Jacob learned about the communications industry from an early age hearing many of his family members discuss their work for the local telephone company. After high school, he went into a communications/technology-related field in the Nebraska Air National Guard and earned his bachelor’s in electrical engineering with an emphasis in communications from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

While he has worked on many projects throughout his career, Jacob finds K-12 projects especially significant. He designs technology systems for schools and other education spaces that make learning more accessible to all students. This directly impacts children and students’ lives, providing them with the tools they need for a successful future, which is what Jacob finds most rewarding.

He recognizes that as more systems are connected to the network and buildings become smarter, technology designers are going to have to be more heavily involved in the design process. Jacob believes good technology designers are the ones that take the initiative to coordinate with all project consultants in order to achieve an integrated, cohesive design. He sees this as a great opportunity for technology designers to learn other systems that they wouldn’t normally be involved with, allowing them to provide more well-rounded designs and recommendations moving forward.