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You Get What You Pay For
By: Sheila RichardsonidiomDefinition of you get what you pay for—used to say that a thing that can be bought for a very low price probably isn't
Hostage to a Low Bid
Construction firms often make unrealistically low bids to get jobs… but they can count on finding
An Examination of the High Cost of Low Bids
How many of us have submitted bids that were well constructed, engineered, and thoroughly considered in
Taking time to honor our veteran entrepreneurs
By : ROBERT J. BLANEY Arizona District Director PHOENIX – Hard working, team building, disciplined, dedicated,
Sheila Richardson makes the elite Sun Devil 100 for 2019
By Kari Redfield Aspen Communications/Aspen Engineering & Contracting Executive Vice-President, CFO and Co-Owner Aspen Communications is a
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Our professional engineers, field technicians and business staff will design and build a platform that will leverage the right technology for your needs.
Sheila Richardson's Bio
Sheila is the Co-founder and CFO of Aspen Communications LLC, dba Aspen Engineering & Contracting and responsible for directing all financial and marketing operations. Sheila has two years experience in the field of electronics and over eight years in retail marketing management. She began her technical training while serving in the United States Marine Corps, completing Basic Electronics and Training Devices Courses in installation, maintenance and repair. She left the Marine Corps to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree from the college of Secondary Education in History and English at Arizona State University. She worked for Fed Mart, beginning as a cashier and leaving the company as Administrative Manager. She then took the position of manager of The Bank Store in Phoenix, Arizona migrating to Salt River Project and San Diego Gas and Electric as Customer Service Representative before becoming a full-time mother and homemaker. While her children attended school, Sheila served on school boards, PTO boards and as a classroom teacher.
With the youngest child entering high school, Sheila, in concert with the vision to form Aspen Communications LLC, dba Aspen Engineering & Contracting, enthusiastically embraced the idea of reentering the private business community. With her technical background and experience in retail marketing, Sheila brings invaluable advantage to this venture. Concurrently, with the development of a quality and excellence perspective at Aspen Communications LLC, dba Aspen Engineering & Contracting, Sheila developed a relationship with Arizona Quality Alliance. Sheila has presented on quality in business for several Arizona groups and is a Lead Examiner for AQA. Sheila is the creator of our Apprenticeship Program, and has most recently been awarded the ASU 100 award for innovation and leadership!
Sheila’s outside interests include the study of the martial arts in which she holds a 1st degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, and is a lifetime student of philosophy and religion. Service to the community has been an important aspect of her commitment in life and is a certified hospice counselor. She is an ordained minister and has authored two books.
Eric Bedell's Bio
Eric is the Chief Operations Officer and Vice President of Aspen Communications LLC, dba Aspen Engineering & Contracting. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with certificates in Database Systems and Web Technology at Northern Arizona University. He received BICSI Technician Certification in 2011 and has over 20 years of experience and product certification in Structured Cabling and Fiber Optics, Key and PBX telephone and voice mail systems, Computer Networking and Satellite Communications systems. He has worked in every Strategic Business Unit within Aspen Communications LLC, dba Aspen Engineering & Contracting and manages all field operations. Eric is the second in command, oversees the day-to-day operations and fosters employee alignment with the company’s goals. He has dedicated his professional life to Aspen and its core values.
Eric began as an intern in 1999 and was Aspen’s first graduate from the Apprenticeship Program. He is currently preparing to take his Registered Communications Design Distribution exam. The RCDD certification shows that anyone who possesses it is not only extremely knowledgeable in the field of information technology systems, but also in the fields of architecture, electrical wiring and security design. Apart from the fact that each RCDD is equipped with a vast amount of knowledge and practical experience, an RCDD understands how to create an affordable, efficient system that will accommodate a business’s current needs while still leaving room for future changes.
Eric’s outside interests includes the study of the martial arts. A black belt in Judo, Eric is the former President of the NAU judo club. Eric also enjoys weight training, outdoor sports, customizing cars, and spending time with his family. He volunteers his free time at his children’s schools and coaches their Soccer teams.
Don Richardson's Bio
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.