Key Consultant Resumes
Richard S. Pommet, President
Karen R. Panhorst, Principal
Douglas S. Reid, Data Specialist
James M. Baker, Communications Consultant
Sabin W. Thompson, Senior Consultant
Marc S. Marrus, Senior Engineering Consultant
Steve Hansen, Senior Consultant
Richard S. Pommet, President
Mr. Pommet has thirty two years of professional telecommunications experience consulting for end user organizations and the industry. This background provides clients with a broad spectrum of technical expertise, finely tuned analytical skills, and up-to-the-minute knowledge of evolving technologies.
Mr. Pommet focuses on evaluating clients' voice and data requirements and determining the feasibility of available options. One of his strengths is analyzing the effects of projected growth in order to develop long term strategic telecommunications plans for businesses, medical facilities, financial institutions, educational and non-profit organizations. Mr. Pommet has also been involved in international consulting assignments in South America, Japan, Hong Kong, Mexico, Canada and Europe.
To determine the most appropriate equipment and services for each client application, he draws on his total knowledge of PBX hardware and software, voice and data network transport systems and services, including Centrex, T1, ISDN and fiber optics, Wide and Local Area Networks. A key attribute of his success is understanding how and where to research solutions for specific applications. He is an expert in the design of PBX, Call Processing, Interactive Voice Response, Automatic Call Distribution, Call Accounting, High Performance Wire and Cable and Facilities Management systems.
In his history of consulting to industry, he collaborated on the early design of the cordless telephone. He has also been instrumental in the development of new software and hardware by equipment manufacturers.
Mr. Pommet co-authored "A Guide for Reducing Communications Expense and Improving Efficiency." Other publications include articles for Communications Consultant Magazine and editorial assistance on numerous articles for a variety of publications. Mr. Pommet founded the "Communications Exchange," a computer bulletin board for the telecommunications industry.
He is a member of the Building Industry Consulting Service International (BICSI) as well as being active in a number of computer user groups. He adheres to the Society of Telecommunications Consultants (STC) Code of Ethics.
Mr. Pommet attended Wentworth Institute. Continuing education includes courses offered by AT&T (Lucent/Avaya), New England Telephone (Verizon), Bell South, ROLM, Northern Telecom, Mitel, Fujitsu, MCI, Sprint, WorldCom, NEC, IBM, Siemens, Hitachi, GTE, BICSI, Telex, Toshiba, Octel, VMX, Centigram and many others.
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Karen R. Panhorst, Principal
Ms. Panhorst has been a principal member of the staff at Nelson Communications since 1983. She is involved in all aspects of the firm's consulting, marketing, and administrative operations.
Ms. Panhorst's accumulated experience in a wide variety of telecommunications projects provides a solid foundation from which to assess existing systems and situations. She excels at identifying the source of problems, differentiating between equipment and operational or procedural issues. Her strength lies in the ability to relate the organization's business objectives to current and evolving telecommunications technologies and to identify "real world" applications and migration paths to meet future needs.
Her diverse consulting background includes strategic planning studies for professional service firms, financial institutions, educational institutions, health care facilities, manufacturers, distributors, municipalities, non-profit organizations, and shared tenant service applications. This broad spectrum of experience provides clients with a strong base of knowledge and a creative approach to projects.
Ms. Panhorst is responsible for "campus" network infrastructure evaluation and development projects. Her experience includes High Performance Wire & Cable Information Transport System (HPWC), PBX and Centrex service and equipment, Call Processing system, and IVR system specifications and RFP's, vendor bid evaluation and project implementation management. She works closely with architectural and engineering firms to specify and project manage client HPWC and equipment acquisitions.
She presents solutions in clear terms analyzing the impact of the available options in terms of organizational needs and benefits versus costs. Her strengths include the ability to get to the crux of the problem and to translate complex technical telecommunications issues into clear, concise terms and objectives.
Ms. Panhorst attends seminars and courses offered by telecommunications industry leaders and manufacturers to maintain a high level of up-to-the-minute knowledge of telecommunications developments and the evolutions of technologies into practical applications.
Prior to joining Nelson Communications, Ms. Panhorst was involved in administrative sales management for a national insurance company and was the Operations Manager of a business in the Panama Canal Zone.
She attended Queens College.
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Douglas S. Reid, Data Specialist
Before joining Nelson Communications as a Principal, Douglas Reid had worked in the communications industry for over 40 years. He was originally employed by the Southern New England Telephone Company. During his tenure at SNET, he pioneered in many new services including private corporate networks, major PBX systems, network configurations, and the establishment of Centrex in Connecticut, both in-house installed and central office based. He received many awards for making use of the leading edge of technology in his work.
In 1969, he became a co-founder and Vice-President of AutEx, Inc., a firm dedicated to establishing the stock and bond brokerage industry as parties to an on-line information system. It was unique because, for the first time, it encompassed the development of two-way private communications on-line between unaffiliated organizations. This created the break-through to AT&T's barrier to such systems. The network utilized the state-of-the-art multiplexing and channel subdivision architecture available at that time. His design and engineering created a 750 point network that connected the U.S., Canada and England. In 1974 he left AutEx to establish his private consulting practice. Such forward thinking has been a hallmark of his consulting.
Mr. Reid has worked with over 400 clients, including organizations in education, business, government, medical, retail, banking, manufacturing, finance, and telecommunications, among others. To support his clients consulting needs, he established a major, communications analysis, computer operation for network development and cost accounting. He has assisted many firms in wholesale and retail billing systems, and in call accounting. His auditing capabilities have saved many clients large amounts of money.
His expertise extends to nearly all phases of client needs assessment, development of Requests For Proposals to meet those needs, implementation of accepted proposals, and ongoing systems management. It covers all the elements of complete communications systems including PBX's, Call Centers, Messaging, Automatic Call Distribution, Interactive Voice Response, Call Accounting Systems, and other enhancements to telephony. It also provides the knowledge to create network and virtual network solutions including T-1, ATM, ISDN, WANS and LANS, and fiber optics. His first fiber optics experience involved the fiber optics ring installation for Logan Airport about 1990, and has grown from there. Nelson Communications has been instrumental in many fiber optic systems in Massachusetts, across the U.S., and internationally.
Mr. Reid graduated from Bowdoin College, and the Bell System Data Communications College in Cooperstown, N.Y. He continuously attends training by equipment and network product vendors to be aware of various systems and the latest techniques. He specializes in the application of emerging technology to maximize the potential for clients. It is the combination of the experience, depth of personnel, and varied areas of expertise the people at Nelson Communications represent that adds the ultimate dimension to what can be accomplished on each client's behalf.
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James M. Baker, Communications Consultant
Mr. Baker has 27 years of business management experience. He entered telecommunications in 1988 as an agent reseller of AT&T services and thereafter became regional sales manager for a national reseller of telecom services.
In 1991, Mr. Baker founded Capital Control, Inc. and began work as an independent consultant performing telecommunications cost control and network analysis and has since provided telecommunications cost consulting services for hundreds of business clients. He specializes in evaluating a client's network needs, performing features and cost comparisons to clearly determine the most economical options for the clients specific telecom usage, preparation of RFP's, conducting carrier negotiations and assisting with on-going telecom services management.
Mr. Baker has a B.S. in Business Administration from Bryant College. He is a participating member of the major carrier, consultant liaison programs, including those of AT&T, MCI, SPRINT and Bell Atlantic.
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Sabin W. Thompson, Senior Consultant
Ms. Thompson has been a senior staff member of the Nelson team since 1991. She is actively involved in the complete management of client projects. Ms. Thompson focuses her efforts on the extrapolation of business and key user needs and future requirements. Her ability to bring vague, changing and complex projects to successful fruition is one of her greater strengths.
Ms. Thompson's experience involves the design and management of consulting projects and qualitative/quantitative research assignments for major telecommunication and computer companies. Her specialties and nine years of industry experience include: market validation/assessment, strategy development, and opportunity evaluation/planning for telecommunications technologies and organizations. She is responsible for project definition, methodology and delivery of the marketing and product assignments. Ms. Thompson also has extensive experience in end-user and vendor research methodologies, such as:
In-person Interviews
Focus Groups
Telephone Surveys
Mail Questionnaires
Primary and Secondary Data Searching
Her previous work experience with a major high tech consulting firm has provided her with broad knowledge of communication company direction and strategy. Many of her projects included analysis of the internal, external, and international market drivers of the communications firms. The clients involved in the studies ranged from niche suppliers to the leading communication organizations.
Ms. Thompson held four previous marketing positions with Northern Telecom. Her responsibilities involved the development of many functions for the division, for example: strategic planning (5 year plan), competitive tactics, market segmentation, new market/product opportunity assessment.
Ms. Thompson is currently pursuing her Masters Degree in Business. She received a B.S. in Business Administration from Colby-Sawyer College.
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Marc S. Marrus, Senior Engineering Consultant
Mr. Marrus' twenty-three years of experience in telecommunications operations and project management make him a valuable addition to the Nelson Communications Team. He focuses on analyzing the customer's needs, evaluating solutions, and providing the client with the essential information needed for making strategic decisions. A major strength is his ability to discern the value added and cost benefits of the various network service products based on the customer's applications.
Mr. Marrus brings extensive project management experience to Nelson. As a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force, he oversaw the establishment of customer requirements for a $9 billion research and development program involving state-of-the-art communications and computer technology. He also directed and integrated a team of 35 project managers responsible for all aspects development and production.
While working in Brussels, Belgium, Mr. Marrus was responsible for the installation and testing of IDF's, cryptographic equipment and cables at over 500 locations from Canada to Eastern Turkey. This work involved coordination with telecommunications authorities in 15 countries. Other project management experiences include directing all telephone, cable, and radar and radio installations in the Western Pacific including Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Guam, Hawaii and the Philippines.
Mr. Marrus brings a special understanding of the demands placed on the telecommunications provider. He ran all voice and data operations supporting a 6,000 person Air Force base. This included a 1400 line central office, PBXs, key systems, telephone operators, and computer operators. As leader of an audit and certification team, Mr. Marrus has extensive experience assessing organizational processes and identifying technological and managerial approaches to enhancing productivity. Other operational experiences included establishment of microwave links and a telephone network in Korea. His varied operations experiences makes him ideally suited for evaluating the customer's needs and proposing well-research solutions to those needs.
Mr. Marrus received his Master's Degree in Systems Management from the University of Southern California. He also has additional post-graduate credits in digital and analog technology. His Bachelor's degree is in Civil Engineering. In addition, Mr. Marrus has over 1000 classroom hours in electronics and telecommunications principles.
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