Claudine Vipperman

President, VCI Towers, LLC

Orlando, Fl Area – Marketing, Telecommunications

                                    & Real Estate/Construction Development

 

Current:              VCI Towers, LLC

Previous:              VCI Group, Inc.

Clients:         AT&T, Sprint Nextel, Comcast, Verizon, T-Mobile,

Metro PCS, Bechtel, Ericsson, Lucent - Tides Hotel, Hotel 71, Breakwater/Edison Hotels, Printers Row Hotel & Westgate Resorts

 

 

BIO:

 

Claudine Vipperman is a seasoned executive known for her aggressiveness, attention to detail, and hands-on approach to driving results.  Having founded her own real estate, construction management and project management company in 1999, exceeding more than 50 employees, Claudine utilized her strong leadership background to grow the company to one of the premier Real Estate and Construction consulting firms in the southeast--deploying large-scale network builds for virtually every major carrier, as well as personally directing some of the most high-profile hotel/condominium conversions in Florida and Chicago.  Her leadership and vast experience has helped her clients achieve their aggressive build plans on-time and under budget.

 

At a time when the Wireless industry was struggling and adjusting to two (2) major mergers and aggressively changing technologies, Claudine utilized her business experience and aggressively pursued business outside of telecommunications. As an investor in five (5) major hotel/condo conversions in South Florida and Chicago, Claudine was a major voice with the Lenders and other investors in spearheading the projects. Thereafter, the Lenders and Investors agreed to hire VCI Group, specifically Claudine, to manage the turnkey development of all five (5) conversions. In doing so, Claudine managed the Lenders draws, P&L, the disbursement of funds to the subcontractors, the overall renovation schedules, hiring and firing of contractors, Attorneys, title agencies, interior and architectural designers, etc. Overall, Claudine’s experience in real estate and construction and her personal financial interest in the projects proved to be mutually beneficial to all involved.

 

As the Wireless industry began to spring ahead, the competitive nature of the newly merged Companies required them to prepare for their 3.5G & 4G build out. Claudine saw an opportunity to begin building her own inventory of towers by which AT&T and others would need. These tower locations were not the run of the mill but would be very strategically placed in heavy residential areas; almost impossible locations. Claudine started VCI Towers, LLC in 2008 and began negotiating leases with high profile Landlords, engineering the sites, zoning and permitting the towers and thereafter offering these sites to ATT, Sprint, etc. Soon after, AT&T would reach out to VCI Towers to build more “impossible” sites throughout the Southeast. Claudine continues to represent the Carriers in building and selling her challenging yet profitable sites.

 

Being the CEO/President of any Company requires a special mindset and assertiveness. Claudine knew the importance of business development but more importantly, “keeping” business was the future of the VCI. Being strategic in selecting the right Client, at the right time along with budgeting accordingly, is also a key factor in being successful. In addition, while many Companies seek financial assistance, Claudine did not want to rely on others for financial backing. Completing work in an efficient and timely manner and more importantly, billing in a timely manner, allowed VCI to self-fund all projects and employees; not always an easy task, but Claudine was involved with every aspect of every project from obtaining contracts, opening new offices, budgeting and allocation, assigning the work within the Company, overseeing P&L, AR & AP, PO’s, invoice approvals and every day oversight of Employees and Customer interfacing. For the past fourteen (14) years, VCI’s average annual revenues were eight million dollars ($8,000,000.00).

 

Overall, Claudine’s motto in leading teams and individuals whether as the President of a Company or as a consultant to her Client is: “Aggressiveness, experience, market knowledge, creative solutions and attention to detail are the basis by which to operate each and every day; start with the end in-mind, listen to the customer’s goals, plan strategically and end successfully”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1711 Oneco Avenue, Winter Park, Fl 32789

Phone: (407) 491-0872 · E-Mail: cvipperman@gmail.com

 

 

VCI Towers, LLC

President, 2008 – Present

 

Professional Experience as President of VCI Towers, LLC

·          Awarded multiple tower sites by the local Carriers of which a tower was needed. Sites were deemed “impossible” to lease, zone and construct

·          Responsibilities included selecting a property, heavy legal negotiations with elite Landlords, management of architectural engineering, nepa, phase 1, extremely challenging public hearings, permitting

·          Bidding of construction to local GCs, ordering of materials to erect the tower and overall management of construction

·          Marketing and leasing tower space to the Carriers, management of each Carrier’s construction of their facilities

·          Marketing and selling towers to potential purchasers within the industry; including project ROI on their investment, long term P&L, etc.

·          Successfully leased, zoned, constructed, owned and operated twenty four (24) of the twenty eight (28) sites assigned to VCI Towers; sites that were deemed “impossible”

 

 

VCI Group, Inc.

President/CEO 1999 – 2013

 

Professional Experience as President of VCI Group, Inc.

Verizon AAV/Backhaul Project, Atlanta and Savannah 2010 – 2012

Turnkey Development, 200+ sites

·         Negotiated and secured contracts with Verizon and Comcast; established processes and procedures; budgets and timelines for both Companies; opened offices and warehouses

·          Acted as the direct liaison between Verizon and Comcast for  all Developmental activities, including ISP and OSP design, hiring and coordination of electrical contractors, establishing new processes, management of ISP construction contractors and overall coordination of the local LEC’s (OSP) meet points and construction timelines

·          Management of all preconstruction activities from site surveys, Phase 1,, landlord negotiations, architectural and engineering designs and re-designs, easements, permitting, legal entitlements and NTP’s

·          Directly managed project coordinators and financial leads to insure PO’s were issued immediately, closeouts uploaded accordingly and vendor payments were paid in timely manners and overall budget was complied with for all three (3) Companies

 

 

AT&T Mobility 2012

Turnkey Development, 14 sites, RNC, Tampa

·          Republican National Convention, Tampa, Fl (RNC)

With AT&T as the Corporate sponsor, minimal time was given to deploy additional wireless sites to accommodate the influx of population.

_·          Individual responsibilities included Corporate level real estate negotiations, environmental and architectural management; jurisdictional meetings and zoning determinations, complex legal negotiations with elite landlords such as TIA, Tropicana Field, major hotel chains; operational coordination, installation and optimization

 

 

AT&T Mobility Project, Virginia and West Virginia 2009 - 2012

Turnkey Project Management, 342 sites, 1C-4C development ,GSM, LTE, Fiber/backhaul and

4G Technology Projects

·         Negotiated and secured work; staffed and opened offices and warehouses;

·          Responsible for the Management of all Site Development personnel and activities, including daily Client interfacing, Site Acquisition Agents, Zoning and Permitting personnel, Architectural/Engineering, Environmental regulations and Construction firms, Ordering and Installation of Equipment and Microwave Backhaul

·          Establishing and setting processes and procedures, scheduling of materials and construction

·          Directly managed project controls for uploading of documents, issuance of PO’s and vendor payments

·          Management of budget(s), daily reporting and interface with the Client

·          Directly managed 21 Employees and over twenty five subcontractors, their budgets, timelines while maintaining control over VCI’s budgets and timelines

 

 

Clearwire, 2009-2011

Preconstruction and Construction Development, Orlando, Jacksonville, Tampa, Miami, Houston & Dallas, Over 600 Sites

·          Managed  Site Development activities including initial site assessments for viability, Leasing, Zoning, Permitting, Environmental, Architectural and Engineering

·          Directly interfaced with Historical Review boards and Jurisdictional Attorneys

·          Successfully completed the first 102 sites within budget and required corporate timelines

·          Awarded additional work based on exemplary performance

·          Directly managed approximately 16 employees and over 20 subcontractors

 

 

XHOM Wimax 4G Launch, 2007-2009

Turnkey Development, Orlando, Jacksonville, Tampa, Over 200 Sites

·          Managed Site Development activities including leasing, zoning, permitting, A&E and construction

·          Directly reported all activities, progress and projections to the Client

·          Managed 7 Directors, 3 Finance experts, 14 Site acquisition managers and 6 construction managers as well as monitoring general contractors

·          Directly responsible for finance, PO’s, payments, negotiations of vendor contracts and overall P&L

 

 

Sprint, 1C Network Overlay Project, 2006-2007

Turnkey Development, Orlando, Jacksonville, Tampa, 150+ sites

·          Managed Site Development activities including leasing, zoning, permitting, A&E and construction

·          Directly reported all activities, progress and projections to the Client

·          Directly responsible for finance, PO’s, payments, negotiations of vendor contracts and overall P&L

 

Sprint, 2005-2007

Turnkey Development, Sprint Cell Site Hardening Project, Over 700 Sites

·          Was issued 92 Priority 1 EOC sites in Florida that were deemed “impossible to harden” by other Companies. Within 3 months, 88 of the sites had resolution and were ultimately constructed. Responsibilities included extreme landlord negotiations, creative AE designs and close management of the general contractors.

·          Based on performance, an additional 600+ sites were issued to VCI for full turnkey development

·          Managed over 50 employees, more than 6 A&E firms and 30+ general contractors

·          Directly reported any/all progress and issues to the Client, attended daily Client and internal deployment calls, site acquisition, zoning, permitting, construction managers and overall construction

·          Maintained the highest performance levels out of all turnkey vendors throughout the duration of the project

·          Directly responsible for finance, PO’s, payments, negotiations of vendor contracts and overall P&L

Hotel/Condo Conversions 2004 - 2006

Turnkey Development of High Profile Hotels in South Florida and Chicago

Tides Hotel, Breakwater Edison, Crown Plaza, Hotel 71 Chicago

·          Direct liaison between Investors, Banks and subcontractors and overall Project Manager of hotel/condo conversions. Contracted to manage the overall budget, progress, bank draws, K-1 distributions, association meetings, weekly investor calls and ROI of investors

·          Directly managed architects, engineers, interior designers, environmental, sales team, condo docs, hiring and firing of firms and individuals involved in the project(s)

·          Responsible for OSHA training and regulations, scheduling, attending and representing Owners and Investors  OSHA and FDA inspections

·          Worked closely with local law firms and historical associations to resolve obstacles associated with stringent historical renovation requirements

·          Managed and coordinated over 34 subcontractors and 50+ individuals associated with the project(s)

                               

 

Bellsouth Mobility, AKA Cingular Wireless, Southeast   2004- 2005

Director of Real Estate, Consultant, 2,800 sites in the Southeast

·         Directly managed Bechtel Telecommunications for Fl, GA, LA

·         Responsible for P&L, scheduling and projecting 50+ milestones per site

·         Direct liaison between Bechtel and BSM

 

 

AT&T Wireless, 2002-2004

Turnkey Development, Fl and GA, 3,500+ sites, Southeast

·         With Bechtel in market handling new sites, VCI was awarded special projects such as microwave, capacity sites, relocations, sectorizations, etc

·         Performed all site acquisition, zoning, permitting, entitlements, power, telco and construction

·         Responsible for P&L, AR/AP, PO issuances, vendor payments

·         Managed over 35 employees and 30+ subcontractors

 

 

AT&T Wireless/Bechtel Telecommunications     2000-2001

Pre-Construction Management for 3,500 site, Southeast

·         Coordinated directly with AT&T Corporate Management as part of a “Tag Team” to alleviate challenges with, originally the 2G build out; 3G thereafter. The SE region was an example of overall lack of organization and industry knowledge. Individually managed six (6) Bechtel markets from search ring inception to notice to proceed. Daily involvement included negotiating revised and expedient master agreements (MLA’s) specific to the 2G/3G AT&T’s build out needs, directing Market Leads, Site Acquisition Managers, Project Coordinators, Finance, A&E, entitlements, Construction Managers and General Contractors.

·         Re-organized the staff based on strengths, weaknesses and experience to increase overall production

·         Managed over 100 employees, 40+ AE firms and over 48 General Contractors

·         Both 2G and 3G deployments were launched on time and under budget

 

AT&T Wireless,  1999-2000

Director of Real Estate, North Florida, Consultant,

·         Direct management of site acquisition, zoning personnel, A&E, PO’s, entitlements

·         Coordination with construction management and telco divisions

·         Management of power and telco orders/installations

TDI, Inc.

Bellsouth Mobility, DCS, Savannah GA  1997-1998

·         Lead Site Acquisition Agent handling over 127 negotiations

·         Promoted to Site Acquisition Manager based on performance

·         Began construction and construction management training through the duration of the project; construction site walks, bids, inventive designs, OSHA training, tower construction conventions

·         Designed and managed the build to suit division along with direct marketing to the Carriers

 

TDI, INC

APT/Aerial/AKA T-Mobile PROJECT 1996-1997

Preconstruction services for over 120 Sites

·         Site Acquisition Agent responsible for Tampa and Orlando

·         Personally negotiated over 80 leases within Clients timelines

·         Promoted to lead Site Acquisition at the end of the project

 

 

Additional Accomplishments:

Successfully and independently negotiated Master Service Agreements (MSA’s) with Ericsson, AT&T, Nextel, Sprint, Xhom, Clearwire, Verizon, T-Mobile, Metro PCS, Comcast, Dynis, Lucent and Goodman Communications whereas VCI became preferred vendor partners over the past fifteen (15) years.

 

South Florida Movers and Shakers, Business Leader Award, 2009

AT&T Career Management/Coaching for Managers

Meet Lead Training: Get more done with fewer, more productive meetings

Costred Training: Cost reduction seminar

Think Solve Training: Problem Solving & Critical Thinking             

Bechtel Behavioral Interviewing Training             

OSHA and HIPPA training

 

Proficiencies:

Share Point 2013 Hosting Training and Usage

Skype Internal Meetings

Access

Peachtree Financial Database

Excel/Microsoft/V-look ups

 

Education and Training

 

Radford University, Radford, VA, 1990-1993

Wytheville Community College, 1989-1990

 

References:

Dave Wong, Regional Director of Ericsson – (321-323-6494) – david.x.wong@ericsson.com (8 year work relationship)

 

Marie Hand, National Real Estate, EdgeConnex – (561) 414-9306 mahandcarullo@edgeconnex.com (14 year work relationship)

 

Rick Arrigo, Regional PM, AT&T Wireless – (407) 314-8238 – ra5939@att.com  (13 year work relationship)

 

Hinnerk Koepp, formerly AT&T Wireless; now Regional Manager with Jacobs, Inc. – (919) 916-8979