NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association unveiled the official results of the 2024 Board of Directors election today. The Association announced that Randy Scott, CEO/Owner of Texoma Contracting, Inc. in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and Aaron Paulette, President of Elevated Services, LLC in Carrollton, Ohio, were re-elected and will retain their respective seats on the NATE Board of Directors.
NATE also reported that candidates Casey Banner, President of Banner Enterprise LLC in Garner, North Carolina, and Joel Hightower, Founder & Chairman of Hightower Communications, Inc. in Kinston, North Carolina were elected to serve as new members of the Board of Directors.
Hightower previously served on the Board of Directors beginning in 2013. He also chaired the Association’s trade show committee for many years.
Director James “Jimmy” Miller, President of MILLERCO of New Iberia, Louisiana, did not seek reelection. Miller was elected to the Association’s Board of Directors in 2009 and previously served as Chairman of NATE when the organization achieved some of its most significant growth and recognition among federal and state agencies.
Crowded and talented field of candidates
Additional candidates for the Board of Directors included, from top left, clockwise, Brian Ford, Michael Graham, Tommy Lewis, Michael Shea, Willie Gathright, Kenny Santee, and Jeff Little. The 11 candidate selections for four seats was the largest candidacy offerings the Association has seen since its founding in 1995.
Additional candidates seeking election were Brian Ford, CEO of FordCom, East Palestine, Ohio; Michael Graham of PCI GlobalCom, Alpharetta, Georgia; Tommy Lewis, Executive Manager of Hayden Tower Service, Inc., Topeka, Kansas; Jeff Little, CEO of Above Wireless, LLC, Tipp City, Ohio; Michael Shea, Owner and President of Bluewave Communications, Inc., Kirkville, New York; Kenny Santee, COO of TNT Communications of Frisco, Texas; and William “Willie” Gathright, President of WH Gathright Consultants LLC, Mechanicsville, Virginia.
The four candidates who were elected by their industry peers will officially begin their new three-year terms in February at the Board of Directors meeting that takes place in conjunction with the NATE UNITE 2024 Conference in Memphis, Tennessee.
“I would like to offer my congratulations to Randy, Aaron, Casey, and Joel on their successful election bids. The sign of a strong and healthy Association is the caliber of members that step forward to serve and NATE was fortunate to have eleven strong candidates run for the Board of Directors this cycle,” said President & CEO Todd Schlekeway.
“NATE’s Board of Directors will play a critical role in 2024 and beyond helping the Association implement the key safety, workforce, advocacy and customer diversification goals and initiatives outlined in our organization’s strategic plan,” added Schlekeway.