Please join NTGTS for its Monthly Program on Thursday, October 23, 2008 at The University of Dallas, Frisco Campus, 7460 Warren Parkway, Frisco, TX.  The program will run from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central.  This month’s featured speaker with be Craig Cook, Director of Regulatory Affairs, John Staurulakis, Inc. (JSI) who will be presenting on “Key Consumer and Technology Trends”. 

The telecom, computing, and video entertainment industries hasten their convergence, and technology continues to outpace the regulatory parameters that can be applied to voice, data, and video.  Thus, it is ever more important that service providers understand the needs of their customers and undertake a serious examination of the potential technological solutions that best fit their customer’s current and future needs.   This presentation will discuss key consumer and technology trends with the goal of preparing companies to meet customer needs in an ever-increasing competitive environment.  

Craig currently serves as Director of Regulatory Affairs for John Staurulakis, Inc. (JSI).  In this capacity, Craig manages a department responsible for the telecommunications management and regulatory compliance issues of JSI’s Southwest region clients respecting issues such as state and federal commission monitoring; comment filing; compliance reporting; state legislative monitoring; interconnection and compensation agreement development and negotiation; state policy development; technology assessment and new line of business planning. 

Prior to joining JSI, Craig worked for CapRock Communications in Dallas, Texas, serving as Director of Engineering Services.  Craig directed the overall operations of the Engineering Services department in addition to performing due diligence and negotiation of interconnection agreements, managing E911 administration, NPA/NXX administration, collocation agreements, and directing the regulatory strategy and policy compliance of CapRock. 

Craig has also worked for GTE, managing vendor and contract compliance issues, as well as formulating negotiations policy and strategy while actively negotiating multi-million dollar interconnection and ancillary agreements with numerous ILECs, including Ameritech, Bell Atlantic, BellSouth, SBC and US West, on behalf of GTE.

In addition, Craig has been a consultant to telecommunications clients on a variety of business management issues including strategic planning, regulatory compliance and policy matters, access issues including Carrier Access Billing (CABS), access tariff development and interpretation, switched and special access revenue requirements and rate development, interexchange carrier resell and wholesale opportunities and new line of business planning.

Program Agenda:

6:00 p.m. Registration and Networking

6:45 p.m. Speaker Presentation

7:30 p.m. Q&A

7:45 p.m. Networking Continues

8:00 p.m. Adjourn

COST

Members are $5.  Non-members are $10.00.  Light food and refreshments will be provided. 

RSVP

Members and non-members must register via the registration page at  http://www.ntgts.org/zenCart/index.php.

When on the shopping cart page, please select the Monthly Networking Event, Member or Non-Member option. 

On-site registration will also be available, however, we highly encourage you to register in advance to confirm your space. 

There will be a special discounted membership rate available at the event, which applies only to the individual basic membership tier.

For more information on membership, see http://www.ntgts.org/index.php?option=com_facileforms&Itemid=75 or contact membership@ntgts.org  

DIRECTIONS

Note:  The University of Dallas, Frisco Campus, recently moved from its former Plano location.  See directional notes below.  We suggest you allow several additional minutes of travel time to the new venue.   

NTGTS will be meeting at the University of Dallas Frisco Campus, located at 7460 Warren Parkway, 1^st Floor, Frisco, TX.  The new campus is located just north of the Legacy corporate park, at the intersection of Warren Parkway and the Dallas Parkway. 

Volunteers will be on hand to direct you to the meeting room.  For more information on the Frisco Campus, see:  http://www.udallas.edu/gsm/maps.cfm.  

We look forward to seeing you on October 23.

Regards,

Programs Task Force