FELLOWSHIP AWARD RECIPIENT

q4 2011 wwlf fellowship award recipient

What is your role?

Associate in The Pavese Law Firm's Land Use, Zoning and Local Government practice area and licensed to practice law in the State of Florida.

Where do you reside?

Punta Gorda, FL

How did you get into the wireless industry?

In the fall of my senior year in college I began looking for post-graduation employment. A friend from my freshman hall planned to work at Network Building & Consulting LLC (NB&C) after graduation, where his brother was currently employed as a Zoning Manager and working as a contractor for T-Mobile Northeast LLC in the Baltimore/Washington market. I interviewed with the Executive Vice President that spring and began promptly after graduation. I served as a Zoning Manager with NB&C in the Baltimore/Washington market for over two years before returning to school for a dual Juris Doctor/Master of City and Regional Planning degree. I worked for NB&C again as a leasing specialist during the Summer of 2009 between semesters.

What I enjoyed most about working in the wireless industry as a Zoning Manager was building the necessary relationships with landowners, adjacent neighbors, community residents, planners and other governmental officials, land use and telecommunications lawyers, and citizen groups to support my clients' proposed sites throughout the zoning and permitting process. I look forward to fostering these relationships in the Southwest Florida market to serve new clients.

How long have you been with your company, and what has your career path been?

I joined the Pavese Law Firm in August 2011. My practice focuses primarily on real estate and environmental issues related to the development of land, including permitting at the local, state, regional, and federal levels.

Before beginning at the Pavese Law Firm, I attended Franklin and Marshall College as a Buchanan and Meserve Scholar. There I earned my A.B. in American Studies with a minor in Urban and Social Public Policy, graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.

After graduation, I began as a Zoning Manager with NB&C. I represented national and regional wireless providers in preparing land use cases for wireless telecommunications facilities across dozens of jurisdictions in the Baltimore/Washington.

After realizing my passion for wireless site and other forms of land development, I went on to earn my Juris Doctor (J.D.) and Masters of City and Regional Planning degrees under a dual-degree program sponsored by the University of North Carolina School of Law and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Department of City and Regional Planning this past May. I specialized in land use and environmental law/planning.

Between semesters I interned for the State of Connecticut's Office of Responsible Growth assisting staff in many facets of implementing the Conservation and Development Policies Plan for Connecticut (Summer 2008) and returned to NB&C as a leasing specialist (Summer of 2009).

What has been your greatest challenge, being fairly new to the industry?

The greatest challenge is, and will probably always be, the nature of the wireless industry itself. The technology on which it is based, case law, legislation, and regulations are ever-changing and yield new complexities when presenting a proposed site to local governments and citizens. This evolving environment demands specific knowledge of the complexities of telecommunications law and the underlying technologies during negotiations and litigation.

What valuable piece of wisdom have you learned from the wireless industry that you can share with our members that might help them in their career or personal lives?

Always strive to be a good colleague and applicant. The wireless industry has a small town feel - those colleagues you worked with on past projects have a way of revisiting you on new ones. The same is true when you are making requests before planning and zoning staff. If you are before staff with regards to one site, recognize that you are likely to be before the same staff for another site in the future. Remember that you can disagree without being disagreeable.

What do you hope to gain by being a new member of WWLF?

WWLF membership will help me to engage more in industry happenings; provide me with a unique mentorship opportunity to support my growth as a new industry leader; and facilitate my career development through other WWLF resources.

I will also bring enthusiasm and excitement to WWLF as a member. I look forward to the opportunity to mentor up-and-coming talent and help share industry information.

What are your other hobbies and interests outside of work?

In my spare time, I volunteer with the Gulf Coast Humane Society. I also enjoy kayaking, sailing, fencing, skiing, travel, and art.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I see myself well on my way to becoming the outside counsel for facility siting matters in my market.