Ground Equipment Innovations

Mr. Baugh serves as the President and Founder of Northern Sky Research (NSR), which he created in 2000 to provide independent, actionable market research and consulting services to the satellite industry. Mr. Baugh directs all NSR multi-client research reports and single-client consulting projects and manages a global team of analysts that stand at the forefront of satellite industry expertise.

Before forming NSR, Mr. Baugh served as Senior Analyst for Pioneer Consulting where he covered all aspects of the satellite market. Prior to Pioneer, Mr. Baugh was an International Trade Specialist and Economist for the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, DC. While at the Department of Commerce, Mr. Baugh was a recipient of the Charles F. Meissner Memorial Award for his work on trade negotiations in the International Trade Administration.

Mr. Baugh also has extensive legislative and analytical experience from his work for the Committee on International Relations and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, both in the U.S. House of Representatives. Mr. Baugh holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Westminster College and a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from The George Washington University.

Drew oversees and assists the Sales & Marketing departments at C-COM responsible for the promotion of the iNetVu® mobile antenna. Drew works to promote and direct global sales via C-COM’s existing worldwide dealer network, and seeks to develop new resellers who wish to promote the iNetVu® product.

C-COM Satellite Systems is a designer and manufacturer of Comm-on-the-Pause (COTP) mobile antennas (iNetVu®). With 8,000 systems sold in 100 countries, the company is considered a world leader and pioneer. C-COM is also currently nearing the production of mechanically steerable, Ka-band Comm-on-the-Move (COTM) mobile antennas. The company is also in the early-stage development of a unique, electronically steerable Ka-band flat panel antenna system that is modular, conforming and low cost.

Prior to joining C-COM in 2010, Drew worked in Los Angeles for 10 years where he was the President of a national commodity brokerage firm. The company’s key business line was sold to a Chicago based FCM.

In the year 2000, Drew graduated from the University of Waterloo’s Honours Science faculty (Biology) as the class valedictorian and as President of the local chapter of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.

Drew enjoys all sports, poker, stand-up comedy and spending time with his family.

Pam Lugos is currently the Vice President of Business Development at CPI Satcom Products responsible for global business development. Pam joined CPI in 1993 and has held various roles in Product Management, Worldwide Service and Customer support, Program Management of New Product Development and Business Development. She has 25 years of experience in the Satcom ground equipment segment specific to amplifiers and amplifier technology. Pam received her undergraduate degree from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo in Industrial Technology and her MBA from Santa Clara University.

Steve Richeson joined Mission Microwave in 2017 and is responsible for the company’s global sales and marketing. He has over 30 years of Satellite and Radio Frequency (RF) experience in engineering and executive roles across the wireless and satellite communications industry including positions at Harris Corporation, EchoStar, Scientific-Atlanta, GTE Spacenet International, Radiation Systems SATCOM Technologies, and Schlumberger. As a Schlumberger Field Engineer Steve launched the LOGNET service in the Gulf of Mexico with a portable VSAT terminal on a semi-submersible drilling platform – in 1986. This was the first commercial mobile VSAT system. Steve is a Senior Member of the IEEE and a Registered Professional Engineer. He earned his engineering degree at Georgia Tech and an MBA at Georgia State University.

Heidi Thelander is VP of Business Development at Comtech Xicom Technology, addressing a wide range of opportunities for the premier high power amplifier supplier in the Satcom industry. Heidi has over 25 years of experience in the Satcom industry including satellite payload and ground-system design, program management, and new business development roles. She joined Xicom from Wavestream Corporation where she was instrumental in developing and promoting their high power Ka-band SSPA product line.

Other past roles include product management and marketing for optical networking start-up Centerpoint, business development for Lockheed Martin’s Western Development Labs, and a full range of engineering, management and business development positions at TRW Space & Electronics Group (now part of Northrop Grumman). Heidi has her BSEE from Marquette University and MSEE in Communication Systems from the University of Southern California.

Tony Wilkey is Senior Vice President at AvL Technologies with responsibility for US Sales, Marketing and Customer Service. Tony has 30 years of experience in satellite communications in engineering, sales, program management, and general management roles. He began his career at Ford Aerospace in Palo Alto, California (1981-1983) before joining RSI SatCom Technologies (1983-1987, 1992-1995), Georgia Tech Research Institute (1987-1992), COMSAT RSI (1995-1998), and TriPoint Global (1998-2000). Most recently he served as Director of Antenna Systems Business Development for ViaSat (2000-2008), a $500MM US satellite ground systems equipment provider, before joining AvL Technologies in 2008. Tony earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in 1981 and his Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University in 1983.