Safer Buildings Coalition Leadership

Executive Director: Chief Alan W. Perdue

Chief Perdue began his fire service journey as a volunteer firefighter with the Pinecroft-Sedgefield Fire Department and was employed by Guilford County Department of Emergency Services in 1979. He progressed through the ranks and was appointed Emergency Services Director in 2003 and after 34 years of service he retired in 2013. Chief Perdue is credentialed as a Chief Fire Officer (CFO) and Fire Marshal (FM) through the Center for Public Safety Excellence Commission for Professional Credentialing.

In addition to serving as the Executive Director of the Safer Buildings Coalition, Chief Perdue currently serves as a member of the National Association of Counties (NACo) Telecommunications and Technology Policy Steering Committee, a member of the International Accreditation Services (IAC) Technical Advisory Council for Regulatory Code Programs, Underwriters Laboratories Standard #2525 Standards Technical Panel and The Center for Public Safety Excellence’s (CPSE) Appeals Committee.  He is also an Elected County Commissioner in Guilford County, NC.

Chief Perdue’s past service includes serving as; the International Director representing Fire & Life Safety on the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Board of Directors , the Governor’s fire service appointee to the North Carolina State Building Code Council, a Commissioner on the Center for Public Safety Excellence’s Commission for Professional Credentialing, a member of the International Accreditation Services Technical Advisory Committee for Fire & Life Safety Departments and a member of the International Code Councils Codes and Standards Council.

 Additional career highlights to local, state and national fire service organizations include Director at Large, Vice-Chair and Chair of the IAFC Fire & Life Safety Section, four terms as a member of the International Code Councils Fire Code Hearing Committee, Vice-chair and Chairman of the North Carolina Fire Code Revision Committee, President of the North Carolina County Fire Marshal’s Association and as an advisory board member for the Guilford Technical Community College Fire Science Curriculum Program.

Managing Director: John Foley

John serves as Managing Director of the Safer Buildings Coalition. John serves the SBC mission through policy, regulation, and code development, by solidifying member services and value, and by establishing a strong operational and financial base as tools to propel SBC’s mission. 

John has held key business development, operations, engineering, and executive roles at telecom service companies such as Level 3 Communications, MFS, and MCI. John was a co-founder of XO Communications where he was VP of Operations and Engineering, and later VP of International Network Development. John led dark fiber provider City Signal Communications in the position of President and CEO. John served as Capture Director for specialty construction firm Henkels and McCoy, a leading DAS Integrator. John also spent several years in television and video production services with PMTV, developing and managing complex video production projects including sports and corporate simulcasts and broadcasts. John participates on the TIA Smart Buildings Working Group and Public Safety Sub Group, and the Smart Cities Council/WIA City Networks Task Force.

John comes from a family with a tradition of first-responder service, with his grandfather, great uncle, brother, and son all serving in the Philadelphia Police department.

Founder: Seth Buechley
CEO, Cathedral Holdings | President, Cathedral Partners

Seth founded the the Safer Buildings Coalition in 2012 and continues to provide guidance and direction to this day. Seth brings Cathedral entrepreneurial leadership gained through board and senior executive experience with public, private, family-owned, and nonprofit organizations. Prior to his role at Cathedral, Seth was a client of the firm for 6 years, developing a close friendship with Cathedral’s founder, the late Phil Clements.

Today, Seth is active as a board-level strategist, investor, and advisor to CEO’s in the telecom sector.

Most recently, Seth co-founded and led the US and Canadian operations of SOLiD USA. overseeing a team of industry leaders responsible for developing and distributing innovative wireless communications products. Upon achieving revenue of nearly $60 million, and with counsel from Cathedral, the company was sold to its venture partner in early 2016. Under Seth’s leadership, SOLiD earned wide industry recognition for delivering cellular coverage inside of some of the world’s most prestigious venues including the New York subway, The Empire State Building, Nike World Headquarters and Daytona International Speedway.

Seth began his career as a co-founder of family-owned CORD Communications, a turnkey network implementation company acquired by publicly-traded WesTower Corporation in 1998. He was then a founding investor and Vice Chairman of Washington Oregon Wireless (WOW), a Sprint PCS affiliate. In 2001, Seth co-founded Tri-Power Group, a leading DAS integrator based in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2008, he co-founded and became President of SOLiD USA. He is also the founder of the Safer Buildings Coalition which seeks to ensure coverage for public-safety communications services inside buildings.

Seth is the recently-published author of Ambition: Leading with Gratitude, a leadership manifesto highlighting the necessity of gratitude in the lives of driven leaders. An experienced keynote speaker and emcee, Seth is an active member of Young President Organization (YPO) and serves several nonprofit Christian ministries.  Seth is also the host of the Business Done Right podcast and is a popular keynote speaker at corporate and non-profit events.

Seth lives in Southern Oregon with his wife of 27 years where they are in the process of raising their four children. When he is not at one of his son’s sporting events, Seth enjoys snowboarding, skiing, mountain biking, motorcycles, and spending time at his family home in Costa Rica.

Board of Directors

President: Prince Niyyar, Commdex

Prince Niyyar is the CEO of Commdex. Since founding Commdex in 2001, Prince has led the company from a startup to a recognized national leader in public safety communications technology, with current operations in over 23 states. 

He has spoken as an invited guest at FCC Headquarters and on talk shows like “Thrive America” and “Business Leader Radio” and he frequently presents at business conferences. He was honored by Georgia’s Lt. Governor Casey Cagle as the “Small Business Person of the Year”.  Prince was also Gwinnett Chamber’s “Business Person of the Year”, and was honored with the “Pinnacle Award.

Prior to founding Commdex, Prince served many years as a consultant for Fortune 100 telecom companies like Motorola, AT&T and Sprint.  Prince holds a Master’s degree in Engineering from University of Cincinnati and is a registered Professional Engineer and Certified Professional Manager. 

Vice President: David Adams, PCTEL

David's career has focused on solutions for Service Quality and Performance Management of Mobile Networks. Working closely with the leading US mobile operators to understand their unique needs and requirements led to the creation of patented concepts and approaches.  As solutions architect and product manager, he managed the design and deployment of a number of ground-breaking solutions, continuing close cooperation with the operators to determine effective application of the solutions, thus driving high penetration rates of the solutions across the industry.

Recent concentration has been on the Public Safety Networks, both legacy P25 and FirstNet LTE technologies. The critical nature of properly performing service to first responders means test solution in new and more rigorous requirements. A special focus is on in building coverage and performance, delivering a cost effective solution to ensure buildings comply with national and AHJ standards.

He has dedicated all of his recent work for PCTEL to understand the challenges and problems with Public Safety radio networks and guiding the development of a solution for ensuring safety of first responders, This work is completely aligned with the SBC mission.

Immediate Past President: Dennis Burns, ADRF

Dennis J. Burns is the Director of Public Safety at ADRF, in charge of the National Public Safety strategy for North America. His responsibilities include developing the corporate public safety strategy and product solutions needed for Emergency Responder Communication Enhancement Systems (ERCES) to deliver maximum market share and revenue. He is also charged with enhancing the awareness of ADRF’s Public Safety products, technology, capabilities, deployments, and the overall ADRF brand.  In addition, he works closely with AHJs throughout the country to ensure ADRF has the right products and services to meet current requirements and any future changes within each jurisdiction.  

Dennis is also a liaison between Sales, Engineering, Technical Support, Product Development, and Manufacturing teams to ensure the delivery of product development schedules and go-to-market strategies for ADRF’s Public Safety solutions. He has more than 27 years of experience in developing direct and indirect new business strategies within the wireless industry, with a particular expertise in First Responder public safety communications. Dennis is an active member and strong advocate of the Safer Buildings Coalition and elected to its Board of Directors in 2019.  He is also a member of the Code and Standards Workgroup & Public Safety Technology Workgroup of SBC. In addition to SBC, Dennis is active with many State Fire Alarm Associations throughout the US, UL Labs, and NFPA.  Prior to joining ADRF, Dennis was a Regional Sales Director at Cobham Wireless, where he was responsible for delivering and driving corporate revenue goals via new direct and indirect relationships with potential clients in both public safety and commercial cellular. He previously held senior leadership roles at IXI Mobile, AT&T, Velocita Wireless(Cingular/Sprint), Palm, and BellSouth Wireless Data. Dennis holds a Bachelor's degree in Management Information Systems and Services from the Southern New Hampshire University.

Treasurer: Ron Schachter, RF Solutions

Ron brings 20 years of RF wireless business development experience to the RF Solutions team. Prior to founding RF Solutions, Ron served as the Director of Business Development of Mobility Practice at Axispoint Technology Solutions Group (ATSG), where he sold and integrated over $25 million in Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) including some of the tallest towers and largest buildings in New York City. Before that, he spent 10 years at Sprint, where he was awarded President’s Club Circle Winner for his sales acumen several times during his tenure, landing major clients such as NewsCorp and Reuters. Ron swam for Indiana University, and you can still find him in the pool most mornings.

Secretary: Richard Roberts, Honeywell

Richard brings thirty-five years of experience in the installation, system design, commissioning and product development of code compliant commercial fire alarm and signaling systems including in-building communications enhancement systems. Twelve years involvement in the development of codes, standards (C&S’s) and legislation seeking to enhance life safety. Currently serving on:

• Fifteen NFPA Technical Committees
• Two UL Standards Technical Panels relating to carbon monoxide detection
• Numerous ICC Fire Code Action Committee Working Groups relating to fire alarm, carbon monoxide, mass notification systems and in-building emergency responder communications
• Member of the NASFM Model Codes Committee
• Board of Directors and Co-Chair of the C&S’s Committee of the Center for Campus Fire Safety

At-Large: Scott Umemoto, Day Wireless Systems

Scott Umemoto is the Director of Strategic Technologies for Day Wireless Systems. Scott's experience in RF started with Motorola in 1985. He has been with Day Wireless for the past 22 years, holding the positions of Area Sales Manager and Service Manager. In 2017, he took on his current role which primary focus is DAS sales in WA, OR, CA, ID, and now UT. However, Day Wireless supports customer DAS systems throughout the US and 14 other countries and counting. Day Wireless has always been one of Motorola's top dealers in the nation. Recognized as a top tier organization for sales and service, serving both commercial and public safety communication needs.

At-Large: Josh Gerst, RF Connect

Josh Gerst has been in the field of RF engineering for 25+ years now in a variety of positions. He manages the Engineering Department at RF Connect, which is a DAS (Distributed Antenna System) Integrator. His team focuses on DAS system design, as well as the commissioning and optimization of both indoor and outdoor DAS.

Past President’s Council

Chair: Eric Toenjes, Graybar

Eric Toenjes, MBA, serves as National Market Manager of Wireless Solutions at Graybar, a leading distributor of electrical and data networking products and solutions. In his role at Graybar, Eric is responsible for setting strategy and working with manufacturers, system integrators, neutral hosts, contractors and sales teams to bring best-in-class wireless solutions to customers. He has more than 20 years of experience in the wireless market working with cellular carriers, system integrators and distribution providing solutions to end users and carriers alike. He is a frequent speaker at industry events and works with organizations like the HetNet Forum and Safer Buildings Coalition to understand issues facing building owners, influence codes and help develop an understanding of business drivers behind the solutions.

Dennis Burns, ADRF

Dennis J. Burns is the Director of Public Safety at ADRF, in charge of the National Public Safety strategy for North America. His responsibilities include developing the corporate public safety strategy and product solutions needed for Emergency Responder Communication Enhancement Systems (ERCES) to deliver maximum market share and revenue. He is also charged with enhancing the awareness of ADRF’s Public Safety products, technology, capabilities, deployments, and the overall ADRF brand.  In addition, he works closely with AHJs throughout the country to ensure ADRF has the right products and services to meet current requirements and any future changes within each jurisdiction.  

Dennis is also a liaison between Sales, Engineering, Technical Support, Product Development, and Manufacturing teams to ensure the delivery of product development schedules and go-to-market strategies for ADRF’s Public Safety solutions. He has more than 27 years of experience in developing direct and indirect new business strategies within the wireless industry, with a particular expertise in First Responder public safety communications. Dennis is an active member and strong advocate of the Safer Buildings Coalition and elected to its Board of Directors in 2019.  He is also a member of the Code and Standards Workgroup & Public Safety Technology Workgroup of SBC. In addition to SBC, Dennis is active with many State Fire Alarm Associations throughout the US, UL Labs, and NFPA.  Prior to joining ADRF, Dennis was a Regional Sales Director at Cobham Wireless, where he was responsible for delivering and driving corporate revenue goals via new direct and indirect relationships with potential clients in both public safety and commercial cellular. He previously held senior leadership roles at IXI Mobile, AT&T, Velocita Wireless(Cingular/Sprint), Palm, and BellSouth Wireless Data. Dennis holds a Bachelor's degree in Management Information Systems and Services from the Southern New Hampshire University.

Jeff Hipchen, RF Connect

Jeff has more than 20 years of experience as an executive and entrepreneur. He is a principal with RF Connect, a company focused on the design, deployment and support of high performance wireless networks and applications. Prior to RF Connect, he founded Digital Data Solutions, Inc., a Midwest Voice and Data Network solutions provider that grew to seven offices in five states with over $20 million in sales before being sold to CTS Companies in 2003. Jeff has also been an Advisor to several start-up companies, assisting them with the development of their business plans, funding and sales execution.

Throughout his career, Jeff has participated in several partner leadership councils including Ameritech, SBC, ATT and Cisco and was recognized by Crain’s Detroit Business Magazine as a “40 under 40” business leader. He also acts as Treasurer on the executive board of the The Family Learning Institute and is on the board of Mobility Technology Association of Michigan.

Patrick Lau, Comba Telecom

Patrick has built his career on the development of technical sales and market strategy in the wireless industry. His background is a combination of broad product knowledge, business acumen, strong managerial skills, and market assessment experience.

He is a seasoned telecommunication professional that has extensive experience in the DAS and Small Cell market space with balanced technical skillset and business acumen. He has executed wireless operators commercial and public safety projects for RF coverage and capacity enhancements. Patrick has proven track record of developing solutions for complex wireless applications along with the ability to create strong customer relationships that evolve into long-term customer loyalty. He provides hands-on coaching while encouraging individuals to develop through empowerment and mentoring with fair and objective supervision.