Team

Philip T. Kennedy, President, Chief Technology Officer, Chairman of the Board and Co-Founder

During his career, Phil has held various positions in the computing and telecommunications industries. Prior to joining Lightwaves, he served as Chief Technologist and Vice President of Network Services at McLeodUSA, Inc. Before McLeodUSA, Phil served as a Certified Client/Server Computing Specialist for International Business Machines Corporation. With more than twenty-five years of experience in the communications industry, Phil is regarded as a leading technologist in access systems, switching and data communication networks, and technology and product development. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from the University of Northern Iowa.

Joseph Gerke, Vice President of Operations, Secretary, Treasurer and Co-Founder

With over twenty years of management experience in information systems and telecommunications industries, Joe is responsible for all operational aspects of the company, including Finance, Corporate Development, Intellectual Property Management, and Administration. Prior to joining Lightwaves, he served as Director of Network Services, Operations, and Research and Development for McLeodUSA, Inc. Joe has held a diverse array of previous positions, including Sales and Marketing Director for Davis Consultants, Marketing Representative for International Business Machines Corporation, and Information Systems Consultant for Arthur Andersen & Company. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Science from Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 

Jon Stanford, Director of Engineering

Jon is responsible for the overall engineering effort at Lightwaves, which includes hardware design and development, system architecture, system development planning, specification development, and custom electronics. During his career, he has held various engineering and management positions in the equipment manufacturing industry. He gained his experience with electronic/electro-optic research and product development from start-up companies like Xtera Communications, Latus Lightworks, and Optical Switch. In his previous capacity, Jon spent eighteen years as a Design Engineer with Texas Instruments engaged in a wide range of activities from design, analysis, testing and measurement, to R&D functions. This experience included a strong background in DSP, filtering and precise data acquisition. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering in 1989 from Texas Tech University while working full time for Texas Instruments.

David Snyder, Principal Engineer and Co-Founder

David is focused on Intellectual Property (IP) development. He was an early student of pulse-based communication systems, which centered on satellite and Ultra Wide Band wireless communications. During his career, he has held various positions in both the manufacturing and the construction industries. Prior to joining Lightwaves, Dave served as Chief Engineer for Midland Forge. Previous posts include various engineering and project management positions with multiple manufacturing and construction companies, most notably his appointment as a Project Design Engineer with the Chrysler Corporation. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from Southern Methodist University and his Masters of Divinity from the University of Dubuque.