Management Team
Industry leaders with more than a century of experience.
Industry leaders with more than a century of experience.
Mike Sicoli is CEO of DQE Communications, where he has overall responsibility for all aspects of the business, with a specific emphasis on accelerating DQE’s growth and driving operational excellence.
Prior to joining DQE, Mike was a principal at MTS Advisors, a consulting and advisory firm he founded, and served on several boards, including HorizonIQ, Gigstreem and Everstream. Prior to that role, Mike was President & CEO of Internap, a global colocation, private cloud and network provider. Earlier in his career, Mike held various leadership roles at GTT, Sidera Networks, RCN, and Nextel Communications.
Mike holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from The College of William & Mary and an MBA from University of Virginia, Darden Graduate School of Business Administration.
Joe Bellini is the CFO of DQE Communications, where he oversees all aspects of the finance function, including accounting, tax, financial planning and financial operations.
Prior to joining DQE Communications, Joe successfully managed financial operations and contributed to significant growth within the telecommunications and networking industries. Joe began his career in public accounting, then transitioned to broader finance roles at Hibernia Networks, GTT, and most recently at Network to Code.
Joe is a graduate of Lehigh University, with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting.
Nikki Marsh is the CRO of DQE Communications, where she oversees all revenue-generating functions, including sales, marketing, and customer service.
Prior to joining DQE Communications, Nikki held senior leadership positions at Global Crossing, CenturyLink, Lumen, and most recently, Windstream. With over 30+ years of industry experience, Nikki brings a diverse background in both sales and IT leadership, which helps her successfully lead teams in developing and executing revenue strategies that significantly increase market share and profitability.
Nikki graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Penn State University.
Shawn Blanner is the Director of Operations at DQE Communications and is responsible for operating and maintaining DQE’s metropolitan area dark fiber network, including outside plant engineering, permitting, material purchasing, cable plant construction and maintenance, network planning, facilities construction, real estate management, sales support, and customer activation. His expertise in the telecommunications industry extends for over 20 years.
Shawn has overseen in the operations of design and engineering of new network infrastructure to complete customer contracts, as well as network rebuilds to include laterals and backbone infrastructure. Shawn has managed over 2000+ fiber miles of network and delivery of lit services of ATM, SONET, Ethernet Transport, DWDM and GPON Platforms prior to joining DQE Communications. He has been an asset to companies such as Penn Access, TCG, AT&T, Second Century, Comcast and Fibertech Networks (Lightower).
Shawn is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Sciences.
Paul McGinn is the Sr. Director of Technology for DQE Communications. He is responsible for the design and expansion of the DQE’s Lit-Services network, that began as a Pittsburgh-based network and has now expanded throughout western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Harrisburg. Paul is also responsible for product development, information technology, and cyber security. Since joining the organization in 2011, Paul has helped cultivate DQE’s customer-centric focus, working to maintain relationships and provide customers with the customized solutions they deserve.
Additionally, Paul has helped maintain and expand DQE’s provisioning and monitoring systems that help DQE team members maintain unity, create awareness of network changes, and notify engineers and technicians of network events. He encourages consistency and efficiency through automation to drive DQE’s commitment to excellent service delivery.
Prior to joining DQE, Paul began his Network Engineering career with Met-Net Communications while attending Pittsburgh Technical Institute. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science with a focus in computer animation and is a graduate of The Art Institute of Pittsburgh.
Dan Clipper is the Director of Human Resources for DQE Communications. He oversees all aspects of People Operations, collaborating closely with business leaders to enhance performance, develop talent, and foster employee engagement.
Prior to joining DQE, Dan has spent nearly two decades as a Human Resources professional with Fortune 500 companies such as Cigna, US Steel and Halliburton.
Dan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Penn State University.
Bob Ritter is the General Counsel for DQE Communications and is responsible for leading DQE’s legal function, as well as corporate compliance, regulatory strategy and government affairs. Joining DQE in April of 2024, Bob is a seasoned legal and business leader with over a quarter century of telecommunications experience.
Previously, he served in various legal and business roles at Comcast, Crown Castle and Nextel, with additional experience as a private practice attorney, business consultant, non-profit executive, and journalist. Over the last two decades Bob has focused on telecommunications network expansion, with experience in design, permitting and deployment of fiber networks, small cells, wireless towers, in-building systems and edge data centers. His background also includes rural broadband expansion, regulatory policy, lobbying, mergers & acquisitions, and business development.
Bob holds a B.A. in political science magna cum laude from Bucknell University, and a law degree and master’s degree in American government from the University of Virginia. He also holds a Certificate of Qualification from the Federation of Law Societies of Canada and is licensed to practice law in both the U.S. and Canada.