SBCA Staff

Joseph Widoff has spent over thirty years in television and radio broadcasting, technology and education. In addition to serving in senior leadership positions at two public broadcasting stations, he worked at the Advanced Television Test Center, the facility which tested digital transmission systems for the FCC that ultimately resulted in the approved standard due to be completed by February 17, 2009. Mr. Widoff has also been a leader in the use of new media in the delivery of educational and instructional materials to teachers and students.

Mr. Widoff has a graduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an undergraduate degree from Clark University. He was elected as a “DTV Pioneer” by the Consumer Electronics Associations and has been recognized by both NTIA and PBS for his leadership in the digital television conversion.

20 years of experience in the consumer electronics industry, including retail management sales, distribution and customer relations. Mr. Hill has over 10 years experience in the satellite industry starting with Pegasus Communications a 3rd party reseller of DIRECTV. During his tenure at Pegasus, Mr. Hill held a variety of roles within the organization. From 2001-2004 Mr. Hill was the Director of Installation and Quality Assurance for Pegasus, in this role he was responsible for the development and implementation of numerous initiatives designed to reduce service costs and improve customer experience throughout the installation and service network.

Prior to joining the SBCA staff in 2004, Mr. Hill served on a number of the association’s working groups.

Mr. Benjamin Rowan is responsible for carrying out the Education Department’s daily operational tasks. His responsibilities include managing the licensing database, grading tests, and fulfilling test orders. Mr. Rowan has been with the SBCA since 2005. Prior to joining the SBCA, he worked in the real estate and healthcare industries while attending school.

Mr. Rowan received a B.A. in International Affairs from Florida State University and a M.A. in Political Science from George Washington University.

Martin Esteves has been with the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association since June, 2002. Mr. Esteves currently serves as Manager of Membership and Data Management at SBCA in Washington DC. Mr. Esteves is responsible for fulfilling the Effective Competition & Tracking Reports and for managing and processing SBCA membership.

Prior to joining the SBCA Mr. Esteves was a graduate of James Madison University where he received his B.A. in Marketing.

Lisa Volpe McCabe has over 17 years of experience in telecommunications policy and government relations. Ms. McCabe's work has focused on Federal Communications Commission regulatory issues at several Washington law firms, covering federal and state regulatory affairs at AT&T Wireless, managing state legislative and regulatory affairs at Nextel Communications and most recently, supervising state legislative affairs for the Northeast region as Director of Government Affairs at Sprint Nextel Communications.

Ms. McCabe has a graduate degree in telecommunications from George Washington University and an undergraduate degree from Kenyon College.

Mrs. Amy Hager joined SBCA in April 2010. With a decade of communications, public relations and marketing experience, Mrs. Hager spearheads the communications efforts of SBCA. She focuses on providing quality programs and content to members and partners alike. Formerly with the Associated General Contractors of America and Wet Apple Media, she brings a wealth of experience to the Association.

Mrs. Hager is a Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal 40 Under Forty honoree, received her B.A. in Mass Communications from Minnesota State Univ., Mankato and grew up in Northern Iowa.

Abdul Salam is the Sr. Director of Finance and Human Resources with SBCA. In this position, he is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the finance and human resources department.

Mr. Salam has been working in non-profit finance administration for nine years. Prior to joining SBCA, he was an accountant in the finance division of the American Society of Travel Agents.

A graduate of George Mason University, Mr. Salam is currently preparing for the Certified Public Accountant's exam.

Paulette Y. Thomas is the Office Manager for the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association. She has been with SBCA for over 3 years. Before moving to her current position, Paulette worked with SBCA's education and accounting departments.

As office manager, Ms. Thomas is responsible for the general administration of the office, scheduling interoffice programs/meeting and interfacing with many of the organizations vendors. She is also responsible for SBCA interoffice communications.

Ms. Thomas received her B.S. in Business Administration from Almeda University in Boise, Ohio.

Shahzad Haider serves as the Sr. Director Information Systems for the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association (SBCA). Mr. Haider brings in over 8 years of experience in the field of IT. Mr. Haider has a bachelor degree in Computer Science. In addition to the degree Mr. Haider has number of IT certifications including Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA) & Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP). Currently Mr. Haider is pursuing a Masters degree in Information Systems Management from University of Maryland

Mr. Haider joined SBCA in January 2004 and since then is managing all aspects of IT related tasks at SBCA, which includes managing websites, online training and certification programs, development of new tools, database and network management, user support and more.