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Founders Award
2026 NACTEL Founders Award
The NACTEL Founders Award honors those whose spirit of innovation shaped the NACTEL Program since its inception in 1998. Those 3 individuals include:
- Dr. Frederick Dreyfus, former faculty and course developer, whose intellectual curiosity and innovativeness formed the basis for our curriculum.
- Ms. Susan Kannel, former CAEL and NACTEL Executive Director (1998 – 2017) for shepherding, coaching, and organizing the NACTEL coalition of members.
- Dr. David Sachs, former founding co-director of NACTEL, whose leadership, innovative and creative problem-solving ability, high academic standards, and commitment to viewing the student as a customer, guided the development of the NACTEL online structure.
The Founders Award is presented to a NACTEL student who has persisted in taking courses taken at Pace University. The recipient has demonstrated a strong desire to achieve a technical degree and is a lifetime learner. The award recipient has a passion for learning and is determined to succeed.
The 2026 Founders Award Recipient is Joshua Tabler – a Seidenberg graduate who started in the program in 2011 after being hired by Verizon/Frontier (now Ziply Fiber). He completed his Associate in Science in Applied Information Technology in 2016 and now his Bachelor of Science in Professional Technology Studies this May. Joshua plans to start his MS in Cybersecurity this summer.
Q&A with Joshua Tabler
General Information
I live in Camas, Washington, on the edge of the Portland/Vancouver metro area. I have a son who also lives nearby.
I started the NACTEL program shortly after being hired by Verizon/Frontier (now Ziply Fiber) in 2011, beginning as a freshman while working full‑time. I enrolled in the NACTEL program because I’ve always believed that the future belongs to people who understand the infrastructure behind our digital world. NACTEL offered a way to build that foundation — not just to keep up with internet technologies, but to help shape where they’re going. The program aligned with my long‑term goal of designing secure, scalable systems and contributing to the evolution of modern communications. It gave me the tools to think like a builder, innovate like a founder, and prepare for leadership in a rapidly changing field.
- Current Employment Company: ZiplyFiber
- Location: Camas, Washington
- Position: Sales and Service Technician 1C
- Union Member: Yes, IBEW Local 89
Job Responsibilities
My work centers on building the communication systems that keep organizations connected. I install and integrate data, hosted voice, and enterprise Wi‑Fi solutions for businesses, and I design and implement full‑scale commercial Wi‑Fi networks for environments that demand both scale and resilience — including vineyards, RV parks, and AAA baseball stadiums. These projects combine engineering, problem‑solving, and system‑level thinking to deliver reliable connectivity in places where it matters most.
First Job in Computing/Telecommunications
This role was my first formal position in the telecommunications industry. Before stepping into this job, I worked pulling data wiring in a variety of businesses, which gave me hands‑on exposure to the physical layer of network infrastructure. That early experience taught me how systems are built from the ground up and prepared me to take on more advanced responsibilities in telecom and network engineering.
How Earning My Degrees Has Affected My Work and Personal Life
Earning multiple degrees has expanded the way I think about technology, leadership, and my own potential. Each program added a new layer of understanding — from the fundamentals of network infrastructure to the strategic mindset required in computer networking. This education has elevated my work, allowing me to approach problems with a systems‑level perspective rather than just a task‑level view. Personally, it has given me a sense of direction and purpose, reinforcing that I’m building a long‑term career, not just working a job.
Future Career Goals
My next goal is to step into higher‑level roles in cybersecurity and infrastructure architecture, where I can design systems that are secure, scalable, and built for the future. This is why I have enrolled in the cybersecurity master’s degree program at Pace University, which I will begin this summer while continuing to work full‑time. I’m focused on moving from hands‑on implementation toward strategic leadership — shaping how organizations think about connectivity, resilience, and security. Ultimately, I want to contribute to building the next generation of intelligent, secure infrastructure at a regional or national scale.