Basic Nominee Information
Full Name	Michael Steed
Title/Position	General Manager
Company Name	Star Wireless Inc d/b/a InterStar Communications, Inc
City/State	Clinton, NC
Member Company Background
Are you a full-time employee at a WISPA member organization?	Yes
How many full-time staff are employed by your company?	12
Briefly describe your company's business (services offered, client base, areas of coverage).	We are a subsidiary company of a rural ILEc with over 12,500 current customers. We were founded in 1995 by myself and 3 other local businessmen and we sold the company in November of 2000 to Star Telephone Membership Corp. a non-profit rural ILEC. We provide Internet access via a variety of methods which include DSL, cable modems both one & two way, wireless, & dialup. We cover a large portion of eastern NC and have been in business since 1995. We have access to large fiber network and our combined companies have over 125 employees including outside plant and engineering people.
Professional Background
Do you hold a senior-level management position with your company?	Yes
How long have you held your current position?	13 years
How many years of experience do you have in the wireless Internet industry?	9 years
Describe your primary job responsibilities.	I am responsible for all day to day activities of InterStar and its employees. I assist with the management of all customers and vendors relations, and work to expand our market share through expansion and new service offering. I handle all accounting and reporting to our parent company and assist with civic functions and economic development in our area.
Individual Qualifications
Why do you want to become a member of the WISPA Board of Directors and what do you hope to achieve through your leadership experience?	I have been in management all of my professional life and feel that through my experience I assist in providing the direction needed to assist WISPA as an organization. I current own and operate a plastic manufacturing company and manage a family agricultural business. I have a wide array of knowledge in many aspect of management and have been successful in starting and selling companies over the past 20 years. My hope would be to assist the membership of WISPA in reaching the goals that it currently has along with bring our message to the correct parties in the government to allow each member to grow and reach their full potential.
Please describe your experience and current involvement with WISPA, including participating on WISPA committees.	I have been a member of WISPA for about 1 year and have offered to assist in any way possible. I have recently agreed to work on the pole attachment subcommittee. I follow the messages and respond when I feel it is appropriate.
Please explain strengths that you possess that would be of particular benefit to WISPA through your service on the board (e.g. leadership, areas of specialty, industry relations, etc.)	I have a wide knowledge of leadership in many areas that allow me to understand sistuations that may arise within the membership. I have a wide variety of knowledge with telephony, CATV, and network operations and design on varies levels. I have assited in the cration of new fiber network as well as engineering and building a wireless network that covers 4 counties in eastern NC. I have been actively involved in the Internet business since 1995 while serving as President of InterStar and have I have knowledge in the process required to sale companies.
Please describe any current or previous leadership experience with non-profit organizations and your role:	I am a member of many local civic organizations and have worked in our communities to enhance economic development and out reach programs for the communities win which we provide service. I have assisted with state wide Internet initiatives for Internet centers in NC and have worked with the NCCISP to promote out industry in NC to the public and within the state government.
In your view, what are the biggest challenges facing the wireless internet industry, and how do you believe WISPA should address them?	The biggest issues are those of access to spectrum and the ability to work together as a collective voice within our states and at the federal government levels. Most WIPSA members are owner operators who have a wide variety of opinions about our industry and what is important to each member. Work to find common ground that all members support and conveying that message is our greatest challenge.