Board of Directors

Kenny Blakeslee serves as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Tower Industry Family Support Charitable Foundation. He is the founder and CEO of Apex Site Solutions and Pulse Signal Solutions, providing an array of services to the wireless infrastructure industry. Kenny is a second-generation tower climber and his first visit to a tower construction site was in Elementary School when he spent a full day with his father during a “Take Your Child to Work Day.” (Safety standards were less stringent back then.)

Kenny launched Apex Site Solutions, a DVBE, in 2010 with just one employee and has grown it to a team of more than 100. His passion lies in paying forward the life the tower industry has given him by helping his team build successful careers for themselves. The company mission of both Apex and Pulse is “To transform lives by providing growth and development opportunities that empower our people.” They do this through comprehensive and innovative professional development programs and by an obsession with raising industry standards for safety, culture, and people empowerment – 1% better every day! Kenny helped launch the T.A.T.E initiative which empowers the telecommunications and tower industries to do their part in the fight against human trafficking.

Kenny lives in Northern California with his wife, Brooke, and two sons, Boston and Colton.

Eric Chase serves on the Board of Directors of the Tower Industry Family Support Charitable Foundation. He is CEO of Enertech Holdings, LLC and founder of Enertech Resources, LLC. Eric has spent over 20 years working at multiple levels of the wireless telecommunications infrastructure industry. A third-generation wireless veteran, his previous experience includes site development for AT&T, project management for CCI, and the founding of Enertech Resources.

In his current role, Eric oversees the strategic direction and vision for Enertech Holdings and its member companies. Under Eric’s leadership, Enertech Holdings has expanded the geographic footprint through highly strategic acquisitions and greenfield initiatives. In doing so, Mr. Chase has orchestrated the acquisition and integration of five regional firms creating the premier super-regional wireless telecommunications infrastructure services provider in the United States.

Beginning with Enertech Resources and expanding into the Enertech Holdings member companies, Chase has established a Best-in-Class Leadership Team with an Industry-Leading Safety Track Record. In addition to his professional efforts in the wireless infrastructure services business, Eric is also active in the auto racing business, working closely with his son Parker Chase, a driver in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship GTD who recently competed in the legendary Rolex 24 at Daytona alongside co-driver NASCAR Champion Kyle Busch. Mr. Chase lives in New Braunfels, Texas and holds a BBA from Abilene Christian University.

Patrick Murphy founded Murphy Tower Service, LLC along with siblings Clyde Murphy and Lin (Murphy) Sheehey in 2004 after working in their father’s construction company, Murphy Construction, Inc. Pat is currently the CEO with 19 years of experience in the telecom industry, doubling as a tower climber in his first 10 years.

Prior to working in telecom, Pat worked in pharmaceutical research and development for 12 years at the University of Iowa’s Pharmaceutical Service Division where he was the Quality Control Laboratory Manager, leading a group of chemists performing contract R&D for pharmaceutical companies from all over the world, including U.S. government agencies such as National Institutes of Health (NIH) & National Cancer Institute (NCI). Pat earned his BS in 1991 and his MBA in 2001, both from the University of Iowa.

Pat and his wife Jane, who also works in the family business, just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary and have three kids (two in college and one in high school). Pat likes to spend his free time with his family and also enjoys fishing, bow hunting, skiing, mountain biking and hitting the gym.

Chief Procurement Officer, Mike Simpson, has been with T-Mobile since 2012. In this time, his team has helped pave the way to T-Mobile’s nationwide 5G network, overseeing transformative multi-billion-dollar contracts across network planning, corporate-wide procurement, contracting and sourcing, as well as the Un-carrier’s national cell site development and supply chain. Simpson’s team drives energy/sustainability programs and supplier diversity initiatives. The team also controls network warehousing, powers the use and clearing of spectrum, and supports region and market teams as they work on network buildout. 

Ron Bizick is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Vertical Bridge. He has more than 34 years of telecommunications industry experience and oversees the firm’s day-to-day operations, as well as overall strategy and growth initiatives.

Prior to joining Vertical Bridge, Mr. Bizick co-founded and served as the Chief Executive Officer of Tarpon Towers, LLC, which develops, acquires, and manages wireless communication sites throughout the United States. Earlier in his career, he served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Global Signal, Inc., before its acquisition by Crown Castle in 2007. During his tenure at Global Signal, the company completed a successful IPO and tripled its portfolio from 3,500 to over 11,000 owned and managed communication sites. Prior to Global Signal, Mr. Bizick was the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of SBA Communications, where he played a significant role in its growth from a start-up to a nationwide public company.

He received his Bachelor of Arts in Business and Communication from the University of Pittsburgh and completed executive education programs at The Wharton School and Harvard Business School.

Eric Dudek is the Senior Vice President of Operations for the U.S. Tower Division of American Tower. In his role he leads the customer service delivery, engineering, field operations, construction, and supply chain organizations.

Mr. Dudek joined American Tower in 2012 as Vice President of Network Development and in 2016 became the Vice President of Network Operations, where he was responsible for the field operations and maintenance of over 40,000 sites nationwide. His career in the wireless telecommunications industry began with Nextel in 1994. Over the course of nearly three decades, he has been involved with the design, deployment, and operations of several major cellular network initiatives and has held leadership positions in radio frequency engineering, field operations, and network deployment. In addition to Sprint Nextel, he spent time at Clearwire and LightSquared. Mr. Dudek holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Western New England University.

Jake Hamilton is Vice President of West Access Engineering & Operations for Verizon. Jake and his team are responsible for building, maintaining, and securing America’s most reliable wireless network.

With more than 20 years as a leader in the telecommunications industry, Jake is a seasoned expert who has extensive experience in developing and implementing wireless network solutions. Jake’s technology career began with Alltel in 2002, and since joining Verizon in 2008, he has served in many roles critical to building Verizon’s world-class wireless and fiber networks.

Jake earned his bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from Arkansas State University and his MBA from University of Arkansas – Little Rock.

Michael McIlhon is the CEO of Avalon Test Equipment and serves on its board of directors.

He has held various roles at Avalon since joining the company, starting in the Warehouse, moving to Sales, and eventually becoming VP and President, where he oversees worldwide sales and operations.

A San Diego native, Michael raises his five children with his wife, Katie, in his hometown.

He earned his Business and Economics degree from the University of Dallas and joined Avalon in 2010. He is currently pursuing an MBA from Pepperdine.

Under Michael’s leadership, Avalon has expanded its offerings to include test and measurement equipment rentals and sales for the telecom industry, leading to a sixfold growth. This expansion supported the development of a world-class 17025 RF accredited calibration laboratory with capabilities up to 110GHz. Avalon now boasts a clientele that includes several Fortune 500 companies and has secured premier service contracts with leading manufacturers and military/defense contractors, making it a nationally recognized brand in the test and measurement industry.

Michael’s influence extends beyond numbers. He prioritizes the customer experience, emphasizing core values of customer obsession, delivering a legendary customer experience, living with integrity, and grounding Avalon in risk and innovation. He has redefined Avalon’s culture to focus on unparalleled customer service.

Outside of work, Michael is committed to charitable activities, such as Avalon’s golf tournament supporting the Tower Family Foundation. Family is central to his life, and he enjoys surfing, playing golf, and traveling with his family in his spare time.