Instructor Bios
At CTCA.info we believe in communicating technology clearly and our faculty does this superbly and with:
- Real-world Experience – with over twenty years of experience in sales, sales-support, technical support and -professional education
- Excellence in presenting – with presentations in over a dozen countries world-wide with consistently high-marks for client satisfaction
- Advanced Presentation Tools – using advanced technologies to present advanced technologies
- Creativity in design – with students constantly praising the great analogies and clear explanations
- Innovation in Presenting – leading the way with “Purposeful Animations” and “Persistent Color” for faster comprehension of new materials
Instructor Bios:
Charles T. Cranford, BS, MBA
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Charles T. Cranford
“Today’s Technology Professionals have to know about, and be conversant on, many different technologies.” “No single technology will solve all their problems…no matter how well implemented!!!” Charles T. Cranford |
Cranford has over 30 years of experience in data and telecommunications consulting, sales-support, management, engineering/technical-support, and professional “Platform” and “eLearning” education.
His communications career started at Pacific Telephone where he quickly gained acclaim implementing many “first applications” for the west-coast communications giant. His “firsts” continued when he transferred to AT&T as a competitive technology specialist, where he was recognised numerous times by management and was subsequently selected to support operations at AT&T Headquarters in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. After leaving AT&T and teaching professionally and managing eLearning Teams(instructional design, graphics, animation, etc.) for an international technical education group for 15 years, Cranford founded CTCA in 2002 and now supports Civilian and DoD/Military contracts worldwide. ClientsFor the first 30+ year s of his career Cranford has consulted-for or trained well over 100 organizations, including AT &T Labs, Bell Labs, Bellcore, Nortel and Bell Northern Research, Motorola Qwest’s Advance R&D lab, every major Local Exchange Carrier (LEC) and InterExchange Carrier (IEC), as well as many of their vendors, in the U.S. Today, he has large DoD Prime Contractors and their Customers as his clients. Cranford has supported operations or presented training in 20+ countries, including: Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Jamaica, Bermuda, The Netherlands, England, Switzerland, Germany, France, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Korea, China, Djibouti, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Okinawa. He has also been chosen by several Fortune 100 organizations to assist in new-product roll-outs (both nationally and internationally). Cranford secializes in Convergence Network Protocols, TCP/IP and the Internet suite of protocols, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), SONET/SDH, ‘basic’ classes in Telephone/Data/Cable/Wireless networks, ISDN, Frame Relay, ATM, and several forms of mobile and fixed Wireless-Access. Education and CertificationCranford graduated with a B.S. from Oral Roberts University, from Loyola College in Maryland with an MBA, and was certified as a Convergence Technology Professional (CTP) by the Telecommunications Industry Association in 2002 during the national certification’s inaugural roll-out. Technology CompetenciesCranford has taught or consulted-on over a hundred different technologies in the voice, data, and video arenas (with wired or wireless access) and has experience with both circuit-switched and packet-switched technologies. To obtain the CTP certification, he had to pass a high-stakes, proctored exam showing in-depth knowledge and competencies on a wide range of subjects solely based on his professional experience (and did so before the testpreparation courses or literature was available). Below is a non-exhaustive list of technologies on which he has taught: Voice: Analog and Digital systems, FDM-based multiplexing versus TDMbased Digital multiplexing, PCM/ADPCM, PBXs, ADCs, Channel Banks, Key Systems, POTS service, CENTREX service, Computer-Telephony Interfaces (CTI via SCAI or CSTA), BRI & PRI ISDN, DS1/ESF/B8ZS, Q.931/Q.2931 Access Signaling, SS7 Network Control, STPs, SCPs, Voice-Centric VPNs, Virtual Numbering Plans, Local Number Portability, 911/E-911 Data: Private Line, Circuit-Switched, X.25 (LAP-B and LAP-D), LANs (802.1, 2, 3, 5, 11, 17), WANs (Frame Relay, SMDS, ATM), Prioritization (802.1p, ToS/Diffserv, CES, RSVP, WFQ), Layer 1 Hubs, Layer 2 switching, Spanning Tree and Rapid Spanning Tree, Layer 3 routing, IP, TCP/UDP, Gateways, Gatekeepers, VoIP/MMoIP/FoIP/TDMoIP, Data VPNs (Extranets and Intranets), DOS/DDOS attacks, Resilient Packet Ring developments Video: Lossless and Lossey Encoding, Motion Compensation Prediction and DCT, Satellite and Terrestrial delivery (LOS and NLOS) Wired-Access: Local Loops, Loaded Loops (and Loading Coils), xDSL, Coax-based cable systems, one-way and two-way cable distribution systems, high-frequency roll-offs and trade-offs for high-bandwidth services, DS0/DS1/DS2/DS3 access, SONET/SDH hierarchies, WDM/CWDM/DWDM, laser-based versus LED-based fiber systems (singlemode versus multi-mode fibers), BLSR/UPSR ring architectures Wireless-Access: Cellular Systems via FDMA, TDMA, CDMA, GSM, Third-Generation Wireless, LOS and NLOS access, MDS, MMDS, ITFS channels and competitors, 802.11(a) [5 GHz] and 802.11(b) [2.4 GHz] WLAN backbone technologies, 1.9 or 2.0 GHz PCS bandwidth, 911/E-911 challenges, “Location” technologies, Pre-WiMAX Point-to-Multipoint technologies (e.g. Motorola Canopy®) |
Martin KedingFaculty – CTCA.info |
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Martin Keding
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Keding has over 20 years of experience in data-networking/data-communications, consulting, network planning, network engineering, network technical-support, and professional education. His communications career started in Manitoba as he was selected to review the computer systems of a local college. This opportunity grew into the implementation of a new full scale network system including database programming for accounting and student services and training of staff and students. From there his interests grew to include a wide variety of LAN, WAN and Internet systems. ClientsFor the past decade Keding has assisted in planning, installing, troubleshooting, and maintaining networks – including licensed and unlicensed wireless technologies such as Motorola Canopy. Clients have included urban and remote/rural areas in Manitoba and Ontario where unique topography challenges exist (heavy snow, trees, lakes, extreme cold, etc.). IP based solutions for isolated locations such are surveillance, remote monitoring and controls, VOIP, and T1/E1 extensions are specialty of his company. Course and consulting subjects include: Microsoft Server and Networking Courses, Microsoft Technology Suites, TCP/IP and the Internet suite of protocols, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), Local and Wide Area Networking issue, as well as several forms of Mobile and Fixed Wireless Access Technologies. EducationKeding graduated from Okanagan College/Simon Fraser University in Computer Information Systems, received his B.A. in Missions Biblical Studies from Providence College (Winnipeg, MB). He also holds MCSE and MCT certifications from Microsoft. |
Mike Greenfield, AS, BSFaculty – CTCA.info |
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Mike Greenfield
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Greenfield has over 30 years of experience in the IT field with a career focus on large financial corporations on the area of wireless technology. Greenfield’s IT career started in the U.S. Navy as a Data Processing Technician stationed onboard the USS Mars, located in Sasebo Japan. During his military duty Greenfield worked on various military IT projects, one which honored him with the Navy Commendation Award. When his military time was over, Greenfield obtained his Associate of Science degree from Davenport University and then his Bachelor of Science from Aquinas College. While attending college, he took first place in Michigan and fifth place in the U.S. in a nation wide IT competition. Mike began his civilian work as a Cobol and Delphi developer, then an Analyst and eventually managing over 50 critical Novell networks. He has been a Unix Administrator and a Sybase Database Administrator for over 10 years. In 2003, shortly after Canopy’ introduction, Greenfield started a Wireless Internet Service Provider Corporation based entirely on the Motorola Canopy product line. ClientsGreenfield has worked on IT projects for corporations like Fifth Third Bank, Foremost Insurance, Seidman & Seidman, and Meijer corporation. As a consultant, he has been retained by Yamaha and Savin corporations to manage their Unix Networks. In his wireless business, clients range from local corporations to residential homes. Projects include point-to-point bridges, secured WiFi networks, voice and data links, and point-to-multipoint networks. Besides Canopy products, Greenfield has taught, or consulted-on, a variety of subjects including: Unix and Microsoft Networks, Microsoft Operating Systems, SQL and Delphi programming. |
Earl McCoy, Ph.D.Faculty – CTCA.info |
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Dr. Earl McCoy Students need to be careful – for what some teach as “facts” are, in fact, myths about how networks operate! |
McCoy has over 30 years of intense technical telecommunications experience, including both packet-switched and circuit-switched networks. Dr. McCoy has also been on both sides of the table – serving as both a Vendor’s representative for several large equipment manufacturers and as a Customer’s representative for a large enterprise. After a tour in the US Navy McCoy went to the University of Alabama, graduating with a BS in Industrial Engineering and subsequently also earning a MS in Operations Research. After working in the aerospace industry McCoy became an Assistant Professor of Engineering and continued work toward a PhD in Electrical Engineering/Computer Science, conferred by the University of Connecticut. In addition McCoy worked as a Member Technical Staff at AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel, NJ for almost a decade. Following that he became an Executive Director of Networks at a very large private institution. Telecommunications technical training followed, with McCoy entering the professional training industry. In this capacity McCoy delivered literally hundreds of training seminars, many overseas. In addition McCoy developed technical seminars and maintained them to the most recent technological advances. Most recently McCoy was a Network Architect for a major telecommunications vendor, designing telecommunications networks for common carrier telephone companies. |
Robert C. Calkins, BS, MAFaculty – CTCA.info |
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Robert C. Calkins
Robert C. Calkins |
Calkins has over 43 years of experience in telecommunications consulting, planning, engineering, technical-support, and professional education. His communications career started at Indiana Bell Telephone where he quickly gained acclaim by implementing many “first applications” for the Midwest communications giant. ClientsFor the past 20 years Calkins has consulted-for or trained over 100 large and small communications organizations, including AT&T Labs, Bell Labs, Bellcore, Nortel and Bell Northern Research, Qwest’s Advance R&D lab, every major Local Exchange and InterExchange Carrier in the United States as well as many large-name companies who sell switching, transmission, and test equipment to them. Internationally, Calkins has presented in Mexico, Canada, Belgium, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Singapore, and China. He has been involved in Canopy Training since 2004 and has supported classes across North America Most-Popular Courses taught (Partial List) include:Convergence Network Protocols, TCP/IP and the Internet suite of protocols, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), SONET/SDH, SS7, CDMA, GSM TDMA 3rd Generation Wireless, classes in Telephone and Data networks, ATM, and several forms of mobile and fixed Wireless-Access. EducationCalkins graduated from Purdue University with a B.S., and an M.A. Technology CompetenciesCalkins has taught or consulted-on over a hundred different technologies in the voice, data, and video arenas (with wired or wireless access) and has experience with both circuit-switched and packet-switched technologies. |
Sean HeskettFaculty – CTCA.info |
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Sean Heskett “Having a good idea for a solution to a problem is only the first step. Knowing how to implement that solution to achieve the desired outcome is the key to success!” |
Heskett has over 20 years of network development and administration experience — both in past positions and his current role as CTO for ZIRKEL Wireless Heskett’s curriculum vitae include key technology positions with Sykes Enterprises, Poudre High School, Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation and – most notably – Lockheed Martin. There, he was responsible for deploying, maintaining and supporting remote office network infrastructure, backend servers and desktop systems. Sean assisted in the development of web-based virtual tours for real estate companies while at NetLine Inc. in 2000. This technology enabled clients to stream an optimized 3D view of property features over the web and was unparalleled in its scalability. As co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, Heskett currently oversees the planning, development, installation and maintenance of the ZIRKEL Wireless network. Over the last 12 years, Sean helped to grow the company from an initial idea, one antenna site and a single customer to a network of thousands of customers served by 20 antenna sites located throughout Northwest Colorado. Heskett’s technical knowledge is key to building, maintaining and supporting ZIRKEL Wireless’ high-speed wireless network. Heskett is skilled in a number of computer languages including C++, Perl, HTML, XML, Java, JavaScript and PHP. He is fluent in the use of most operating systems, including Macintosh, Linux and Windows. Sean is a Colorado native and moved to Steamboat Springs in 1999 to relax, enjoy life and snowboard. He also enjoys hiking, biking, camping and generally anything involving the outdoors. Education and CertificationsHeskett attended Colorado State University from 1994 – 1996 where he majored in Economics. In addition, he attended the Metropolitan State College of Denver from 1991 – 1994 where he majored in marketing and business finance. |
Mike WattsConsultant – CTCA.info |
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CTCA.info
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Fifteen years of experience in technology and software industries. Accomplished product and marketing manager with demonstrated abilities to create, manage and market software products. Mike’s love of computers began in the late 70’s with his family’s purchase of a TRS-80 with 48KB expansion board. This passion for technology followed him all the way to Austin, TX, and as a graduate of the University of Texas he rode the dot-com era in many different startups as both the IT Admin and Website Creator. Motorola purchased one of these companies, which began a new tack into the wireless world, where he transitioned to Product Manager and Trainer. ExperienceMike’s tenure at Motorola began in 2005 as part of the WiBB group’s software division which included indoor and outdoor predictive technology. He was the Product Manager for the outdoor planning tool, BroadbandPlanner, as well as Wireless Manager. Mike also assisted in field testing new Mesh and PMP hardware products. Course and consulting subjects include: Local and Wide Area Networking, RF Propagation (indoor and outdoor), Mesh Wi-Fi, SNMP Management EducationGraduate of the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science. Bachelor of Science, Communications, University of Texas. Pragmatic Marketing Seminars: Practical Product Management and Requirements that Work |