Leadership

Since 2019, Tim Wilkerson has served as NECTA’s President overseeing regulatory affairs, legislative advocacy, public relations, and emerging sector business development opportunities for the NECTA members. Previously, Tim worked as NECTA’s Vice President and General Counsel and as Policy Counsel.

Prior to joining NECTA, Governor Charlie Baker appointed Tim as Massachusetts’ Regulatory and Permitting Ombudsmen charged with attracting and retaining businesses to the Commonwealth. He also served as Chair of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and the Massachusetts Broadband Institute, both leading incubators for the Commonwealth’s innovation ecosystem. Under Governor Deval Patrick, Tim was the Commonwealth’s Director of Economic Policy Development and Regulatory Ombudsman. Previously, he served as the General Counsel and Legislative Director for the Massachusetts State 9-1-1 Department.

Tim worked in the Massachusetts House of Representatives for seven years initially as Chief Legal Counsel to the Committee on Bills in the Third Reading and then as Assistant Counsel in Office of House Counsel. While working in House Counsel, he was assigned to the House Chairs and staff for the committees on Ways and Means; Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy; Economic Development and Emerging Technologies; and Education to conduct legal and policy research and draft legislation. Additionally, Tim was appointed as a Massachusetts Special Assistant Attorney General and as a Plymouth County Assistant District Attorney.

Tim serves as a Member of the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Children’s Trust and the United Way’s North Shore Regional Advisory Board. Previously, he was selected as President and Vice President of the Suffolk University Law School Alumni Board of Directors, Board Member of the Institutional Review Board at Good Samaritan Medical Center, and Co-Founder and Chair of the Boston Bar Association’s Government Lawyers Forum.

Tim is licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; the state of Connecticut; United States District Court, District of Massachusetts; and the United States Supreme Court. For a decade, Tim was an Adjunct Faculty member at Suffolk University Law School where he taught courses on Legislation and Election Law. Tim received his Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University Law School and his Bachelor of Arts from Saint Anselm College.

Dave Soutter brings a robust legal pedigree and over twenty years in the United States Army to NECTA, joining in 2020 to serve as NECTA’s Director of Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs. He oversees the regulatory environment in each of the NECTA states and at the Federal Communications Commission, builds consensus among the membership, and advocates for the broadband industry. Dave is quickly becoming a resource on pole attachments, the FCC formula and one touch make ready.

Prior to joining NECTA, Dave spent six years as a litigator with Ropes & Gray LLP in Boston. Dave focused his practice on complex business litigation, government investigations and regulatory licensing. He has successfully represented large financial firms and Fortune 500 companies in dismissing securities fraud claims and with Department of Justice and Securities Exchange Commission investigations. Dave also successfully obtained dismissals of complaints filed against therapists and doctors before their respective Massachusetts licensure boards.

In 2020, Dave was recognized by Best Lawyer’s on their list of “One’s to Watch” recognizing exceptional attorneys in their fields. He was also selected by the Boston Bar Association in a highly competitive, one-year fellowship for the 2020 class of the Public Interest Leadership Program.

Prior to joining Ropes & Gray, Dave served as a law clerk for the Honorable Francis X. Flaherty at the Supreme Court of Rhode Island.

Prior to attending law school and becoming an attorney, Dave served for nine years in the United States Army as an intelligence officer. He has received the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal (with oak leaf cluster), the Army Achievement Medal (with 3 oak leaf clusters) and the Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. He is Airborne qualified and is certified in all-source and signals intelligence. Dave left Active Duty in 2010 but continued in the United States Army Reserves where has worked for the National Ground Intelligence Center and currently for United States European Command with which he has deployed to Europe several times. In 2018, Dave was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Dave is licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; the United States District Court, District of Massachusetts; the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Dave received his Juris Doctorate, summa cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School and his Bachelor of Arts from the George Washington University. Dave also has a master’s degree in National Security Studies from American Military University.

Since 2020, Seth Caplan has served as NECTA’s Chief of Staff and Chief Financial Officer overseeing all financial aspects of the business as well as driving NECTA’s financial strategy and planning.

Prior to joining NECTA, Seth was a Vice President of Alternative Investment Services at JP Morgan where he managed multiple global business units with a focus on creating and maintaining policies and procedures for the complex accounting teams. He also worked at Bank of New York Mellon as a Vice President in the Complex Accounting and Administration Group managing the partnership accounting and investor services teams. Seth also held senior manager roles at State Street Corporation and Bisys Hedge Fund Services.

Seth has served on multiple Board of Directors and currently serves as the Treasurer for Swampscott Youth Soccer Association and the Treasurer for The Swampscott Club.

Seth received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Marketing & Finance) from the University of Vermont.