Michael W. Drake
Mr. Drake has served the cable communications industry for over 25 years. His long career as an advocate for independent cable operators has touched just about every corner of the small independent cable operator community.
This former CPA planted his cable roots in 1983, when he served as treasurer and chief financial officer for Cardiff Communications, which owned and operated cable systems and published trade magazines. His career would lead to the brokerage firm the Pat Thompson Co., and later to his own brokerage firms Drake Communications and Milestone Communications, Inc., where he is currently president and sole shareholder.
Milestone Communications, Inc. also served as general partner for Milestone Communications, LP, an independent cable operator that at its peak served more then 12,000 subscribers in six eastern states. Mr. Drake was the largest limited partner in this entity when it sold its last systems early in 2007.
Mr. Drake has structured key and numerous transactions within the cable community, consulted for independent cable operators and contributed valuable service, as an operator and a broker, to independent cable operators for over 25 years.
Mr. Drake served on the board of directors, as treasurer and on the executive committee of the American Cable Association from 2003 through 2006, and is the 2006 recipient of the association’s Lyn Simpson Grassroots Spirit Award.
Mr. Drake is a graduate of Iowa State University and an alumnus of KPMG.
Roxanne Y. Criswell
Ms. Criswell has worked within the cable communications industry for over 20 years. The development of cable communication services to rural areas, and advocacy for independent cable operators defines her passionate service to the industry.
In the 1980’s, Ms. Criswell began her career as sales manager for a 24,000-subscriber system. Later, as director of marketing, Ms. Criswell provided her marketing expertise to an MSO developing cable systems in eastern and central New York State. In the 1990’s, Ms. Criswell turned to ownership and became an executive and shareholder in a new family entity created to develop unserved areas in her home state of Pennsylvania. As president of her family-owned corporation, Ms. Criswell’s responsibilities included all facets of corporate planning, marketing and management.
Always an advocate for small cable, Ms. Criswell initiated the early groundwork to encourage members of and leaders in the Pennsylvania state cable association (BCAP) to band together in what later became a successful fight to reduce and eliminate pole attachment audit fee abuses in the state.
Ms. Criswell applies her marketing, analytical and operations expertise on behalf of clients. Ms. Criswell excels at and is instrumental in our client relations efforts and assists in providing the hands-on service that Milestone clients have come to expect.
Ms. Criswell is a graduate of Penn State University.
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