Gorman Re-Elected Chairman

Board Faces Challenge of Changing Calendar

By Monta Monaco Hernon

Tom Gorman, at-large director and 2007 SCTE board president, will serve a second term as chairman of the SCTE Board of Directors. Last year's executive committee helped to navigate negotiations regarding the trade show calendar. This year's group will be tasked with easing the transition of Cable-Tec Expo to the fall. The next convention will take place in October 2009 in Denver.

"What a year we've got. It's really getting ready for next year with the change in schedules. It has a ton of implications in when we have our board meetings, when we have our activities we have always had because we have been on a pretty straightforward calendar. Now the whole thing shifts," Gorman said.

"Part of it is just the timing. It is things as little as our chapters hav(ing) to adjust their schedules. They did things in the fall so it didn't conflict with Expo. Now they have got to make changes. It is things like evaluating our fiscal calendar because the revenue from Expo all of a sudden shows up at the end of the year and not the middle of the year," he added.

Two officers from last year's crew will return with Gorman to serve on the 2008-2009 executive committee. SCTE Region 2 Director Frank Eichenlaub, Cisco Systems, will remain western vice chair, and Region 11 Director Greg Allshouse, Comcast Cable Communications, will continue as treasurer.

They will be joined by Director-At-Large Nomi Bergman, Bright House Networks, who will replace Steve Johnson, formerly of Time Warner, as eastern vice chair; Region 12 Director Bob Foote, ARRIS, who will take over for Vicki Marts, Cox, as secretary; and Director-At-Large Patrick O'Hare, Comcast Cable Communications, who will slide into Time Warner's Bob Macioch's spot as the additional executive committee member.

Newcomers to the Board

The board elections took place in April. The 10 seats up for grabs were hotly contested, as usual, with three candidates vying for most of the spots. When all was said and done, seven of these positions were filled with newcomers.

In addition to Macioch, incumbent Marc Broadnax of Comcast has returned to the board, keeping his Region 7 slot. Conversely, Harold Kinnel, Ritter Communications, upset incumbent Tommy Hill, Mediacom, to become Region 8 director.

The incumbents from Regions 3 (Keith Grunberg, Charter) and 5 (Marts) were ineligible to run because of term limits. The incumbents from Regions 10 (Johnson) and 12 (Deane Olmsted, Corning Gilbert) chose not run for reelection. Replacing them are Randy Love, Comcast; Rick Sullivan, Times Fiber Amphenol; Bob Legg, Suddenlink Communications; and Foote.

Dermott O'Carroll of Rogers Cable Communications maintained his post as director-at-large, Canada. Two additional at-large directorships were at stake. Incumbent Yvette Gordon-Kanouff, SeaChange International, did not run again, while Terry Cordova, Suddenlink, did not win his bid for reelection. Dick Amell, Time Warner, will join Bergman as a new at-large director.

The newbies can expect a bit of a learning curve. "I was there. You spend your first day doing the 'deer in the headlights' thing, trying to catch up. It really is a whirlwind day," Gorman said. "I will say that everybody jumped right in (this year). No one was sitting there quiet."

Each member can serve three consecutive two-year terms. No one company can hold more than four seats, and each officer on the executive committee can serve two consecutive one-year terms in the same office and no more than five consecutive one-year terms as an officer.

- Monta Monaco Hernon