Nominee Questionnaire

Please provide a short bio for voters to get to know you. 

I have a BME degree from Georgia Tech have spent my 38-year career in the fiber industry with Corning, AFL, and now Lightera (the former OFS).  My experience includes varied roles in manufacturing and applications engineering for fiber-based products/markets and inventor of multiple patents in various fiber-related areas. In addition to FBA activities, I’m on the Advisory Council for the Fiber Optic Sensing Association (FOSA) with a focus on telecommunications applications for fiber optic sensing. I come from a family of educators and have a passion for preparing the next generation of our industry.   

On a personal basis, I’ve been married for 33 years to Betsy.  We live in rural Eastern NC, on a farm that has been connected by fiber since 2012. I am very appreciative of the benefits that fiber brings.   

Away from work, I’m an avid reader, tennis player, and road cyclist on the rural roads where I live.  In general, I’m an optimistic person, and believe connecting the world with fiber ultimately is good for society and humanity.  

Please summarize why you consider yourself an excellent candidate for the FBA Board of Directors? 

As a two-term FBA Board Director, I understand the importance of a Board balanced with individuals with different skill sets and experiences. The current FBA board consists of many talented people with varied backgrounds and expertise in policy, operations, sales and marketing.  However, there is no one with a primarily engineering/technical focus. That’s a complementary skill set that I can bring to the Board, and it’s important especially since fiber networks can be engineering-heavy and technically complex. I also bring a deep understanding of the FBA and its mission, and a long-term commitment to its mission. 

Describe your current position and functional responsibilities to your company. 

My team and I work with customers to help them design and build networks with Lightera products. We help communicate the advantages of fiber optic networks, and we also actively contribute to the new product development pipeline.   

In this position, I’ve been fortunate enough to work with all different types of fiber deployers of all types, from large hyperscale companies to local cooperatives, enabling me to have a broad view of how fiber is used across the industry. 

What was your previous position, and how long did you hold that position before transitioning to your current one? 

My previous position was similar to my current position, primarily providing technical support for customers deploying fiber networks.  I was in this position for approximately 8-9 years.

Do you have any experience as a member of a Board of Directors? If so please provide name of the entity and number of years of which you served. 

• Fiber Broadband Association Board of Directors – 6 years, 2 terms, 2019-2025, term-limited to 2 terms 

• Beaufort County (NC) Community College Foundation Board of Directors – 3 years, 2023-present 

• NC Broadband Matters – 6 years, 2020 to present. 

How many years has your company been a Fiber Broadband Association Member?

Since inception of FBA (25 years) 

How many years have you participated in Fiber Broadband Association activities? 

Roughly 18 

Please indicate any Fiber Broadband Association Committees or working groups you have participated on including position and years served. 

Technology Committee – Approximately 2010-2011 to present. Board Liaison from 2019-2025 

Education Committee – Co-chair – From inception to present, roughly 6 years 

Trusted Fiber – From inception while it was active 

I have participated in other working groups and committees from time to time, including helping to start the Utilities and Canada Working Groups and serving as the Board Liaison for the Deployment Specialists Committee. 

Please list any Fiber Broadband Association Contributions (activities supported, assets developed, documents drafted, webinars presented, etc.) 

I’ve provided significant input to many papers and presentations including the below. This is not a complete list, and I didn’t include contributions prior to past 3 years: 

Education – As Co-Chair, I’ve been part of the team that developed and scaled OpTIC Path Course (>1800 certified), Certification and Rodeo. We’re now developing FBA’s Data Center Course, and FBA Academy and both are expected to launch soon. 

Technology –  

2026 – “The Future of Fiber Technology: What’s Next? “An Introduction to Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing for Fiber Network Operators” 

2024-2025 – “Intro to Passive Optical Network Splitter Architectures, Parts 1 and 2”, Fiber Broadband Scalability and Longevity – Trusted technology with no expiration date 

Prior to 2024 – “Operational Expenses for All-Fiber Networks are Far Lower Than for Other Access Networks”, “The road to 5G is paved with fiber”,  

Trusted Fiber – Recommended Measures to Define and Deploy “Trusted Fiber” in the United States 

Please provide a short overview of your experience with telecommunications, fiber optics, and FTTH technologies. 

I’ve had a front row seat to the development, growth, and standardization of our industry since I started with Corning as a Draw Process Engineer in 1988. It’s been an incredible ride, though I really believe the best is yet to come! 

Please describe the goals you would like to accomplish during your term as Fiber Broadband Association Board Member. 

As I mention in the Board video, my primary Board goals will be:  

1. To continue to help to strengthen FBA’s workforce development and education programs to align with changes in the industry, real-time 

1. Ensure FBA remains a trusted source of technical leadership and industry expertise 

1. Perhaps most importantly, help position our Association for the opportunities and challenges of the AI-driven future. 

Please describe the level of commitment (in terms of time and effort) that you intend to make to the Association during the three-year term. 

I will be a highly engaged Board member and commit the time necessary to actively support the Association’s priorities, Board responsibilities, committee activities, conferences, educational initiatives, etc.  

My long history of volunteer participation with FBA reflects my belief in our mission, and I look forward to continuing that commitment while on the Board.

Please use this space to include any additional information you feel is important to share with voting members.   

I have had a wonderful career in fiber and truly believe we’re doing good for the world by connecting the world with critical infrastructure.  

The strong shoulders of the generations prior to us have built a strong technical foundation for our industry, which has contributed to fiber’s well-deserved reputation for reliability and longevity.  

However, as we transition to the next generation, I’m worried about losing our industry’s institutional knowledge. This has been a motivator for me to help develop educational content to keep the fundamental knowledge in our industry alive.   

I ask FBA members for your vote and a voice on the Board to help guide our Association into the future.