Madison Cappabianco has been breaking barriers since she decided to enter the broadband industry.
After joining Monte R. Lee & Company (Oklahoma City), Cappabianco became the first female professional engineer at the company. Eventually, she was promoted to vice president. Just over a year later, Cappabianco continued reaching new heights, becoming the first woman elected vice chair of the Association of Communication Engineers (ACE).
She attributes her success to the Monte R. Lee & Company team and close colleagues in the industry, as well as her work with the NTCA Associate Member Advisory Council and Women in Telecom program.
“Attending the Women in Telecom fly-in was a pivotal point for me,” she said. “The offering of support and friendship from the women I talked to was beyond encouraging and gave me some great examples of female leaders in the industry.”
Cappabianco said she had the opportunity to learn many necessary skills firsthand from her mother, who was a lawyer, including how to make your voice stand out in a male-dominated industry.
One piece of advice, “Remember to keep your focus, keep your head high and let your work speak for itself,” has helped Cappabianco be prepared for any role.
“I have had the opportunity to become increasingly involved in the industry and learn about the impacts that our clients and NTCA members have on rural communities,” she said. “The more I learn, and as current events develop, the more motivated I am to do what I can to deploy and keep broadband in rural America.”