Release:
October 4, 2023

Women of NATE Today Newsletter
Volume 5, Issue 10

Happy October! I cannot believe how quickly the year has flown by. It feels like just yesterday I was enjoying the summer sun, and now we are already deep into autumn. Speaking of autumn, it is such a beautiful time of year. The leaves are changing colors, the air is crisp, and there is a certain magic in the air. (Go Cowboys!)  It is a bittersweet feeling though, as it is also a reminder that winter is on its way and the days are getting shorter.

I recently attended the WON 2023 Women's Leadership Summit, and it was such an inspiring experience. One of the keynote speakers, Leslie Mouton, shared her powerful story about battling breast cancer and standing up against society's beauty standards. Her bravery and authenticity left a lasting impression on me, and it is a perfect reminder that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Early intervention can save lives, so it's important to take care of our mental and physical health.

As we navigate the changes in the wireless industry and the ups and downs of life, it is important to remember that nothing is constant. Seasons change, both personally and professionally, and it is up to us to be present and find beauty in every season. So let's embrace the colors and smells of autumn and make the most of this beautiful time of year.

WON Profile: Brandi Putz

Since joining the telecom industry in December 2022, Brandi has participated in Women of NATE (WON) and joined the Women’s Wireless Leadership Forum (WWLF) mentoring program. She enjoys attending industry events across the country like NATE UNITE, Connect(X), and countless wireless association outings.

Brandi received her bachelor's degree in public relations from Simpson College in 2018. Brandi currently resides in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Where will you find the Women of NATE?

Take Women of NATE with you!

Are you traveling for work or taking a leisure vacation?

Take a creative photo holding a Women of NATE (WON) logo in front of a landmark that lets us know where you are. 

(Above) The NATE Staff had the opportunity to visit with NATE member Precision Communications at a site near Garden City, South Dakota where they are erecting a new 1,700-foot broadcast tower which will be one of the tallest towers constructed in the U.S. this year. Thank you to Sean Wenger, CEO of Precision Communications, for inviting the NATE staff to watch the kick-off of this project!

(Above) Women of NATE teamed up with the Texas State Wireless Association and Metro Relief the day after the Women's Leadership Summit to give back to the community of Dallas. We are grateful for this opportunity to do our part and make an impact on the local Dallas community.

Upcoming Events

Recent Event Highlights

Women of NATE (WON) Women’s Leadership Summit is an Astounding Success

(Watertown, SD) – Women of NATE (WON) held their third annual Women’s Leadership Summit on Thursday, September 21, 2023, in the beautiful city of Grapevine, Texas. The Summit was a huge success due to the support, enthusiasm, and participation of over 30 sponsors and 150 attendees. The event was a day of professional and personal education, development, networking, and community-building with an opportunity to explore leadership, empowerment, and the importance of effective mentors. 

The Summit featured a welcome, panel discussions, and presentations from experienced leaders and provided education, inspiration, and connections to foster success for attendees to achieve their personal and professional goals and ended with a networking reception.

On Friday, September 22, WON joined efforts with the Texas Wireless Association in a Day of Service benefitting Metro Relief by giving back to the homeless community in the Dallas area. Volunteers put together and distributed free meals and hygiene kits to homeless Texans and spent time building relationships with some of the people who have the greatest need. During the Women’s Leadership Summit, attendees also had the opportunity to donate to Metro Relief.

“The third annual Women’s Leadership Summit reached new heights, as 150 attendees met in Grapevine, Texas for an outstanding day of Educational Sessions, a Keynote Speaker Luncheon, and concluded with a Networking Reception,” stated Women of NATE Chairwoman, Andy Page Lee, Vice President of Operations for Lee Antenna & Line Service, Inc., Springtown, Pennsylvania. “I am inspired by the information presented, and many ideas shared. This event was made possible due to the outstanding support of our sponsors,” Lee continued. “We encourage all women in the tower and communications infrastructure industry to get involved with Women of NATE and look forward to our next Women’s Leadership Summit on September 19, 2024, in San Diego, California.” 

“The 2023 Women’s Leadership Summit was a one-day event filled with amazing opportunities to share successes and challenges with other women in the telecommunications industry, as well as learn from a diverse group of experts,” stated Diane Mueller, WON Leadership Summit Task Team co-chair and Sales Representative at CITCA LLC in Bradley, Illinois.

The Women’s Leadership Summit showcased the following educational sessions:

Welcome
Andy Page Lee, Lee Antenna & Line Service, Inc.

Opening Comments
Lesley Liarikos, Tower Systems, Inc.

Speed Networking
Jordyn Miller-Ladner, MILLERCO 

Power Paring – Mentorship, Colleagues, Leaders
Moderator: Evelyn Torres, Solaris Technologies Services
Lindsey Westphal, Wave Communications
Jyoti Ojha, Principal Structural Engineer
 Belinda Fadely, WANHO Manufacturing, LLC

Navigating the Field – Industry Perspectives
 Moderator: Kathy Stieler, NATE
Molly Cooper, eSystem Training Solutions
Steph Petri, Elevated Safety
 Khristy Santee, TNT Communications

Keynote Speaker – Leslie Mouton
Creative Media Director, Morgan’s Wonderland

NATE Membership 101 – What Can NATE Do for You?
Stephanie Brewer, USA Telecom Insurance Services

Generational Viewpoints of Women in Leadership Roles
Moderator: Karen Page, LALS, Inc.
Isabela Jimenez, Canadian Telecommunications Association
Sonya Roshek, Roshek Consulting
Erin Smith, Thayer Wireless Solutions
Dominique Valdez, Wireless Construction Solutions

Mastering a Meeting – Captivating Audiences Online and In-Person
Erin Smith, Thayer Wireless Solutions

Recruiting and Retaining Your Workforce
Moderator: Areanna Sabine, Birdzoff
Rebecca Halstead, KGP Services DBA Circet USA
Cylie Carr Price, ET Tower
Chloe Tucker, VIKOR

A special Thank You to the Women’s Leadership Summit sponsors:

(Above) Attendees of the third annual Women of NATE (WON) Women's Leadership Summit met in Grapevine, Texas, for a day of networking, interactive workshops, and panel discussions. 

(Above Left) NATE Staff members Kathy Stieler, Nikki Gronau, Sara Goddard, and Paula Nurnberg take advantage of a "shoefie" by the Ontivity-sponsored "shoefie" sign. 

(Above Right) NATE Member Loui McCurley of Pigeon Mountain Industries, Inc., NATE Board of Director Dominique Valdez of Wireless Construction Solutions, and NATE WIN South Carolina State Liaison Molly Cooper of eSystem Training Solutions pose for a photo at the Women's Leadership Summit in Grapevine, Texas.

(Above) Read the article "Building a Safer Workplace: Suicide Prevention in the Construction Industry" by Women of NATE Board Oversight Dominique Valdez of Wireless Construction Solutions and eSystemTraining that was published in InsideTowers on September 27. 

(Above) The 15th Annual Minnesota State Wireless Association Charity Golf Tournament was held on September 14, 2023, and benefitted the Tower Family Foundation and Loaves & Fishes. Thank you to everyone who stopped by the Women of NATE "Beat the Pro Hole" with Women's Pro Golfer Betsy Kelly and supported this event!

Three Tips to Stay Agile in an Evolving Telecom Workforce

Emerging network trends in telecom require a new level of workforce agility

Emerging network trends around virtualization and cloud technology, as well as the shift towards more open and software-defined networks, have led to material changes around how to navigate a telecom career. In a panel discussion at the Women in Telco Forum, speakers provided workforce tips to stay agile and make the most of one of the most disruptive moments in telecom history.

Know your core skills, but be willing to jump in

According to Marc Cohn, head of virtualization at Spirent Communications, because things like network disaggregation and the software-defined networking era are opening up the telecom playing field to new entrants, there are now organizations around the world that previously had little telecom experience who now have new roles to fill. “And that’s going to open the door for a lot of different people,” he argued. “It also changes the mindset of those who are consuming technology because now they want to think differently. It used to be they would just go to the trusted vendors, a handful of vendors, and we know who they are, they’re the giants. But now we’re looking at opening up things so that there can be more innovation, and ultimately, the theme of this session, more agility.”

“It just seemed to be moving at the speed of light,” Andy Lee, Vice President of operations of Lee Antenna & Line Service, Inc. and Chairwoman of Women of NATE, commented about the tech transformations hitting the telecom industry. She added that this can actually be a great opportunity for those looking to enter the telecom workforce because entirely new skillsets have become valuable. “If you think of all the careers that are available now that weren’t even a career title 10 years ago, this gives a really amazing opportunity for women to jump in telecom and find a space for themselves,” she said.

Cohn agreed, commenting: “We’re on a different timescale. I recall the days where we were on ‘internet time,’ but now we’re on cloud time, and cloud meets telecom means that things are really accelerated … what it means to the individual is that you really have to think about what core skills do you have.”

But, then from there, insisted Cohn, it’s necessary to have a “growth mindset.”

“Maybe you don’t have all the right experiences, maybe you don’t have the skills, but that shouldn’t prevent you in a time of disruption from just jumping in,” he said. “Nobody’s going to have ‘that’ experience in a new technology area. It’s about the mindset as well as it is about the evolution in technologies and the way business practices work and business models.”

Keep an eye on the horizon

Even as you focus on your core skills and knowledge, Elizabeth Rumsey, CGMA Senior Global Product Manager at Vodafone, emphasized how crucial it is to always think about where the industry — and the expectations of its workforce — is going. “The telecom sector is absolutely a rapidly evolving one, and I think it’s one of those ones where you have to get comfortable with change … The role you do today, the technology you work in today may not even be relevant in the industry in 10 years’ time, and so you need to be constantly looking to be … strategically opportunistic, where you’ve got that eye out on the horizon … How can I potentially, if the right thing comes up… pivot and take advantage [of it]?”

And if you don’t have a forward-looking mentality, cautioned Tinuade Oguntuyi, Head of Networks and Solutions at Information Connectivity Solutions, you might get left behind. “When things change and you don’t move along, you are doing yourself a lot of disservice,” she warned. “You won’t be able to achieve adaptability or agility if you don’t stay [informed on] the news … And news can come from different ways… I use — through the salespeople — industry notes just to get one or two things so that I’m able to deploy and personally also [be] able to be relevant at any time.”

Find a table to join

Jumping into something new or outside of a familiar skillset can be daunting, particularly for women as they are often outnumbered in the telecom and tech workforce. For Cohn, one great way to build the confidence to make such a leap is to “constantly network,” especially if you’re “considering jumping.”

“Don’t look at networking as… ‘I need a job, [so] I’m going to network,’” he said. “No, you need to constantly network. That’s the new model for success. Because those individuals that you network with, even though they’re not close relationships in the end, they’re close enough to be able to open the doors that you would never see.”

Lee agreed: “Find a table to join; find a group of women who will support you; keep your eye out for role models; seek out men who will be allies. I think the biggest thing is never talk yourself out of an opportunity. There are new opportunities every single day in our industry.”

This article was previously published on rcrwireless.com. 

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