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Jerry B. Wilke
Executive Director
Jerry Wilke is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of RTG. This includes advocacy programming, membership, meetings and publications, as well as financial management and overall operations. Mr. Wilke brings to RTG 16 years of wireless carrier operations and regulatory experience in rural telecommunications issues. Prior to joining RTG, Mr. Wilke spent serveral years in Iowa as Gerneral Manager of Long Lines Wireless a GSM carrier and Cellular One, Great Lakes of Iowa, a CDMA carrier, where he was responsible for operations, sales, marketing and product management. He is the former Vice President and General Manager of the Wireless Division and Director of Strategic Planning and Corporate Development at HickoryTech Corporation in Minnesota. Mr. Wilke possesses over 15 of experience in all facets of Telelcommunications operations. He has held positions in Local Exchange, CATV, Wireless operations of AMPS, TDMA, CDMA, and GSM networks, Broadband and CLEC operations, bringing a detailed understanding of business support systems "from the trenches" of fixed line, wireless and broadband operations. He was a featured speaker during the the FCC Rural Issues Forum in Washington, D.C. speaking on E-911 phase II deployments lessons learned in Rural America.
Education: Austin College, Music; Rasmusson College, Accounting, 1995.
Caressa D. Bennet
Principal, Bennet & Bennet
General Counsel
Caressa Bennet has practiced telecommunications law throughout the post-divestiture period. Since 1987, she has represented primarily rural wireless carriers, telephone companies, cellular carriers, PCS providers, and CLECs before the FCC, state regulatory agencies, the courts and Congress. She is a nationally recognized expert on rural wireless issues and has been a key proponent for easing regulatory burdens that hinder small wireless companies.
Ms. Bennet puts her entrepreneurial skills to work for her clients by creating strategic alliances and new business opportunities using cutting edge technology. Ms. Bennet is a regular speaker at industry trade shows and has published numerous articles on wireless and rural telecommunications issues. She is a member of the Federal Communications Bar Association and American Bar Association. Ms. Bennet is also an accomplished triathlete.
Education: North Carolina State University, B.A., cum laude, 1983; Columbus School of Law (Catholic University), J.D. 1987; Catholic University Law Review.
Admissions: District of Columbia Bar; Pennsylvania Bar; U.S. Supreme Court; U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
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