Company Bios

Steven Levine-President

Steve Levine is SimpleComm’s co-founder and leader of the business. His driving principle is to provide unparalled service and deliver creative communications solutions that result in recognizable value to our clients. Steve is responsible for all vendor relationships and the discovery of viable offerings that will make a positive impact to our clients business operations. His past experience includes working for Internet auctioneer uBid.com, where during his tenure as leader of the online marketing group he increased revenues of the Auction Exchange Platform by more than 350% in less than 1 year. Steve continued his accomplishments while employed at Listen Inc, a telecommunications vendor, where he managed countless full-scale telephone system projects including client acquisition, system design, vendor evaluation, project coordination and customer relationship management. His ability to forge industry partnerships and his strong negotiating skills have been instrumental in SimpleComm’s success.

In his spare time, Steve competes in triathalons, travels regularly, and raises funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Steve is a proud alumnus of the University of Missouri, where he earned a B.S. in Business Management.

Susan Fitzgerald–Vice President and Secretary of the Board

Susan began working with Simplecomm Solutions in 2004. Her role with the company grew with the business from accounting functions to her current position as head of Business Administration and Operations. Her management of the operations has driven down costs while maintaining a steady revenue stream that enables Simplecomm to weather challenging economic conditions. Working with Steve Levine, the company has a focused strategic direction that supports the company vision and mission statement that was established when the company was founded.

Susan balances her career with managing a household with her spouse, Peter, and their wonderful son and wonderful daughter. She enjoys exercise and volunteering for duties at the neighborhood elementary school where the children attend. Susan has a Masters degree from Loyola University-Chicago and an undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona.

Paula Flores–Manager of Client Operations

Paula joined SimpleComm Solutions in 2008 after a 17 year career as bank officer and technology administrator. In her role as Assistant Vice President of Voice Engineering, Paula planned and designed the conversion of 85 branch offices into a unified VoIP network. As Assistant Vice President–IT Officer she coordinated all IT and telecom tasks including scheduling, managing expenses, ordering services, evaluating vendors, negotiating contracts and ensuring that scopes of work were accurate and met business objectives. Paula has managed numerous technology projects requiring compliance with industry policies and regulations. She provides strong time management skills and in-depth, practical, project management experience.

In her spare time, Paula enjoys hosting family get-togethers, throws yard sales and tinkers with computers. Paula attended New Horizons Computer Learning Centers and has taken classes at the Illinois Banker’s Association. She is currently working on her CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate).

Grace McLoughlin–Director of Marketing

Grace has more than 20 years of experience in the sales, management, and strategic marketing of high tech products. In addition to marketing such brands as Toshiba and Hewlett-Packard, she has worked with IBM as a product evangelist to promote its OS/2 operating system and PS/1 consumer computer line, developing the Number One national sales teams for both products. As Director of Communications at VoiceCue Technologies, Inc. she worked on engagements with SBC, Lucent, Cingular Wireless and Leap Wireless to introduce wireless data and real-time services.

In her spare time, Grace works with classical art techniques and listens to Django Rheinhardt. Grace pursued her undergraduate degree in Theatre and Communications at the University of Illinois and studied Telecommunications at Northwestern University.

Peter Fitzgerald- Advisory Board Member

SimpleComm founder, Peter Fitzgerald, has almost 20 years of experience in the telecommunications and IT industries as an executive, manager, consultant and business development professional. Peter is currently an Associate Director in Trading Floor Operations at the CME Group, a Fortune 500 firm. Peter started Simplecomm Solutions, Inc. in 2002 and grew the business to a viable and sustainable company over 7 years. Prior to starting Simplecomm, Peter worked at a Chicago based telecommunications carrier, a start-up wireless software firm and Ericsson, Inc. a multi-national telecommunications manufacturer where he earned multiple performance awards. As a business development manager with Ericsson, Peter worked in the enterprise network solutions group, providing advanced wireless network systems consulting services to such Fortune 500 clients as the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the Chicago Board of Trade, Accenture, State Farm Insurance, Lawson Software, Illinois Tool Works, the Mayo Clinic and Budget Rental Cars.

Peter is an accredited Associate Business Continuity Planner certified by the Disaster Recovery Institute International and has taught telecommunications courses at both Northwestern University and the Illinois Institute of Technology. He is also a past Board Member for the Chicago Industrial Communications Association and Senior Director with the International Engineering Consortium.

In his spare time Peter enjoys doing things with his truly wonderful family, roots for the Chicago Bears, and plays hockey. Peter has an M.S. in Communications Systems Strategy and Management from Northwestern University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland-College Park.