Derek Litwiller grew up in Laurens, Iowa before making the move to Waterloo to attend Hawkeye Community College for Police Science. Shortly after moving to the Cedar Valley, Derek joined the Waterloo NGW Team. He shares that he loves being able to help customers while working alongside a great team. Some advice he has for new teammates joining NGW is to ``not feel discouraged or intimidated when getting started in your career with NGW. Your team is here for support and nothing is as difficult as you may think``.
Back home, Derek is a reserve police officer for the City of Pocahontas Police Department. His hobbies include riding, shooting, and driving. In fact, something Derek has always wanted to try his hand at is racing at a race-car track.
Derek's favorite music genre is Alternative and his favorite movie is Fury. And if you're ever picking Derek up some lunch, make it his favorite - Orange Chicken!

Meet Beni Ntakirutimana, an RWC from Southern Burundi, East Africa. Beni graduated from Wartburg College majoring in Business Administration. In Beni's free time, he enjoys watching the NBA or Homeland. His choice of music is Afro-beats and his preferred food is pizza. Beni would describe himself as an ``interesting`` individual. He hopes to one day visit the Virgin Islands and to eventually ride a horse. Beni says the best thing about working at N.G.W. is that, ``everyone wants their peers to succeed...people are ready to provide whatever resources I might need to make sure that I excel in what I do.`` Beni talks about how not to compare yourself to anyone else when just starting at NGW. An interesting fact about Beni is
that he speaks 4 languages. How cool! Beni also mentions that he came into sales to ``gain people skills and see first-hand results...and to see how the wireless solutions we provide are impacting their lives.`` We are so glad Beni is a part of our team!

Kai Bouma grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska before earning a degree in Vocal Performance at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. Kai later relocated to the Iowa City area where he enrolled in Music Therapy classes through the University of Iowa and began his career with NGW.
When Kai joined the NGW team, he was a little apprehensive about a career in sales. Music has always been his passion. However, he soon found that his true vocation is helping others and he loves that NGW provides him that very opportunity. Kai shares that his favorite things about NGW include our community involvement at local events and our team culture.
Knowing Kai graduated with a Vocal Performance degree, it should come at no surprise that he LOVES music (especially Symphonic Metal/Rock). But he also loves tacos, video games, baking, reading, crocheting, and the show Brooklyn 99. Something Kai has always wanted to do is go dog sledding and visit Scandinavia to learn more about his heritage!

Jake Burns grew up in Victor, Iowa before joining the N.G.W. Family as the Sales Leader for our Waterloo Team! Jake shares that he loves his work environment and the support he receives from our organization. He loves working with people and sales. ``Mostly, I enjoy the satisfaction of being able to help people with items and services they may need or want.``
When Jake isn't working, he is most likely lifting weights, golfing, playing video games, repairing electronics, fishing, or hiking. He loves pizza, punk rock, the movie Tommy Boy, and spending time with his wife, Amber, and four children Payton (12), Letty (6), Roger (5), and Jordy (2)!
Some things Jake has always wanted to do include deep-sea fishing, diving into the world of becoming a personal trainer, and honeymooning in Ireland!

Laura Meier grew up in Orangeville, Illinois before majoring in Elementary Education at Northern Illinois University. When Laura first joined the Freeport Team back in August of 2017, she shares that she was quiet and shy. But over time in her career with NGW, she has grown to overcome that shyness. ``Working at Next Generation Wireless has helped me come out of my shell which in turn has allowed me to build relationships with teammates and customers to achieve my goals.`` Laura is passionate about learning and loves reading books. In fact, a dream of hers would be owning a book store so she could share all her favorites with others! When Laura isn't reading, she enjoys going on walks, playing board games, and spending time with her family and corgis. Her favorite TV Show is Doctor Who and she likes listening to rock. If Laura could go anywhere on vacation, she would choose Salem, Massachusetts because she was absolutely fascinated learning about the Salem Witch Trials in school!

Ally grew up in Iowa City and is currently a student at the University of Iowa where she is studying Psychology. When Ally joined the NGW Team in North Liberty, the first thing she noticed was how welcoming and friendly her team was. She's never been in sales so she shares that she has been learning as she goes. ``This is by far my favorite job I have ever had.`` Her favorite part about being in sales is how she has the ability to have some control over her own ``business``. Ally says she has never had a job that she has actually WANTED to go back to work until she worked at NGW. She looks forward to seeing her coworkers and enjoys working towards a goal with her teammates.
When Ally isn't working, you'll find her volunteering at Best Buddies, Dance Marathon, ALSA, and the children's hospital. She LOVES volunteering. Her favorite food are pickles and she enjoys watching crime shows. Ally describes herself as being very motivated and she shares that one day she hopes to vacation at Disney World!

Jose Manuel Ortiz grew up in Freeport, IL, ``home of the pretzels`` before joining the Next Generation Wireless team in 2012! Since joining the team, Jose shares that he loves the team atmosphere and family feel of this organization the most!
If Jose wasn't leading his team, he said he would most likely be selling sport cars. ``I was in the auto industry in my younger years, and I enjoyed being around cars``. Something else you may not know about Jose is that he designed an entire park back when he was running a landscaping supply store.
When Jose isn't working, he is most likely outdoors building, landscaping, or barbecuing. If forced to be indoors, you'll find him watching Judge Dredd or a movie with Sylvester Stallone.
Someday, Jose hopes to vacation in Hawaii with his wife, or bring the entire family back to Disney for a few days in Florida!

Annette grew up in Waterloo and attended Hawkeye Community College where she studied Business Administration prior to joining the Next Generation Wireless family. She is extremely passionate about her career here at NGW and credits her awesome co-workers and leadership team as to why she's had such a great start within the organization. She shares that she loves her work environment and all the people she's able to connect with. If she were to give any advice to someone just starting their career with NGW, it would be to reach out for help if you need it. Don't be afraid to ask questions!
When Annette isn't working, you will most likely find her outdoors, shopping, working out, or spending time with family and friends. She loves Chicken Alfredo, country music, and the shows Chicago Fire/PD. Annette describes herself as being very determined and goal-oriented. Something she has always wanted to do is celebrate New Years Eve in New York City and she would love to someday go on an Alaskan cruise!

Twelve years ago, Jennie joined the Next Generation Wireless Corporate Office Team after leaving an office position she held for twenty-three years. She shares that she is so happy she made that change. ``I work with a talented team who are all polite, willing to help with whatever is needed, and take pride in what they do.`` Another aspect of NGW that Jennie is thankful for is the home and work life balance she's had throughout the years. Having that flexibility as her sons were growing up meant a lot to her.
Jennie lives in Sumner, Iowa with her husband Bob. Together they have two sons, Jalen & Alex. When Jennie and Bob aren't working - they love trekking up to Northern Minnesota to relax at their cabin. Jennie enjoys spending time outdoors, cooking, fishing, and gardening. She loves chocolate anything and her favorite music is 80's rock. Something she's always wanted to do is visit Alaska. She shares that she will finally be checking that dream off her bucket list this summer with her husband!

Marcela Bedore grew up in Waterloo, Iowa and is currently studying Accounting at the University of Northern Iowa. Marcela shares that she loves her peers and the relationships she has built with them over the past year. She especially wants to thank her Sales Leader, Jacob Johnson, for everything he has taught her about sales. Marcela shares that coming into her former role as an RWC, she had no prior sales experience. However, she is enjoying this opportunity to work in a professional environment and expand her knowledge and experiences. She also loves how NGW has provided her with unlimited earning potential!
An interesting fact about Marcela is that she is ``half Mexican and can eat tacos for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!`` She's always aspired to take a whole month to travel and explore. When Marcela isn't working or going to class, she is most likely eating tacos, watching Grey's Anatomy, painting, or cooking. If she could go on vacation anywhere, she would choose to go back to Mexico and visit family while relaxing on the beach!

In 2017, Next Generation Wireless welcomed on Megan Hix to the Corporate Team as an Accounting/Human Resources Associate. Megan says her favorite things about working at NGW thus far are the culture, work environment, and team. ``I love how passionate everyone is!`` Megan grew up in Independence, Iowa before graduating from Hawkeye Community College with an Associates Degree in Applied Science. When Megan isn't working, she enjoys spending time with her boyfriend, family, and friends.
In her spare time, Megan enjoys golfing and traveling. On one of her traveling adventures, she shared a story where she jumped off a 35-foot cliff into the ocean at Ricks Cafe in Negril, Jamaica! Megan is also a LuLaRoe Independent Fashion Consultant! Within the next year or so, Megan hopes to cross off a bucket list item... para-sailing! She also shared that her dream vacation would be to Italy...which makes sense because she absolutely LOVES pasta! Welcome to the Next Generation Wireless Team, Megan!

Travis Haight joined NGW back in 2013 as a Retail Wireless Consultant before being promoted to Assistant Sales Leader. Travis has a tremendous amount of passion and knowledge for what he does and it shines through his work. Travis grew up in Freeport and attended Highland Community College for General Studies. What he's learned throughout his career at NGW thus far, is that no day is the same. ``If you have a bad day today, forget about it, because tomorrow is a new day and a new opportunity.`` Something he loves about Next Generation Wireless is how everyone ``from the top down`` feels like family. Travis is also passionate about baseball. Someday, he hopes to visit all 30 MLB stadiums in one summer! When he isn't watching baseball, you'll find him spending time with his family, listening to country music, and/or eating tacos! Travis describes himself as light-hearted and shares that if he could go on vacation to anywhere, he would love to go on a safari in Australia!

In 2018, Taylor Chapman joined the Dubuque Team as a Sales Leader and hasn't looked back! Since joining the team, Taylor says he's really focused in on sharing the genuine value of the products to the customer over the fact that you're trying to sell it. ``People can tell when you are speaking about something you believe in yourself``. Taylor loves that he is in the unique position where he is able to solve someone's problems with the help of the products and services we sell! Taylor shares that one of his favorite things about N.G.W. is how tight-knit this organization is. After working for a large corporation, he finds it refreshing that he can reach out to anyone about anything!
Outside of N.G.W., Taylor has a side-gig advertising on Facebook that keeps him pretty busy. Something interesting about Taylor is that he LOVES pizza but he dislikes cheese (yes, he knows it's on pizza but it's a complicated relationship). He also wakes up at 3 am every morning to go to the gym so he can have enough time to work both jobs and hang out with his 2-year-old daughter. If Taylor could go on vacation anywhere, he would go to New Zealand because ``if you've ever seen a photo of pretty much anywhere in New Zealand, you would understand``.

Catrina Sandhagen is actually sharing her 1 Year Anniversary this month with Next Generation Wireless. Back on March 27th, Trina joined the North Liberty Team as a Retail Wireless Consultant and has recently accepted a promotion to become the new Assistant Sales Leader! Manny shares that Trina is an absolute asset to the North Liberty Team. ``She brings a positive and winning attitude into work every day! We appreciate all that she brings to the organization and welcome more years to come with NGW!`` When Trina isn't working, she is most likely reading or spending time with her daughter. If Trina were to go on a dream vacation, it would probably consist of eating Mexican food every meal and a trip to Disney World with her daughter! Something she has always wanted to do but hasn't - is go to an Iowa Football Game!

Nathan Wiebold, aka Dubs, grew up in Shellsburg, Iowa before attending Iowa State University for Accounting/Finance. Nathan joined our team just over a year and a half ago and loves how everyone at NGW feels like family. When asked what animal NGW reminds him of - he replied: ``Wolf- because everyone unites as a pack and goes after the same thing.``Nathan says it has been so rewarding having a career at NGW because he's always had an interest in technology and now he has the opportunity to help people understand the very technology he's selling. He loves showing them how it can assist them in their everyday lives.
When Nathan isn't working, you will probably find him hitting up Johnny's Steakhouse, watching Troy or The Office, or listening to rap. Nathan said that if he could use one word to describe himself it would be ``superlative``. If he could go on vacation anywhere, he would love to check out Oregon or Washington. He loves the rain so the weather in Oregon and Washington would be just fine by his standards! He would also like to give skydiving a try someday, ``Free falling from an airplane down to solid ground-- what could go wrong!?!``

Timothy Ryan Wolfe, or ``Wolfie`` as some refer to him, joined the Next Generation Wireless team as a Property Manager more than three years ago. Tim attended the University of Northern Iowa focusing on Finance, Real Estate, and Economics. So it's no surprise that Tim loves having the opportunity to do what he loves on a daily basis. He went into this field because it is something he is passionate about, is good at, and enjoys doing! Tim also shares that he loves the culture at N.G.W. and that working for a well-led team makes ``work`` a whole lot more enjoyable!
When Tim isn't working, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters, helping his friends out, and cheering on the Chicago Cubs (HUGE Cubs fan right here)!
Tim's favorite food is Mexican, so it's fitting that his favorite restaurant is Carlos O'Kellys. In fact, he loves Mexican food so much that if he were to go on a vacation to anywhere - it would be someplace in Mexico! His favorite movies are comedies and his favorite music genre is country. If Tim had control of the TV remote, you would most likely be watching Survivor, The Last Ship, or Shameless with him. Something he has always wanted to try is bungee jumping and skydiving.

Blane Swanson joined the Freeport Team as an RWC back in September of 2017. Blane says that one of his favorite things about NGW is how his store is like one big family. Blane joined our team without having any prior sales experience but knew he was good at talking to people. As it turns out, Blane is more than a good talker - he's a great salesman! His advice? He says, ``...the worst thing anyone can say is no, but if you don't ask - you don't sell!``
Blane grew up in Freeport, Illinois and is married to his wife of 11 years! They have two Labrador Retrievers, Bailey and Cena. Blane's favorite food is Chipotle but he says he's not too picky and will eat anything if you ever want to buy him lunch. His number one bucket list item is to go to a North Carolina Tarheels basketball game and he plans to do just that within the next year! He also shares that his dream vacation would be to visit Dublin, Ireland. When Blane isn't at work, you'll most likely find him eating, playing disc golf, shooting hoops, gardening, or sampling out new beers. Fun fact - did you know Blane used to play Semi-Pro Disc Golf? He says one word to describe himself is ``energetic`` - and we agree!