Institute for Communication Technology Management (CTM)

LA Broadband Summit: Event Organizers

Rich Grimes Principal & CEO Capital Tower Group	Rich Grimes has nearly 14 years of experience in wireless site development, implementation and management involving large scale and strategic high velocity deployments. Relationship driven, Rich has strong strategic leadership skills, results orientated with effective expertise in team building and resource development, budgetary financial management, and wireless lease transaction management. Rich’s extensive wireless experience includes serving in various director level positions with AT&T Wireless, as executive vice president and investment committee chairman of a $500 million wireless infrastructure financial services company, and as the chief executive officer for a wireless deployment company. A known thought leader in wireless deployment, Rich has developed and implemented various innovative cost and schedule saving strategies in wireless deployment. He has pioneered network real estate asset and lease strategies that have spawned various cell site rent reduction and lease optimization programs and companies. Rich possesses high-impact communication skills, sound judgment and business ethics, and is known for attracting, developing and retaining proven talent under his leadership. Rich is a frequent speaker, moderator and panelist at national wireless deployment and infrastructure conferences, real estate industry conferences, and at Stanford University and USC Marshall School of Business, and serves on the Advisory Council for Stanford’s Advanced Project Management Program. He was appointed to the Mayor of Los Angeles’ Wireless and Broadband Advisory Council, and chaired its business model subcommittee. Rich earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Literature at Santa Clara University, a Juris Doctor Degree at Western State University School of Law, a Masters of Corporate Real Estate at CoreNet, and is a Stanford University Certified Project Manager (“SCPM”). Rich’s work has been recently recognized in Harvard Business School Press’ “Executing Your Strategy, How to Break it Down and Get it Done” that was released in January of 2008.
Lucy Hood USC Institute for Communication Technology Management (CTM)	CTM Executive Director Lucy Hood is a highly respected industry expert on corporate strategy and business innovation in telecommunications and digital entertainment. Prior to joining USC's Marshall School of Business, Hood was formerly President of Fox Mobile Entertainment and CEO of Jamba, one of the industry's largest mobile entertainment companies. Lucy Hood is widely known as an architect of corporate digital strategy, building News Corporation's mobile business to hundreds of millions through partnerships with companies such as Nokia, Vodafone, ATT, Qualcomm, and Verisign. Hood created many industry firsts at Fox, including leading the groundbreaking "American Idol" mobile efforts, which included text messaging to mass media in the United States in 2001. Fox Mobile Entertainment also received the first Emmy® nomination for mobile with the video series "24:Conspiracy," invented the Mobisode® and ran the first major ad-sponsored video series. Hood started her career at News Corp over a decade ago and was a key executive in launching numerous technology businesses at Fox, including Fox.com, FX Cable and the News Corp Content Group. Previously, she was an executive at Paramount Pictures. Hood is a keynote speaker at major industry events and business conferences around the world such as CES, E3, CTIA, 3G World Congress, Wireless Influencers, and Digital Hollywood. In addition, she has spoken on digital issues before top government officials in the US and in China. Lucy Hood is regularly featured in lists of key influential executives, including the Digital 50 and the Mobile Entertainment Top 50. She holds an M.B.A. from Columbia University's Graduate School of Business and a B.A. from Yale University.
Michael Shonafelt Partner, Parker Milliken Advisor, California Wireless Association	Michael W. Shonafelt joined Parker Milliken as a shareholder in 2009. With the addition of Mr. Shonafelt to the ranks of its shareholders, Parker Milliken greatly enhances the Land Use expertise in its extensive line of client services. Practice Areas: Michael’s practice centers on all matters pertaining to the securing of land use entitlements for real estate development projects. His practice encompasses all phases of the land entitlement process -- from filing of the application to final approval -- and addresses matters pertaining to the California Planning and Zoning Law, the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”), the California Coastal Act and the Subdivision Map Act. He handles both administrative advocacy before local and state governmental bodies and civil litigation in state and federal courts. His practice features a special focus on providing land use and regulatory counsel to wireless telecommunications companies. Zoning and Land Use: Michael has wide-ranging expertise in devising entitlement strategies for commercial, industrial and residential projects throughout California. His experience covers all areas pertaining to land use and zoning, including general plan amendments, zone changes, subdivisions, variances, vested rights, and due diligence reviews. He has appeared before multiple state and local jurisdictions on behalf of his clients and has litigated land use issues in both state and federal courts. He also has served as special counsel to local governmental agencies on highly complex and specialized areas of land use law, such as ballot box planning through the voter initiative process. CEQA and NEPA: As part of his land use practice, Michael has extensive experience developing strategies for compliance with CEQA and NEPA. He has led multi-disciplinary teams in the development of environmental impact reports and environmental impact statements and has provided extensive counsel to clients on compliance with the latest legal standards in CEQA and NEPA law. He has extensive experience litigating CEQA and NEPA issues. Wireless Telecommunications: Michael has successfully litigated on behalf of wireless telecommunications companies in many areas of first impression for the courts on the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 and California Public Utilities Code section 7901 and 7901.1. He has represented the wireless industry in negotiating access to public rights-of-way and easements with local governments and obtaining land use approvals from state and local regulatory agencies in connection with the permitting and construction of wireless telecommunications facilities. Coastal Act: Michael has represented clients before the California Coastal Commission on a range of issues and has litigated Coastal Act issues, including issues pertaining to the scope of the Commission’s jurisdictional authority and issues pertaining to coastal development permits. Municipal Law: Michael has extensive experience in guiding both public entities and private-sector clients in the areas of municipal law, including the Brown Act, the Public Records Act, and the Political Reform Act of 1974. Michael is a founding member of the California Wireless Association and serves on the Board of Directors of that organization. The California Wireless Association is rapidly becoming the premiere trade organization for wireless telecommunications in the State of California. He is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Boy Scouts of America, Orange County Council, and the Board of Directors of the St. Thomas More Society of Orange County, CA. Michael received his J.D. from Loyola Law School in 1996, where he was a member of the Loyola Law Review, and studied with Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist in Loyola’s summer program at Trinity College, Cambridge, England. He received a M.A. and a B.A. from California State University, Dominguez Hills, in 1992 and 1989, respectively, and holds two bilingual education credentials from the State of California.