mr. Hanbury serves as the primary regulatory counsel for Sprint Nextel’s spectrum rulemaking proceedings and transactions at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).  Mr. Hanbury developed the company’s regulatory responses to a number of FCC proceedings, including the 700 MHz D Block, AWS-3, AWS-2, and the Broadband Radio Service issues.  Mr. Hanbury graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he served as Hardy Cross Dillard Fellow.  Mr. Hanbury is married and has a daughter, Amelia, and a son, Nathaniel.

Scott McClure
Product Business Unit Manager, Wireless Broadband & Networking

As product business unit leader for wireless broadband & networking at TESSCO Technologies, Scott A. McClure is responsible for developing innovative broadband solutions and introducing them to the wireless marketplace. By driving market and product strategy, as well as providing leading technical support and sales engineering, McClure and his team help differentiate TESSCO as a market leader in providing the product and supply chain solutions required to design, build, and use everything wireless.
McClure has more than ten years of experience in the test & maintenance line of business. He has also led initiatives for AMERICOM Wireless, Inc., MTS Wireless Components and Resource Tower Corporation. McClure earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business & Economics from Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, VA.

Lynn Rejniak
Director Classroom Technology Services

Ms. Rejniak oversees the University of South Florida’s technology services and resources in support of classroom instruction including satellite teleconferencing, videoconferencing and instructional television (EBS). Her unit has directly contributed the success of USF’s distance learning programs, which now serve 49,000 enrollments annually.  Prior to working at USF, Ms. Rejniak held positions in the film and video industries.

Thomas Knippen
Vice President & General Manager

Thomas Knippen  (Tom)  serves as Vice President and General Manager to Benton Ridge Telephone Company and W.A.T.C.H. TV.  The company serves 18,000 subscribers offering Video, Internet and Phone.  Tom has been with the company and working in the wireless industry since 1991.  Tom serves as a director of the WCAI and is a member of the Technology Committee of Connect Ohio.

Prior Experience:

• President and Owner of SK Services, Inc, a utility underground construction firm
• Vice President and General Manager of Centel Cable of Ohio, Kentucky and
• Indiana serving 160,000 cable TV subscribers 1978 – 1989
• Served as Director and President of the Ohio Cable Association
• Served as Director of the Kentucky Cable Association
• Accounting Manager Central Mutual Insurance Company
• Captain US Army Field Artillery
• BS In BA from Bowling Green State University

Tom has been married to his wife Sue for 39 years.  They have 3 sons.

Fred B. Campbell, Jr.
President & CEO
WCAI

Fred Campbell has been President and CEO of the Wireless Communications Association International since August 2008. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Nebraska College of Law where he teaches spectrum law and policy. Mr. Campbell previously served as Wireless Bureau Chief at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2006-2008. In that position he developed and implemented the 700 MHz auction, the largest and most successful auction in the history of the FCC, and many other innovative wireless broadband policies, including open platform requirements, anonymous and combinatorial bidding in spectrum auctions, a power spectral density approach to power limits, non-exclusive licensing using a contention-based protocol in the 3.65 GHz band, the classification of wireless broadband as an information service, and a revised initial spectrum aggregation screen. Prior to heading the Wireless Bureau, Mr. Campbell spent two years as Wireless Legal Advisor to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin. Before joining the FCC, Campbell was an attorney with the law firm of Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis, where he advised on a broad range of legal issues associated with the provision of domestic and international telecommunications services. Campbell previously practiced commercial litigation with the law firm of Wolfe Snowden and clerked for Justice William M. Connolly of the Nebraska Supreme Court. He earned his B.A. from the State University of New York and his J.D., with high distinction, from the University of Nebraska College of Law.

Susan Polyakova
Vice President, Communications & Strategy
susan@wcai.com

Susan Polyakova is WCAI’s Vice President, Communications & Strategy. Before her appointment in 2005, she spent the previous 3.5 years as associate editor covering federal telecommunications policy for Communications Daily, the influential Washington, DC-based newsletter and online news service owned by Warren Communications. Most recently, she worked as its associate editor covering FCC regulations of the wireless communications industry. She has written extensively about numerous wireless proceedings before the Commission, including wireless broadband, mergers and spectrum auctions. Prior to that, she covered wireline and VoIP domestic and international regulatory policy for Communications Daily and its sister publication Washington Internet Daily. She received several journalism awards while covering the IP convergence and its impact on the industry and federal and state regulations. She graduated summa cum laude from Alcorn State University, with a bachelor’s degree in communications. Among her responsibilities at WCAI will be helping implement the messaging goals of WCAI members, who may contact her at the e-mail address above.

Leigh Ann Spellman
Director, Events & Networking
leigh.ann@wcai.com

Leigh Ann Spellman brings fifteen years of experience to the position as WCAI’s Director of Membership and Services. Leigh Ann works with current members regarding membership services and reaches out to potential new members.  As Co-Creator and Founder of WISP Gryphon Wireless located in Nebraska, Leigh Ann was a long-time member of the Association. She currently serves as the WCAI Liaison for the Regional Operators Committee (ROC).  Previously she has worked as an Independent Contractor for Clearwire, and a consultant for numerous companies and organizations in the wireless industry. She holds a Bachelors of Science Degree from the University of Nebraska in Business Administration.

Joe Supervielle
Director, Operations
joe@wcai.com

Joe Supervielle joined WCAI in summer of 2011 as Operations Director. He is responsible for the association’s Web site and database, event planning and day-to-day operations. Most recently, Joe worked as Chief of Staff for Champion Solutions. Prior to that, he was a Staff Writer with DailyVista. Joe graduated from Florida State University in 2007 with a degree in sociology and history.

Thomas Wilde
Director, Membership & Services
thomas@wcai.com

Thomas Wilde joined the WCAI Staff in August 2011 as Director of Membership & Services. He is responsible for engaging our current members and providing them with customized benefits, as well as growing the membership into new areas and directions. Thomas was formerly a research analyst for Mowell Financial Group, and worked in sales for Vail Inc. He studied Philosophy and Economics at the University of Florida.