Philadelphia -- The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers/International Society of Broadband Experts honored Bill Spies with its prestigious Member of the Year Award while also ushering three into the Society’s Hall of Fame here during Wednesday's annual awards luncheon.
Spies, currently senior manager of construction with Charter Communications in Cincinnati, is also president of the Buckeye State Capital Chapter, which has demonstrated contagious exuberance in helping to make quality training and professional growth opportunities available to industry professionals,” SCTE/ISBE said.
As is the custom, Spies was unaware he was going to be honored until it was sprung on him at the luncheon. “I was completely stunned,” he said, noting later that he heeded the call when his chapter came calling for help.
Spies also had advice for other SCTE chapters that need a jolt. “Just start. Just start somewhere, and you’ll just reap the benefits from it.”
The Society also welcomed three industry vets to its Hall of Fame: Former SCTE/ISBE board of directors chairman Bob Foote; Steve Richey and Cathy Wilson.
Foote an AVP of sales, MSO markets with KGP Logistics, has been a Society member since 1989, and a 31-year industry vet. Richey is president and CEO of 4Cable TV in Conway, S.C., and a Society member since 2003 and a 53-year industry veteran. Wilson, founder and publisher of Broadband Library, has been in the industry for 37 years, and a Society member since 1999.
“I’m very humbled and honored to accept this Hall of Fame induction,” Foote said. “I look at the other names that are on this list...and I’m a bit overwhelmed.”
Holding that he “didn’t invent anything,” Foote said he’s “like a lot of people in this room…In their own small way, [they] contributed to the world-class networks that we have today.”
“While I get the honor, much of the honor goes to all of you hardworking people out there in the field,” Richey said.
In recalling her career, Wilson said the only constant has been change. “Once upon a time there was a young, and I mean a young girl, who wanted to sell advertising in the top trade journal of cable TV [Cablevision]. Almost 40 years later, I’m still selling advertising. Not much has changed, except for the entire industry,” she said .
Ron Hranac, technical leader with Cisco Systems and a Society member since 1979, received the Excellence in Standards Award, recognized for his leadership in the ANSI-accredited SCTE/ISBE Standards Program and for his service as chairman of the program’s Network Operations Subcommittee (NOS).
He credited others for his achievement in the area of standards. “It’s not an individual effort. It's very, very much a team effort,” he said, giving a shout out to the engineering committees and the working groups underneath the subcommittees.
Theresa Hennesy, senior vice president, group technical advisor of Comcast Cable, was formally given the Women in Technology Award, presented by SCTE/ISBE, WICT, and Cablefax. Hennesy, a 30-year vet of the communications industry, has been a driving force behind Comcast’s engagement with the SCTE/ISBE Energy2020 program.
In addition to thanking the organizations behind the award and colleagues at Comcast, she also extended a special word to her family. “They've always been my greatest supporters...without their guidance, love and influence, I would not be who I am today.”
SCTE/ISBE also bestowed the following awards and recognitions:
-Sam Khola of Liberty Global received the Energy 2020 Award.
-SCTE/ISBE Board of Directors Chairman Tony Werner of Comcast Cable presented his Chairman’s Award to two groups of individuals for their exemplary support of the Society over the past year—the Chapter Support Committee, chaired by Steve Williams, and the Learning & Development Committee, chaired by Andy Parrott.
-The Excellence in Learning and Development Award went to Douglas MacLeod, director of technical services, PCT International, and Franklin Snider, CEO, CATV Training Institute.
- Former SCTE/ISBE Board of Directors Chairman Tom Gorman, president, opXL LLC, and Andrew F. Staniak, vice president and CTO, 4Cable TV, joined the Society’s Senior Member ranks.
-SCTE/ISBE said Juan Ramon Garcia Bish, an engineer with GigaRed S.A., will receive the International Engineering Professional Award at Thursday morning’s International Attendee Breakfast.
