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DAVID C. PERDUE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Perdue, a 1963 graduate of the University of Memphis, began his pioneering career in the competitive telecommunications industry as vice president sales of Teleci, Inc., one of the nation's first interconnect companies. In March of 1972 he founded Telecommunication Systems of America, Inc. (TSA), a major regional interconnect company.
Nortel purchased TSA in 1976, and Perdue served as President of their Systems Division, establishing a nationwide sales and service operation that grew to $100 million in revenue in three years. As Vice President of Advanced Planning at Nortel's Business Communications Group, he developed the plans to take the Group to $500 million in revenue. In 1979, Perdue founded ATS Telephone & Data Systems, Inc., which grew to be the largest privately held interconnect company in the United States, prior to being acquired by Expanets (now Avaya) in 1998. ATS was selected by Telephony Magazine as one of the 10 best managed telephone companies.
Perdue's telecom experience includes long distance as the founder in 1982 of ATS Long Distance Network (acquired by what is now MCI) and ATS Network in 1991 which was acquired by a forerunner of Qwest. Perdue also was the founder of one of the earliest cellular companies, which was acquired by Bellsouth in 1988.
Perdue currently serves on the Board of Visitors of the University of Memphis and the Shelby County Healthcare Corporation and is Chairman of the Compliance Committee for this $1B Hospital. He also serves as a Director of Triumph Bank and is chairman of the Investment Committee. Perdue also serves on the Board of Trustees of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, and Chair of the Finance Committee as well as on the Board of Directors of ServiceU Corporation, a software company. Perdue was named Executive of the Year by the Memphis Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals and was also named as Alumnus of the Year by the University of Memphis School of Business. He also is involved in numerous religious and civic organizations as well as having served as Campaign Treasurer in Congressional, Mayoral, Judge, and Sheriff races.
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