iTown Communications

H. Brian Thompson, Chairman (Founder)

Keith Montgomery, President and Chief Executive Officer (Founder)

Sanford (Sandy) Fain, Vice President Service, Sales and Marketing

Jerry Sharp, Chief Technology Officer

Mark W. Hagood, Vice President, Business Development

L. Elise Dieterich, Legal Advisor

H. Brian Thompson
Chairman (Founder)
As a veteran senior executive of the telecommunication industry, Brian has been instrumental in impacting the rise of competitive telecommunications both in the U.S. and abroad. Brian continues to head his own private equity investment and advisory firm, Universal Telecommunications, Inc, in Vienna, Virginia, focused on both start-up companies and consolidations taking place in the information/telecommunications industries.

Brian currently serves as Chairman, Comsat International (CI), one of the largest independent telecommunications operators serving all of Latin America. He was previously Chairman and Chief Executive officer of Global TeleSystems Group, Inc. from March 1999 through September of 2000. He served as Chairman and CEO of LCI International, leading a turnaround of the company and developing it into one of the fastest growing telecommunications companies in the U.S. Subsequent to the merger of LCI with Qwest Communications International Inc. in June 1998, he became Vice Chairman of the Board for Qwest until his resignation.

Brian was also the Executive Vice President of MCI Communications Corporation during its formative years as a long distance service company from 1981 to 1990 with responsibility for the company's eight operating divisions, including MCI International.

He currently serves as a member of the board of directors of Bell Canada International Inc., ArrayComm, Inc., Axcelis Technologies, Inc., Sonus Technologies, and United Auto Group. Brian also serves as the U.S. co-chairman of the Global Information Infrastructure Commission, a multinational organization charting the role of the private sector in the developing global information and telecommunications infrastructure. Additionally, he is a member of the Irish Prime Minister's Ireland-America Economic Advisory Board.

Keith Montgomery
President and Chief Executive Officer (Founder)
Keith has 24 years of executive and management experience in technology and communications startup and growth companies. He brings strong strategy, finance, pragmatic top and bottom line management skills, and a team focused management style to iTown. His operational and financial management experiences are complemented by strategic business advisory and Board of Director responsibilities.

Prior to joining iTown, Keith was the co-founder, President and COO of LabBook.com, Inc. a biotechnology software company providing applications supporting research workflow and knowledge management tools. LabBook received the CIO Top 100 Award for innovative use of technology in 2001.

For MCI Communications he served over 18 years from January 1981 to December 1999 retiring after the Worldcom merger. He served MCI as Vice President, Ventures and Alliances and was seconded to international joint ventures in key executive roles to help establish and grow the companies. In this position he also served as a member of the Board of Directors of CLEAR Communications (New Zealand) and advisor to international joint ventures in Mexico, Europe and Asia.

For Concert Communications Services he served as Chief Financial Officer from May 1995 to August 1998 responsible for planning, financial operations, billing, settlements and information technology operations. Concert was a joint venture established in 1992 by British Telecom and MCI to build integrated global networks and develop data and voice products for multinational companies. Concert built data, Internet and voice global networks connecting 98% of the world's telecommunications markets and secured over $2B in customer contracts. While being recognized as the market leader in product development, Concert drove to breakeven under its commercial model. Concert was recognized as a world leader with focus on quality services and innovative use of technology to solve real business issues.

For CLEAR Communications he served as Chief Financial Officer from June 1990 to July 1994 and Chief Operating Officer from October 1993 to July 1994. CLEAR was a joint venture established in 1989 as the alternative telecommunications company in New Zealand. CLEAR was launched in six months and secured 1% market share per month for 12 months. The company's service proposition was based on simple products that worked, reliable billing, and superior customer service. The company expanded its product base to include 800 service, card service, virtual private networks and established direct relationships with its top correspondent countries. CLEAR grew to the 91st largest company in New Zealand, capturing 20% market share and employing over 600 staff. It became profitable and cash flow positive in its third year. CLEAR established itself as the premium service provider, was one of three finalists in the New Zealand Quality Awards, and won the Most Respected Communications Company 1993.

Sanford (Sandy) Fain
Vice President Service, Sales and Marketing
Sandy is responsible for the overall marketing strategy, product development, customer care and top line results. He has 19 years of experience in telecommunications industry in marketing, sales, service delivery, business development and government affairs roles, 16 years in executive roles and 15 years in start-up environments.

For MCI, Sandy was product director for MCI's primary long distance services and its advanced billing services before being seconded to CLEAR Communications (New Zealand), where he designed, staffed and managed the marketing department and consumer and small business sales departments at startup. He was responsible for developing the overall marketing strategy that led to CLEAR gaining one percent market share per month for the first 12 months of operation and 20 percent market share of the New Zealand long distance market in less than three years. He then served as the General Manager of Service, Sales and Marketing for CLEAR where he had revenue responsibility and successfully fought the incumbent monopolist's first serious attempts to win back CLEAR's customers, permitting CLEAR to continue to grow into a $180 million company after three years in operation.

Upon his return to the United State, he joined MCImetro, MCI's entrant into the local telephone service market. As MCImetro's marketing executive, he was responsible for developing the overall product and marketing strategy and establishing the new entrant's marketing and customer service departments. Sandy led the marketing rollout of MCI's local access services in over 25 major metropolitan markets and the launch of MCI's first local telephone services in 10 major cities.

Sandy began his career in government affairs for Southern Pacific Communications (now Sprint) and served as Director of Strategic Analysis and Director of Government Affairs for Allnet Communication before joining MCI.

In addition to his broad experience in the telecommunications industry, Sandy brings the perspective of a city planner to the iTown public/private partnership business model. He earned his Masters Degree in City Planning from the Harvard Graduate School of Design where he explored the impact of telecommunications systems on urban development.

Jerry Sharp
Chief Technology Officer
Jerry is responsible for the design and implementation, and ongoing engineering of the network. He is providing iTown a state-of-the-art network based on proven technology with the flexibility to meet the requirements of expected increasing bandwidth demand from new and enhanced services. With twenty years of advanced engineering experience, his in depth knowledge of Soft Switches, fiber optics, high speed transport, Internet services and network support systems qualifies him to design and deploy fiber optic networks that support "triple play" (voice, video and high speed data) service offerings.

He served as CTO of Ionex Telecommunications where he deployed a Voice over DSL convergence solution allowing simultaneous high speed internet and business data services. He served as a member of the FCC Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) where he provided forward looking and current technical insight into all aspects of communications technology. As CTO of Pathnet, Inc he deployed the first stand alone "soft switch" directly connected the public switched network with full System Signaling Seven support and a full suite of back office support systems. He also aided Pathnet in deploying the first OC-192 DWDM Optical WAN's spanning the US. For Intermedia Communications he engineered a state-of-the-art integrated voice and data service offering over frame relay. Prior to Intermedia, Jerry was Director of Engineering for Bell South.Net for the launch of Bell South into the Internet Service Provider arena. He also designed and implemented the first state-wide multi-protocol WAN for the State of Florida, Division of Communications with multi-homed internet access and enhanced services support.

Mark W. Hagood
Vice President, Business Development
Mark is responsible for building and expanding the iTown business model and networks in selected regions of the country. He has more than 15 years of experience in the telecommunications industry with such companies as Qwest, MCImetro, Velocita, and Arrowhead Global Solutions with extensive experience in the key areas of network development: state and local governmental and regulatory affairs, construction management, network design and implementation, sales and business development involving the sale of and acquisition of network assets.

At Qwest, Mark started as Director of Access Management in the Qwest Construction division where he managed the interconnection activities (engineering, construction, and coordination) between Qwest and the Regional Bell Companies across the country. Mark's business development skills were recognized and he became Director of New Business Development. In this position, Mark was responsible for sales transactions involving more than 200,000 miles of optical fiber networks and associated services valued at more than $800M and acquisitions of network assets valued at more than $200M.

At Velocita, Mark served as Assistant Vice President of Business Development and Network Development and was responsible for the sale of Velocita network assets and the acquisition of assets for the expansion of the Velocita network. At MCImetro, Mark was responsible for managing local and state governmental and regulatory issues in selected regions during the expansion of the MCImetro local networks involving more than 120 local jurisdictions in more than 26 states. At Arrowhead Global Solutions, Mark served as a Subject Matter Expert in regard to fiber optic networks and later served as a program manager on a $50M (classified) telecommunications contract with the Federal government.

Mark, also, brings eight years of experience in public affairs including serving in the Virginia House of Delegates with committee assignments including local government, labor and commerce.

L. Elise Dieterich
Legal Advisor
L. Elise Dieterich, with the law firm of Duncan, Weinberg, Genzer. Pembroke, P.C., serves as legal advisor to the company.

Since 1999, Elise has assisted competitive carriers across the country in the licensing and deployment of broadband fiber optic networks designed to provide bundled telecommunications, video and internet services, including the nation's first and largest bundled service provider. She is experienced in working with both the FCC and local governments, and in negotiating telecommunications, open video system, and cable television franchise agreements. Elise provides legal advice and representation with respect to all aspects of the construction and operation of competitive communications facilities, including regulatory compliance, permitting, bonding, pole attachment and conduit use agreements, contracting for programming and equipment, and related matters.

Previously, Elise served as a senior attorney in the Legal Counsel Division of the Office of the Corporation Counsel for the District of Columbia, founded and ran a Seattle-based dispute resolution consulting firm, and was engaged in private practice with Seattle and Washington, D.C., based law firms, emphasizing trial and appellate litigation, regulatory law, and general business practice. Prior to law school, Elise served as legislative assistant to U.S. Congressman Rod Chandler. Elise is a cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School.