Andy Haldane, Gemma Frock and Kevin Dougherty Elected as Executive Officers for 2025; Rick Suarez and Nichole Thomas Appointed as Directors; Jostin Coleman, Ryan Coppola and JD Hightower Appointed as Governors; and Richard Cullum, Jeremy Darby and Doty Doty Appointed as Chairs of Newly Restructured Exam Management Committees
(Salt Lake City, UT) – The National Wireless Safety Alliance (NWSA) today announced the election of Executive Officers for 2025, new members to its Boards of Directors and Governors, and Chairs of its newly restructured Exam Management Committees.
New Officers and Directors
Andy Haldane, CEO, Tower Engineering Professionals, Dr. Gemma Frock, GFK Consulting, and Kevin Dougherty, owner and President of Millenia Contracting Inc. have been elected to serve as Executive Officers in the positions of President, Vice President, and Secretary/Treasurer, respectively.
Rick Suarez, President, MasTec Communications Group and Nichole Thomas, Senior Vice President, SBA Communications have been appointed as new members of the organization's Board of Directors. The NWSA also sincerely thanks outgoing President and Director, Mark Ciarfella, EVP, Domestic Operations at SBA, who graciously served and provided leadership to the organization for six years.
New Governors
Jostin Coleman, Vice President of Construction, One Way Wireless Construction, Ryan Coppola, Director of Safety, SBA Communications, and JD Hightower, President and CEO of Hightower Communications have been appointed as new members of the organization's Board of Governors. In their roles as Governors, these industry leaders join other Governors from a broad cross-section of industry who are tasked with recommending NWSA policy and overseeing trade certifications and testing activities to ensure continuous improvement of industry safety and quality. Coleman and Hightower are filling two seats that were newly established to increase the representation of smaller contractors on the Board of Governors. Coppola is filling one of the vertical realtor/tower owner seats.
New Chairs of Exam Management Committees
NWSA has restructured its exam management function by establishing a three-committee structure with each committee being responsible for the oversight and maintenance of its assigned exam programs. The new structure consisting of three exam management committees provides for specialized focus consistent with NWSA’s Telecommunications Tower Technician, Specialty, and Foreman exam programs. Each committee is chaired separately but will collaborate closely to ensure continuity between programs. “This restructuring enhances efficiency, optimizes expertise, and fosters collaboration across our certification programs,” said Francesca Zinkovitch, Manager of Exam Management and Credentialing at NWSA. “It reflects our ongoing commitment to continuous improvement and ensures a robust framework for exam oversight moving forward.”
Jeremy Darby, Safety Manager, Crown Castle, has been appointed to chair the Telecommunications Tower Technician Exam Management Committee with responsibility for the TTT-1 and TTT-2 exams. Richard Cullum, NWSA Governor, will chair the Specialty Exam Management Committee responsible for the Antenna & Line and Advanced Rigging Concepts Specialty exams and any future specialty exams. Don Doty, Vice President of Broadcast Services, Broadcast Construction Solutions chairs the Foreman Exam Management Committee responsible for NWSA’s Foreman exam.
“NWSA is excited to welcome such great talent from the industry to the organization’s Board of Directors, Board of Governors, and Exam Committees,” said Executive Director Duane MacEntee. “We are grateful to have such leadership at the helm as we continue to advance safety, quality and professionalism through independent and verifiable trade certifications in the telecom industry,” added MacEntee.
Biographies of New Appointees
Jostin Coleman
Vice President of Construction at One Way Wireless Construction (OWWC), Jostin brings a decade of field and leadership experience, from starting as a climber to leading OWWC’s construction division. He holds degrees in Business Administration and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas. An active member of the NATE Workforce Development Committee, Jostin is passionate about team development and industry advocacy.
Ryan Coppola
Director of Safety at SBA Communications Corporation, Ryan has more than 27 years of environmental, health, and safety compliance experience. Holding both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Safety and Occupational Health Applied Sciences from Keene State College, Ryan is an OSHA Outreach Trainer and active member of NWSA’s Exam Management Committee.
JD Hightower
President and CEO of Hightower Communications Inc., JD represents the second generation of leadership at this family-owned telecommunications construction firm. With a degree in Construction Management, JD has extensive field and executive experience, and is deeply committed to fostering safety, training, and professional growth within his organization.
Rick Suarez
Group President of MasTec Network Solutions, Rick leads global telecommunications initiatives and is responsible for driving strategic growth. With degrees in Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, and an MBA, Rick has over 30 years of industry experience, including leadership roles at AT&T. He is recognized for building high-performing teams and empowering employees at all levels.
Nichole Thomas
Senior Vice President of Service Operations at SBA Communications, Nichole brings more than 25 years of experience in network development and deployment. Previously holding leadership roles at Dish Wireless, Ericsson, SAC Wireless, and Sprint, she has led large-scale network rollouts across the U.S. and holds an Executive MBA from the University of Illinois.