MEET THE STAFF

Greg Austin

President/Founder

I’ve been in the industry for over 34 years, and founded Ameritel in 2009. I first received telecommunications training in the United States Air Force, and I later used those skills to become the youngest field service engineer in RCA, the leading telecommunications company in the nation at the time. Now, I oversee all operations of the company, primarily managing accounts, sales, and office admin.

Karaoke is my favorite pastime. I absolutely love losing myself to a good ol’ Brooks & Dunn song. I also enjoy time with my two oldest daughters and their families. My youngest daughter and I enjoy being outside, riding horses, or swimming in the pool.

I would love to go anywhere tropical – and then I’d like to just stay there and live permanently.

Greg Austin

I’ve been in the industry for over 34 years, and founded Ameritel in 2009. I first received telecom training in the United States Air Force, and I later used those skills to become the youngest field service engineer in RCA, the leading telecom company in the nation at the time. Now, I oversee all operations of the company, using my experience to manage accounts, help with sales, and oversee office admin.

Mike Akers

Director of Operations

I am a managing partner, having founded the company with Greg Austin in 2009. I’ve been in this industry for over 30 years. I coordinate installation, training, and service of all products, mainly overseeing the technical team. I enjoy the outdoors, camping, rock climbing, mountain biking, and canoeing. My extended family is scattered across the United States; I would like to travel and visit each one of them.

Cliff Duke

Account Executive

I’ve been with Ameritel 6.5 years, but I’ve been in the telecommunications industry since 1998. I love this industry because you always have to think. It keeps you on your toes.

My goal is to do my best to ensure 100% satisfaction for all of our customers – whether it’s on an installation with a new customer or following up with customers that have been in the Ameritel family for years. I do my best to progress the company and seek new customers via referrals and customer relationships. I pride myself in being the first line of contact for customer questions and concerns.

I’m a family man. I enjoy time with my wife and grown daughters and their families. We do family cookouts weekly and are church-goers. My favorite way to relax and clear my head, though, is on the golf course. I’ve been playing golf since I was 8 years old. Another pastime of mine is ballroom dancing.

We take trips to Hilton Head, SC bi-yearly, which I can’t get enough of. I’m a simple kind of person. Give me a beach, chair, and a cool refreshing beverage and I’m really happy!

Brittany Bettis

Office Manager

I am the designated office manager for AVDS, as I have been since we opened in 2009. I’ve worked in this industry since 2007. I love this type of work environment and the people within it. I do the accounting for the Ameritel side of the house. In addition, I process completed service tickets and ensure that they get billed to the correct parties in a time-efficient manner, working alongside the other office staff to help with technician scheduling and dispatching. I also take care of all receptionist duties and incoming calls. Being a mom of four, my family does everything as a squad. I love spending time with friends, but spending time with family is by far the most rewarding part of my life. I also am very tight-knit with my sisters. We all enjoy nice dinners out, and fun outings like skating or hiking. We also enjoy board games, Uno, and Wii games on the days we stay in. Going to Paris and seeing the Eiffel Tower has always been a dream of mine! I love fashion and nice things; I can’t even imagine what the fashion capital of the world would have to offer. I even studied French in high school and college just so I can be prepared to go one day.

Brooke Szakacs

Star2Star Customer Relations Manager

My part in the Ameritel family since 2015 has been to provide all Star2Star customers with confidence in our services and increase customer satisfaction. I serve as a bridge between the customer and our manufacturer, Star2Star, as far as basic communicating, fulfilling customer expectations, placing orders, mediating billing, and processing contracts. I also oversee shipping details, and ensure that porting, installation, and training go smoothly. Post-installation, I set up auto-attendants and scheduling for our customers to guarantee a positive transition. Family is my main priority. Being a mom of three, we mostly spend time together as a family outdoors camping or fishing. When the weather doesn’t cooperate, we enjoy family outings such as going to the arcade or jump park. We also love staying in and gaming or having movie nights together snuggling with our fur babies. I am a huge animal lover. When I do get me time, I enjoy date night and I take pleasure in delving into my creative interests such as photography and writing. I’d really like to visit Australia – it looks like it would be absolutely beautiful hiking territory full of wildlife I’m not typically exposed to. I’ve always dreamt of going to Ireland too, such nice scenery.

Natasha Leiding

PR/Marketing Director

I started at Ameritel in June 2017. I didn’t come from the telecommunications industry, but I did come from a background of marketing and sales.

I wear many hats here at Ameritel, as we all work together to fulfill any duty necessary to ensure customer satisfaction. Primarily I am responsible for delivering Ameritel’s image and message to the public (and potential new customers) in an effective way that is understandable and relatable. I establish, organize, execute, and follow up on each of our marketing campaigns.

Outside of work I do my best to be outdoors, whether it’s hiking, kayaking, rock climbing, or walking the dog around the block. I also enjoy reading, writing, listening to TedTalks, working out, and dancing.

I’d like to see all the ancient wonders! I also want to take a road trip to the West Coast, followed by trips to Hawaii and Alaska. Several places in Central/South America, Europe, and Southeast Asian countries are also on my bucket list.

Nicole Pritchett

Account Executive

I started with Ameritel in 2018, and I’m glad to be here! I go out and speak with potential clients about the awesome products we have to offer. I help new clients come on board and set up new accounts. Outside of work, I do art and spend time outside. I especially love going to the lake. If I could go anywhere, I would visit New Zealand or Egypt.

Daniel Smith

Lead Technician

I’ve been the Lead Technician since Ameritel opened in 2009. Since age 12 or so, I’ve always enjoyed pulling electronics apart and trying to figure out their internal functions, and how to put them back together again. I help map out a plan for each install we do. This process includes testing internet speed and bandwidth and ensuring that the new telephone system supports everything already in place. I also participate in cabling and programming for each system. For existing systems, I troubleshoot and correspond with our manufacturer to maintain Quality of Service. If I’m not catching up on the latest technology release or discovery, I enjoy working out and playing video games to relax. I love music, especially seeing live shows. I also enjoy time I get with loved ones, it doesn’t really matter what we’re doing. Because of my adoration for technology, I would love the opportunity to visit CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Switzerland (it’s the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator).

David Smith

Technician

I’ve been a technician with Ameritel since 2012. As a kid, I was fascinated by electricity and I loved learning about voltage and what made things work. That later developed into a passion for technology and a pursuit on how everything tech-based works. I work on installing the telephones and system components in new customer sites. I do various types of programing, cabling, and problem solving. After the initial installation, I offer tech support through our on-going maintenance guarantee and help with any moves, additions, or changes the customer may need. I am interested in all things technology, music, and space related. I also enjoy strategy-themed gaming when staying in, or darts and pool when going out with friends. I always played sports growing up and I continue to enjoy working out regularly. I would love to visit the Palm Islands off of the coast of Dubai because they are man-made and so structurally unique.

Jason Coffey

I’ve been a technician since 1999, and I just got started with Ameritel and Star2Star in 2017. The main thing I’ve always been good at is fixing things. Give me a problem, especially tech-related, and I’ll have it solved in no time. When it comes to technical duties, I do it all; from pulling and terminating wire to troubleshooting, programming and doing sound engineering. I find a good balance between being a “tech guy” and being a friendly go-to for customers.

Jason Coffey

Technician

I’ve been a technician since 1999, and I just got established with Ameritel and Star2Star in 2017. The main thing I’ve always been good at is fixing things. Give me a problem, especially technology related, and I’ll have it solved in no time. When it comes to technical duties, I do it all; from pulling and terminating wire, to troubleshooting, to programming and doing sound engineering. I find a good balance between being a “tech guy” and being a friendly go-to for the customers. What I love most about this job is that the tasks and environment change every day and you have to maintain a good attitude and adapt. I have a huge passion for music, and I play the guitar in a band. I also custom build guitars. My whole family has creative talent from music to art, and we enjoy doing those things together. I also enjoy some drawing and painting; I get better and better every time I do it. I also have been really active my whole life, involved heavily in wresting. Into my adult years, I developed that interest into coaching. I traveled the whole world in the Air Force, but as far as the United States goes, I haven’t gone anywhere west of Memphis, TN. I’d really love to visit California.