Three tracks of educational sessions will be featured in the 2020 educational session lineup; Administrative/Business, Technical/Engineering, and Women of NATE. NATE UNITE 2020 will host the following Educational Sessions on Wednesday, February 19. The show runs February 17 – 20, in Raleigh, NC. Click here to register.
Mount Structural Engineering Basics
8 – 9 a.m.
Luke Ferguson | Applications Engineering Manager | Valmont Site Pro 1
This presentation discusses mount analysis and installation procedures, which will be beneficial to both engineers and installers. Ten years ago, analyzing antenna mounts was rarely part of the A&E process. Since then, an increasing amount of time and resources are spent on mount analyses. This presentation begins with the history on why mounts are analyzed and examines the ongoing issues caused by some inexperienced vendors in the 2000s. Next, the key installation factors affecting a mount analysis, including tieback and antenna positions, will be reviewed. Finally, climber safety, including proper climber tie-off, will be explored.
Women of NATE Legends: Effective Leadership in Today’s Competitive World
8 – 9 a.m.
Moderator: | Paula Nurnberg | Chief Operating Officer | NATE
Panelists: Kari Carlson | President and CEO | Tower Systems, Inc.
Pat Cipov | President | Cipov Enterprises, Inc.
Pat Miller | Director | EasTex Tower, LLC
What does it take to be a successful female in a male dominated industry? This panel of highly accomplished women will share their experiences advancing their careers across multiple sectors of the wireless and broadcast infrastructure industries, and provide insights into key leadership practices that encourage success and inspire others to greatness. The panel will also share their insights into how to bring innovative ideas to scale, using approaches on mentoring and collaborating with others to achieve optimal success, and the importance of investing in, and encouraging the next generation of female leaders.
Smart Connected Cities
9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
Moderator: | Peter Murray | Executive Director | Dense Networks
Panelists: Dr. Mike Barts | Senior Staff Engineer | Wireless Research Center of North Carolina
Ranjeet Bhattacharya | Principal Solutions Director | Ericsson North America
Dr. Sarah Glova | Director of Growth & Communications | Raleigh Internet of Things
Terry Yates | Smart Cities Chief Innovator | City of Cary, North Carolina
Much has been made of Smart Cities in the past few years. The RTC region has been very successful in developing an ecosystem that fosters innovation and recently won a grant from the US Ignite program. This session will provide insight into the process of “Getting to Smart” and how connectivity is enabling new capabilities and outcomes and how the City of Cary has developed their living lab. The panel will specifically explore how Cellular, IoT, Drone and Fiber technologies are being applied across transportation, public safety and other city services.
Veterans Returning to the Workforce
9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
Moderator: | Nick Trussell | Director of Operations | Michigan Towers Incorporated
Panelists: Jessica Cobb | CEO | MDTS
Kevin Kennedy | President, CEO and Coach | Warriors4Wireless
Nicholas Morgan | Founder and President | Adaptive Construction Solutions, Inc.
Albert Woodin | President | SAVE22
Employers throughout the telecommunications industry find it challenging to attract and retain skilled employees to support industry growth and carrier/broadcast demands. With the current US unemployment rate at a 50-year low, employers must find new recruiting and retention strategies. What if a steady stream of candidates who are trained for teamwork, responsibility and leadership were available to employers?
Approximately 200,000 service men and women transition from the military sector every year, each equipped with a set of core values that provide positive and competent work ethics. During this session, we will explore how fostering a relationship between veterans and the wireless/ broadcast industry help support each other’s needs. Discussion from our panel of experienced industry and military professionals will address the current employment opportunities of the wireless/broadcast industry and how veterans can fulfill those needs. Additionally, this session will include testimony regarding the benefits of employing veterans, methods for recruiting and special programs associated with this potential workforce.
The View From the Top: Perspectives from Industry CEOs
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Moderator: | Sharpe Smith | Contributing Editor | AGL Magazine
Panelists: Danny Agresta | President & CEO | APC Towers
Tony Peduto | CEO | CTI Towers, Inc.
Slayton S. Stewart | Chief Executive Officer | Carolina West Wireless
The biggest wireless stories directly affect those who stack the towers, connect the small cells and lay the fiber optics. This panel will connect the dots of today’s headlines with your company, whether it concerns business, regulation or technology issues. 5G and 4G LTE deployments challenge workforces to be knowledgeable in multiple generations of wireless technology. While Citizens Broadband Radio Service is the new kid on the block, how will the wireless construction industry benefit from the FCC’s auctioning off priority access licenses in 2020. Plus, updates on the long-running stories surrounding Huawei, FirstNet, the Broadcast TV Repack, the Sprint/T-Mobile merger and more!
How to Resolve the Workforce Shortage and Prepare for the Future
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Moderator: | Shama Ray | Owner & CEO | Above All Tower Climbing, LLC
Panelists: Jordyn Ladner | Operations Manager | MILLERCO
Lesley Liarikos | Vice President | Tower Systems South, Inc.
Leticia Latino van-Splunteren | CEO | Neptuno USA, Corp
Gemma Frock | Workforce Development Group | NATE
The Industry is moving at a fast pace and the current workforce is not meeting the demands on the industry. The NATE Workforce Development Group is working to solve the problem. This panel will address the current workforce needs and give practical solutions to solving the industry’s workforce shortage and future demands. We will also ask for feedback to improve or add to working on this effort. The goal of NATE Workforce Development is to collaborate with all related to the industry to work together and solve this issue as efficiently and quickly as possible.
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