Endowment Committee
Michael McIlhon serves as the Chairman of the Tower Industry Family Support Charitable Foundation Endowment Committee, and 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.
Paula Nurnberg serves as the Chief Operating Officer of NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association. She works in unison with the Chair, Board of Directors and President & CEO to provide leadership, vision and direction for the NATE Staff, and is responsible for all aspects of the day-to-day operations of the Association. Paula joined NATE as a staff member in 1995, the startup era of the Association, and has held positions in Operations, Events, Member Services, and Publishing, including both Marketing and Advertising.
Monica Vink is the Director of Marketing for ONTIVITY where she is responsible for driving strategic goals and objectives related to marketing, branding, digital footprint, and social influence. Monica has over 10 years of experience in wireless infrastructure and has held various positions supporting the broadband and wireless industries including sales, marketing and advertising.
Monica actively supports NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association and NATE’s initiatives. She is a member of various industry organizations and wireless associations including her service to Tower Family Foundation (TFF) on the Endowment Committee, Women of NATE Committee, the NATE Mentorship Program. Monica is also a member of Women in Wireless (WIWA) and serves as Treasurer of Minnesota State Wireless Association (MNSWA).
Monica is pursuing her MBA in Digital Marketing and Analytics at Emerson University.
Andy Haldane has been in the telecommunications industry for over 20 years and he co-founded Tower Engineering Professionals. After he graduated from Clarkson University in 1995, Andy began his career working in various roles which included completing tower mappings, structural analysis, structural modification designs, civil site designs, and post-construction inspections. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in all 50 states and all U.S. territories (DC, PR, Guam, the Marianas Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Trinidad and Tobago, Australia, Queensland, Ireland, and Jamaica. Also, he holds a General Contractor license in North Carolina and California. In addition to being one of our most senior level engineers, he is an ENSA Certified Instructor trained in Tower Climbing Safety & Rescue, an AWS QC1 Certified Weld Inspector, a Grade I ACI Concrete Field Testing Technician and maintains his OSHA 10 Hour Certification along with his American Heart Association CPR and First Aid Certifications. Even in his current role as the CEO, Andy reviews geotechnical, structural, civil and inspection reports and continues to train our tower climbers. His love of climbing has fueled his passion for training and safety within TEP and the industry and Andy continues to take an active role in our safety program. Andy’s reputation, experience and leadership has driven TEP to be well known and respected for our quality of work throughout the industry.
When he’s not in the office or at home, you can find Andy on a tower, coaching his kid’s hockey games, or in the TEP gym, located at our headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Shylesh Moras, is a Senior Vice President with Phoenix Tower International based in Boca Raton, FL. As Senior Vice President, Shylesh oversees three departments for the company: Operations, Development, and Information Technology. Phoenix Tower International owns and operates in excess of 9,000 towers, 986 km of fiber and over 80,000 other wireless infrastructure and related sites throughout the United States, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Guatemala, Ireland, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, and Peru.
Shylesh has been with Phoenix Tower since 2014 through a period of tremendous growth and was instrumental in helping take the company from a startup operation to an established global tower company, expanding into 15 markets, bringing on 9,000+ tower assets and over 300 employees located around the world.
Shylesh has been in the telecommunications industry for 20 years, with his first job being with Morrison Hershfield’s telecommunications division based in their Atlanta, GA offices.
Shylesh attended McGill University in Montreal, Canada where he received both a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Structural Engineering.