MFS fills two management positions

Stacy Jenkins has been named president and Bob Sommerfeld has been named senior vice president, project development, of MFS Network Technologies (Omaha, NE), a subsidiary of Able Telecom Holding Corp. Jenkins, who has more than 20 years` experience in the network and fiber optics industry, joined the company in 1990 and served as senior vice president of operations and vice president of engineering and estimating. In his new position, Jenkins will have overall management responsibility for the company`s communications and security networks. Sommerfeld has more than 24 years` experience in the telecommunications industry. He joined the company in 1991 and previously held a variety of positions with firms providing engineering and construction management services to the telecommunications industry.

David D. French has been appointed to the board of directors of TransSwitch Corp. (Shelton, CT). French is vice president and general manager of Analog Devices` dsp and Computer Products Div. Before joining Analog Devices, he worked for several years at Texas Instruments and Fairchild Semiconductor, where he held various engineering, marketing, and business management positions.

Lisa Grodin has been appointed marketing communications specialist of Broadband Communications Products Inc. (Melbourne, FL). Grodin will be responsible for advertising, press and media relations, new product announcements, trade shows, publications printing and photography, newsletters, and other marketing support activities.

Grant Seiffert has been promoted to vice president, government affairs for the Telecommunications Industry Assoc. (TIA--Arlington, VA). In his new role, Seiffert`s primary goal is the promotion of a legislative and regulatory environment that fosters the growth of the U.S. telecommunications equipment industry. Formerly director of government affairs, Seiffert will continue his work on issues such as the Communications Assistance of Law Enforcement Act, telecommunications equipment access for persons with disabilities, and full completion reaching all sectors of the U.S. telecommunications market. He has been with the TIA since July 1996, prior to which he worked as a legislative correspondent on telecommunications issues in Sen. John McCain`s (R--AZ) office.

Matthew K. Bessette has joined c-cor (State College, PA) as national accounts manager based in Denver, CO. Bessette will manage several key corporate accounts, including tci, Time Warner Cable, and MediaOne. He has 15 years of experience in the cable telecommunications industry. Among his responsibilities will be the introduction of a complete hybrid fiber/cable product offering.

Ron Fulton has been appointed area sales manager for Ortel Asia Private Ltd. (Singapore), where he will be involved in the company`s growth and expansion in Asia. With more than 15 years of RF and broadband sales experience, Fulton comes to Ortel from adc Telecommunications Singapore Pte. Ltd, where he served as sales engineering manager for broadband communications. Also, Sung Kil An has been appointed director of Asia Pacific sales. An will oversee sales efforts throughout Asia. Previously, he served as director, regional business development sales, for Lucent Technologies.

David A. Bolger has joined the United States Telephone Association (usta--Washington, DC) as vice president of communications. Before his appointment, Bolger worked as director in the Office of Public Affairs for the Federal Railroad Administration since 1994. He will serve as spokesperson and oversee all of usta`s communications efforts, including media relations, and public relations activities.

José Rodriguez has been appointed international sales manager for Latin America at SpecTran Communication Fiber Technologies, a subsidiary of SpecTran Corp. (Sturbridge, MA). Prior to joining the company, he was international sales and marketing manager for General Electric. Rodriguez is also an adjunct professor of international business development at Boston University. Robert A. Schmitz has been elected to SpecTran Corp.`s board of directors. Schmitz has more than 30 years` experience in management consulting, venture capital investing, and mergers and acquisitions.