THE CTA TEAM
Our Commitment
CTA Consultants is supported by engineers and project professionals with experience in public safety communications, 911/PSAP environments, security, and implementation oversight.
Cheryl S. Giggetts, FOUNDER
Cheryl S. Giggetts, MBA, CHS-III — Founder & Principal Consultant
Cheryl Giggetts has 35+ years of experience in wireless telecommunications, specializing in public safety communications and E9-1-1 services for local, state, and federal clients. She has supported the planning, procurement, and implementation of complex communications programs and provides objective guidance shaped by decades of system delivery experience.
Cheryl’s leadership and deep familiarity with P25 technology have supported successful system designs and deployments in the U.S. and internationally, including projects requiring multi-stakeholder coordination, vendor management, and long-range planning. She founded CTA Consultants, LLC after holding leadership roles within a Fortune 500 architectural and engineering firm, and continues to guide CTA’s mission-driven work supporting the public safety community.
THE CTA TEAM
Curtis Johnson, PE, ENP, RPL — Communications Engineer
Kenneth Ballard, PhD — Chief Engineer / Subject Matter Expert
Kenneth Ballard, PhD — Chief Engineer / Subject Matter Expert
Curtis Johnson is a communications engineer with 10+ years of experience supporting conventional and trunked public safety radio systems, P25 systems, and microwave/fiber connectivity. He supports clients through specifications development, proposal evaluation, contract negotiations, implementation oversight, testing, and cutover. Curtis
Curtis Johnson is a communications engineer with 10+ years of experience supporting conventional and trunked public safety radio systems, P25 systems, and microwave/fiber connectivity. He supports clients through specifications development, proposal evaluation, contract negotiations, implementation oversight, testing, and cutover. Curtis is a Professional Engineer (VA/NC) and a volunteer EMT, bringing a practical understanding of how systems perform in real-world public safety environments.
Credentials: PE (VA #61166, NC #055446) • ENP • RPL • EMT • FCC Part 107 Drone Pilot
Focus areas: P25/LMR engineering • procurement support • testing & cutover oversight
Kenneth Ballard, PhD — Chief Engineer / Subject Matter Expert
Kenneth Ballard, PhD — Chief Engineer / Subject Matter Expert
Kenneth Ballard, PhD — Chief Engineer / Subject Matter Expert
Dr. Ballard brings 40+ years of engineering experience in two-way radio communications systems, RF propagation, antenna design, and network integration. He is an expert in radio wave propagation and APCO P25 systems, and is co-inventor of the Radio Coverage Evaluator (RaCES) (U.S. Patent #7,522,973 B2). His experience spans needs assessme
Dr. Ballard brings 40+ years of engineering experience in two-way radio communications systems, RF propagation, antenna design, and network integration. He is an expert in radio wave propagation and APCO P25 systems, and is co-inventor of the Radio Coverage Evaluator (RaCES) (U.S. Patent #7,522,973 B2). His experience spans needs assessments, procurement support, and implementation oversight for local, regional, and statewide systems.
Focus areas: RF propagation • P25 systems • coverage analysis • technical review
Hermina Koshinski — Security Subject Matter Expert (SME)
Kenneth Ballard, PhD — Chief Engineer / Subject Matter Expert
Hermina Koshinski — Security Subject Matter Expert (SME)
Hermina Koshinski has 25+ years of experience supporting statewide IT, telecommunications, and Land Mobile Radio (LMR) programs. She brings deep expertise in public safety communications security, including P25 Link Layer Authentication (LLA) and End-to-End Encryption (E2EE), and has helped agencies apply best practices that support inter
Hermina Koshinski has 25+ years of experience supporting statewide IT, telecommunications, and Land Mobile Radio (LMR) programs. She brings deep expertise in public safety communications security, including P25 Link Layer Authentication (LLA) and End-to-End Encryption (E2EE), and has helped agencies apply best practices that support interoperability and operational needs. Hermina is active in industry groups shaping public safety standards and security.
Credentials: PMP • ITIL (Foundations/SS/CSI)
Focus areas: P25 security (LLA/E2EE) • interoperability • governance & best practices
Jeremiah Knowles, ENP — Senior Consultant
Kenneth Ballard, PhD — Chief Engineer / Subject Matter Expert
Hermina Koshinski — Security Subject Matter Expert (SME)
Jeremiah Knowles has 30+ years of experience in the wireless communications industry, supporting public safety communications systems, PSAPs, dispatch centers, in-building DAS, communications sites/facilities, and microwave systems. He assists clients with designing and implementing reliable and resilient critical communications solutions
Jeremiah Knowles has 30+ years of experience in the wireless communications industry, supporting public safety communications systems, PSAPs, dispatch centers, in-building DAS, communications sites/facilities, and microwave systems. He assists clients with designing and implementing reliable and resilient critical communications solutions and has presented at industry conferences across his career.
Focus areas: PSAP/dispatch • communications facilities • microwave/backhaul • system planning
Denice Crowder — 911 Consultant
Sheila Ragan — 911 Consultant/Deputy Project Manager
Sheila Ragan — 911 Consultant/Deputy Project Manager
Denice Crowder has 30+ years of experience in emergency communications, advancing from telecommunicator to communications center leadership. After retiring in 2024, she joined CTA to continue supporting the 9-1-1 community. Denice brings practical expertise in dispatch center operations, facility/technology planning, vendor relationships,
Denice Crowder has 30+ years of experience in emergency communications, advancing from telecommunicator to communications center leadership. After retiring in 2024, she joined CTA to continue supporting the 9-1-1 community. Denice brings practical expertise in dispatch center operations, facility/technology planning, vendor relationships, and PSAP modernization. She is active in APCO and NENA and has extensive speaker experience at conferences and leadership forums.
Focus areas: PSAP operations • center design/modernization • vendor coordination • stakeholder alignment
Sheila Ragan — 911 Consultant/Deputy Project Manager
Sheila Ragan — 911 Consultant/Deputy Project Manager
Sheila Ragan — 911 Consultant/Deputy Project Manager
Sheila Ragan brings 33+ years of experience in public safety communications, including leadership roles within a large PSAP where she concluded her career as a Deputy Director. At CTA, she supports 9-1-1 projects through planning, coordination, and implementation support. Sheila has deep experience with dispatch operations, vendor coordin
Sheila Ragan brings 33+ years of experience in public safety communications, including leadership roles within a large PSAP where she concluded her career as a Deputy Director. At CTA, she supports 9-1-1 projects through planning, coordination, and implementation support. Sheila has deep experience with dispatch operations, vendor coordination, and sustaining successful PSAP environments, and is active in APCO/NENA committees and professional development.
Focus areas: PSAP leadership • implementation support • vendor coordination • standards awareness
Rachel Soward — Deputy Project Manager
Sheila Ragan — 911 Consultant/Deputy Project Manager
Rachel Soward — Deputy Project Manager
Rachel Soward has supported the public safety community for 20+ years, coordinating scheduling, workload, staffing, and project delivery across complex programs. She supports stakeholder coordination and reporting aligned to client contracts and has deep experience supporting procurement activities and implementation milestones. Her backg
Rachel Soward has supported the public safety community for 20+ years, coordinating scheduling, workload, staffing, and project delivery across complex programs. She supports stakeholder coordination and reporting aligned to client contracts and has deep experience supporting procurement activities and implementation milestones. Her background includes grant compliance and statewide coordination efforts, supporting large-scale system readiness and execution.
Focus areas: deputy PM support • stakeholder coordination • procurement process support • project reporting
Dayla Soward — Project Administrator
Sheila Ragan — 911 Consultant/Deputy Project Manager
Rachel Soward — Deputy Project Manager
Dayla Soward provides project administration and operational support across CTA’s consulting teams. She supports the development and production of deliverables such as needs assessments, recommendation reports, specifications, and evaluation documentation, while helping keep projects organized and moving on schedule. Dayla also supports m
Dayla Soward provides project administration and operational support across CTA’s consulting teams. She supports the development and production of deliverables such as needs assessments, recommendation reports, specifications, and evaluation documentation, while helping keep projects organized and moving on schedule. Dayla also supports marketing and business development efforts, assisting with proposal materials and client communications that strengthen CTA’s outreach and engagement.
Focus areas: project administration • deliverable production • coordination & tracking • proposals support
Sylvia Newman — Project Coordinator
Ben Goldsmith - Technical Communications Consultant
Sylvia Newman — Project Coordinator
Sylvia Newman has 25+ years of experience supporting CTA’s consulting teams and coordinating deliverables across local, statewide, federal, and international communications projects. She supports project administration, scheduling coordination, production of reports and specifications, and ongoing project tracking. Sylvia works closely wi
Sylvia Newman has 25+ years of experience supporting CTA’s consulting teams and coordinating deliverables across local, statewide, federal, and international communications projects. She supports project administration, scheduling coordination, production of reports and specifications, and ongoing project tracking. Sylvia works closely with engineers, project managers, and clients to support consistent documentation and timely delivery.
Focus areas: project coordination • documentation control • program support • deliverables production
Kristi Giggetts — Office Manager
Ben Goldsmith - Technical Communications Consultant
Sylvia Newman — Project Coordinator
Kristi Giggetts supports CTA’s internal operations with a focus on financial administration and workflow coordination. She oversees daily administrative needs, supports key financial processes, and assists with HR and internal systems support that keep teams operating efficiently. Kristi is detail-oriented, highly organized, and focused o
Kristi Giggetts supports CTA’s internal operations with a focus on financial administration and workflow coordination. She oversees daily administrative needs, supports key financial processes, and assists with HR and internal systems support that keep teams operating efficiently. Kristi is detail-oriented, highly organized, and focused on maintaining smooth operations so technical staff can stay focused on client delivery.
Focus areas: financial operations • administrative coordination • HR support • internal systems/IT coordination • workflow management
Branson Estep — Communications Engineer
Ben Goldsmith - Technical Communications Consultant
Ben Goldsmith - Technical Communications Consultant
Branson Estep is a communications engineer with experience supporting fiber broadband connectivity projects and growing experience in public safety radio communications systems. He supports RF coverage analysis and conceptual design using tools such as SoftWright TAP and Google Earth, and assists with site planning, construction reviews,
Branson Estep is a communications engineer with experience supporting fiber broadband connectivity projects and growing experience in public safety radio communications systems. He supports RF coverage analysis and conceptual design using tools such as SoftWright TAP and Google Earth, and assists with site planning, construction reviews, and inspections. Branson holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and has passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam.
Education: B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Liberty University (2024) • FE Mechanical Exam (Dec 2024)
Focus areas: coverage analysis • site inspections • implementation support • documentation review
Ben Goldsmith - Technical Communications Consultant
Ben Goldsmith - Technical Communications Consultant
Ben Goldsmith - Technical Communications Consultant
Ben Goldsmith is a communications consultant with experience in project management and engineering support, including coverage modeling, specifications development, proposal evaluation, implementation oversight, and telecommunications facility surveys/inspections. His background includes data analysis, software/system documentation, and L
Ben Goldsmith is a communications consultant with experience in project management and engineering support, including coverage modeling, specifications development, proposal evaluation, implementation oversight, and telecommunications facility surveys/inspections. His background includes data analysis, software/system documentation, and LTE/broadband augmentation to Land Mobile Radio systems. Ben holds a master’s degree in aerospace engineering and space operations and a bachelor’s degree in computer science.
Education: M.S. Aerospace Engineering & Space Operations • B.S. Computer Science
Affiliations: APCO International • NENA
Focus areas: coverage modeling • specs/evaluation support • implementation/testing • telecom facility inspections • LTE/LMR augmentation