Don Richardson is the President/CEO of Aspen Communications LLC, dba Aspen Engineering & Contracting. Don directs all business development, strategic operations and long range planning. Don brings over forty years experience in the field of electronics and communications to Aspen. He began his technical training while serving in the United States Navy, rising from the rank of Seaman to Chief Warrant Officer (CWO-4) over a 26-year career. During that time, he attended the Navy’s most advanced courses in electronics, completed an Associates Degree (AA) in Management Occupations, and served with distinction in a variety of duty stations in the field of electronics and communications systems operations, installation, maintenance and repair. Don also served as the Team Officer for Special Operations Team 12, was a member of the First Naval Counterinsurgency Forces and served with the Naval Advisory Group (Viet Nam).
Don earned a Bachelor’s Degree (BSBA) in management and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) focusing in management from Northern Arizona University. In his post-military career, Don has held the positions of Telecommunications Manager for the Bureau of Land Management and Director of Technical Support Services and Director of Integrative Medicine for Northern Arizona Healthcare. At the Bureau of Land Management, he was responsible for all BLM voice, data and radio communications within the states of Wyoming and Nebraska. During his three-year tenure, he implemented major renovations in equipment and management, saving the Bureau hundreds of thousands of dollars. A desire to enter the private sector and move back to Flagstaff brought Don to Flagstaff Medical Center as Telecommunications Manager. With the affiliation of FMC and Marcus J. Lawrence Medical Center in Cottonwood, Don was promoted to Director of Telecommunications and Wide Area Networks, and later, to Corporate Director of Technical Support Services for Northern Arizona Healthcare. Don’s responsibilities included development of all voice, data cabling and transport, clinical information systems and ancillary systems for all Northern Arizona Healthcare facilities. He was directly responsible for the design, engineering and installation of the NAH Integrated Affiliation Information Network, a system written up in trade journals for its balance in achieving effective operation, reliability and cost efficiency. During his last two years at Northern Arizona Healthcare, Don also held the position of Director of Integrative Medicine Development and Outreach and was responsible for developing the business model for CenterPath, the first integrative medical clinic of its kind in Northern Arizona.
In February 1999, Don made the decision to leave NAH and pursue a path in private enterprise by creating Aspen Communications LLC, dba Aspen Engineering & Contracting. In addition to his diverse education and over 40 years of technical experience, Don holds a K67 (Low Voltage Communications Commercial and Residential) Contractor License, a L11 (Electrical Commercial) Contractor License, General Contracting License, and is an internationally certified BICSI (Building Industry Consulting Services, International) RCDD (Registered Communications Distribution Designer) making him a perfect fit to head up this business enterprise.
Don’s outside interests include the study of the martial arts and service to the community. An 8th degree Black Belt, he is the President of North American Martial Arts.
