The Board

Stacie D’Agostino is the President & Founder of Music Movement, Inc. which launched in January 2011. She has enjoyed 20 years of Business Development in Wireless, Telecom, & Information Technology. She resides in Dallas, TX.

​”From a young age, the creative outlet of writing & singing music has been a healer, a bridge to beautiful friendships & my connection to peace in dark times. “Writing my way back” has always been just that. One of the greatest joys of my life has been sharing music in some way shape or form with special needs youth. It began in grade school, when I had the opportunity to volunteer in various programs such as summer schools & camps for the special needs children in my community. It stuck to my core as something I’ve always been driven to do. I volunteered where & when I could throughout the years… the calling to do more has only grown stronger & louder. Autism has become one of the fastest growing learning disabilities of our youth today, disabling millions of children & their families. I have witnessed the tremendous healing powers of music in my own life as well as the lives of disabled & sick children. It is the right chapter in life to listen to a calling I’ve heard for a long time. I am inspired & supported by incredible parents & siblings that have shaped the best parts of me. We were taught by action & example, that there is no better joy than to give. “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”. With enormous honor, I march forward in this cause with my best friends, my partners that have committed tirelessly to the success of Music Movement. Each offers gifts of life experience, survival, love, integrity & wisdom to the fabric of our foundation. The generosity in Corporate Sponsorships and from individuals supporting our cause has completely blown our expectations out of the water. My dreams for Music Movement are unfolding rapidly! I am overwhelmed and grateful! In small or big ways, or in any way that comes to you, please consider volunteering or donating”.

​One Heart, One Voice, One Talent at A Time.
Stacie D’Agostino – President and Founder

Bill D’Agostino is the owner of BigSky Ventures Inc., a consulting business focussed on helping companies develop and implement strategic initiatives. Bill has more than 35 years in the telecommunications industry. His resume covers both government and private sector work, including officer positions in private and publicly traded companies. He currently serves as an Advisory Board Member for the California Wireless Association. Bill is a graduate of St. Mary’s College in Moraga California with a BA in Business Management.

“I am honored to be a part of Music Movement. From the first moments I heard our Founder, Stacie Woolf, share her vision, passion, and unconditional love for children and young adults impacted by Autism, I knew that she had a genuine calling to change lives. I knew instantly that her dream was possible and that by joining her, and the other volunteers who give their time and effort to develop and run this Foundation, we could create something together that would be far greater than what any of us could do individually. It is my sincere hope that through my involvement in Music Movement, I can motivate others to utilize their resources to bless the lives of these children and families so that we can watch them achieve goals and reach dreams that only we thought were impossible”

BILL D’AGOSTINO JR. – CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

Bob Istwan is the founder and president of Motive Energy Telecommunications Group, Motive Energy, Advanced Charging Technologies and is a general partner in Vertical Manufacturing, Performance Installations and Performance Batteries. All of his business startups are centered around the battery industry. You could say he was born with a battery in his hands as he has been selling them since the early age of 10 when his father opened a small battery shop in Phoenix, Arizona. He is eager to take on new risks and challenges and has such passion in this field which has led him to become an industry leader. He has lived in southern California since 1988 and took over Motive Energy in 1996. As a true entrepreneur, he branched off and developed Motive Energy Telecommunications in 2001 and started Advanced Charging Technologies in 2009.

​“I have known Stacie for a number of years now and after hearing about her cause I was immediately drawn to her organization by her passion to help the kids through music. The mission for Music Movement is powerful and it gave me the desire to help in a bigger way.” I have been fortunate in this life and it gives me great joy to have the chance to give back and to be involved with such an amazing cause. You can truly see the children’s eyes light up with music. It’s the hope and joy from the kids that keeps me involved in sharing Stacie’s message.”

BOB ISTWAN – DIRECTOR, MUSIC MOVEMENT FOUNDER & PRESIDENT OF MOTIVE ENERGY TELECOMMUNICATIONS GROUP, MOTIVE ENERGY, AND ADVANCED CHARGING TECHNOLOGIES

​Johnny Crawford is the Vice President of Development at Vertical Bridge. Johnny was the Vice President of Business Development, Network Services at SBA Communications Corporation where he was responsible for sales to SBA’s national customers.

Prior to joining SBA, Johnny was the Vice President of Engineering and Operations for Airgate PCS, a Sprint PCS affiliate. Prior to Airgate, Johnny worked for Sprint for 9 years in various engineering capacities, including as the Director of Engineering and Operations, where he launched one of the first PCS markets for Sprint in Milwaukee, WI. Johnny also has been the co-owner of Optima Towers, a South Carolina based company that owns towers in the Southeast. Johnny has over 28 years of experience in the wireless telecommunications business.

Julia Pitlik is a global marketing and sales executive with over 20 years of experience in the high technology & telecommunications sectors working with Fortune 500 and Global 2000 accounts.

Leading the marketing and sales operations organization at Nexius, Julia is responsible for generating strategic marketing programs that drive top line revenue, accelerate sales techniques and facilitate building meaningful new and ongoing engagements with customers. In her current role, she directs key functional areas, including marketing strategy, new maker identification, sales operations, demand generation programs, marketing communications, and brand marketing programs.

Prior to Nexius, Julia previously held marketing and business development leadership positions at telecom and wireless solutions companies, including Fuijtsu, Sprint, ANOVO Group and XO Communications.

Julia is a magna cum laude graduate of Illionois State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in public relations and a May 2011 graduate of the UT Dallas Executive MBA program. She is a member of the Piano symphony Development Committee and a past member of the Dallas Regional Chamber Board of Advisors. julia resides in the Dallas Metroplex with her husband John and son Westing, who attends the Shelton School in Dallas.

“I am thrilled to be working with Stacie and the entire Music Movement team as they use the power of music to enrich the lives of people with autism and learning differences.

As a mother to an autistic child, I know that everyone has a different approach to learning and unique ways of expressing his/herself. I have seen firsthand the joy, discipline and creativity music brings as children with autism grow and self-actualize. I am so proud of my son who has played several different instruments, including the drums and guitar – even in his own band. In addition, he participates in triathlons as a way to raise awareness and help others who also have Autism. For him, competing in these events is a way to break down barriers and misconceptions and Autism.

“I am inspired by my son and honored for the chance to work with Music Movement to bring this important opportunity to others on such a grand scale.”

Julia Pitnik – Director On The Board, Music Movement Vice President, Marketing ,Nexius

Blayne is Partner and President of Rudd and Company PLLC, a six office multi-state CPA firm.

He has over 29 years of extensive training in income and real estate taxation. He received his bachelor’s degree from Idaho State University. He is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the Idaho Society of CPAs.

Blayne lives in Southeast Idaho with his wife Leslie. They have 5 children, and 9 grandchildren. They enjoy golfing, snow skiing, razor riding, and attending sporting events as a family.

Katie is a results-oriented manager with more than 10 years of experience in wireless telecommunications. Seamlessly blending her extensive background in project and program management, negotiations, and customer relations, she is a diverse business individual specializing in management, development, and communications. Katie has an emphasis on client connections and can connect personally with all wireless carriers, tens of site and equipment manufacturers, engineers, and site development firms. She is skilled in business development and account management, finance, and network deployments to include new builds, modifications, collocations, decommissioning, lease, and property management.

Katie is currently assigned to T-Mobile’s National Development strategic program team as the manager of National Outreach on the Spectrum Management team. Her professional expertise is focused on spectrum clearing and repacking and broadcaster outreach. This broadcaster-focused work is now in high gear and the team has cleared tens of markets earlier than planned for by the FCC.

During her 5-plus years of employment with T-Mobile, Katie managed T-Mobile Towers leasing and operations and finalized the sale of over 600 towers, management of field and office personnel, oversight of tower modification and customer colocation installation, and a specialized program to find unlicensed equipment on owned towers and collected over $4M in unrealized revenue.

Prior to her tenure at T-Mobile, Katie was a project associate for RealCom Associates. Katie is knowledgeable with all aspects of site development and she assisted in the network development of Verizon LTE, Clearwire (specializing in Sprint Co-Planes), T-Mobile Modifications, and AT&T Modifications utilizing her existing contacts and relationships. Specifically, Katie was very successful with the resolution of tower decommissioning and landlord relations for AT&T in the Pacific Northwest Market.

Along with her professional career, she is busy with volunteer associations as well. Katie is the President of the Northwest Wireless Association, and a founding member since 2011 on the board of the South Wireless Summit which has grown to nine associations across the Southern United States with over 500 attendees yearly. Katie is also a sustaining member of the Junior League of Seattle.

Katie lives in Bellevue, WA and is completing her studies at Ashford University with a Bachelors in Business Economics.

Richard is founder and Managing Partner of TASSET LLC, which specializes in the comprehensive planning and deployment of wireless networks and telecommunication infrastructure.  He has over twenty-five years of national and international experience in the telecommunication industry.

Enterprise experience includes executive level positions with both private and publicly traded companies such as ATT Wireless Services, Ericsson, Alcoa Wireless Services, Airtouch International Spain, Nextel Communications, American Tower Corporation and Mobilitie among others.  He has also served as a Senior Consultant to Google, Rise Broadband and Frontier Communications. He has created and partnered in successful telecommunication service related start-up companies TeleForce Communications, OmniAmerica and Mericom Corporation.

He is a founding board member of California Wireless Association, and also serves on the Board of Directors of California Conservation Association which works for the conservation and enhancement of marine resources and coastal environments.

He is a California native and lives in Dana Point, California.   He has an MBA from Pepperdine University and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from California State University Northridge.

Steven E. Nicley is the Chairperson and Founder of the South Wireless Association and the President of the Tennessee Wireless Association – The South Wireless Association holds the South Wireless Summit annually and has raised over $650,000 in College Scholarships in 8 years and the Event attracts over 750 attendees each year and holds the event over 3 days.   He has served as President of the Tennessee Wireless Association for 9 years and during his tenure, the Association has donated over $300,000 to Charity.

​Mr. Nicley is currently employed as a Development Director for Vertical Bridge.  Previously he worked as the Central Regional Director for Eco-Site, he was in this position for 4 years and has overseen the growth in his region of over 180 tower sites that were developed and built organically.  Previously,  he was the South Area Director for T-Mobile Towers; East Area Director for Velocitel; VP/GM for Crown Castle in the Tennessee/Arkansas Region (which he grew from 800 towers to 1800 and from 3 employees to 75 employees); and at GTE Mobilnet( now Verizon) serving as Real Estate Manager for TN/AL and was in charge of all non-tower real estate for TN/AL/KY/NC/SC and developed, remodeled and lease over 80 retail stores and 4 Administrative and switch offices.  Mr. Nicley is entering his 29th year in the Wireless Business.  During his tenure, he has developed and worked on over 4000 wireless tower sites and projects, including: Build to Suit, Colocation, Modification, Design, Regulatory and Management.

​He Holds a MBA and a Masters of International Management from the Thunderbird School of International Management (Now a Division of Arizona State University), and a BS degree from the University of Tennessee and Emory University.

​Mr. Nicley currently serves as the Vice President of the Kentucky Wireless Association, is on the Board of Directors of the Alabama Wireless Association and Music Movement.  He has is past President of the Nashville Figure Skating Club (6 years) and President of the Lipscomb PTO.

​He splits residency between Louisville, KY and Brentwood, TN and is the proud father of 2 grown daughters and a granddaughter and recently married his college sweetheart from Emory University and she has a Daughter that is studying for her PhD.

Grant S. Cooper is a National Account Director with infrastructure services and technology firm B+T Group managing large customer engagements.

B+T Group works with all major tower companies and carriers among other large service providers providing engineering, site acquisition and construction services and the state-of-the-art Site360 drone technology.  Previously, he was responsible for new business development at General Dynamics, and before that at Flash Technology. Grant has always been passionate about being involved with all the wireless charity organizations, especially Music Movement.

Grant went to Texas State University and graduated in 1999.  The highlight of his college years was a semester studying abroad, living in a castle in Grantham, England at Harlaxton University and traveling all over Europe.  He later attended The University of Dallas working on an MBA in the Cross-Functional Program.

Grant lives in Dallas, TX where he was born and raised, with his junior high school sweetheart, Negeen. They have been married for 19 years and have two beautiful, smart and very active teenage daughters. He loves to travel, eat fine foods, socialize and to compete in sports. He still gets his regular dose of competition while playing hockey with the same group of guys for the last 22 years, as well as some bad golf with friends and colleagues.

Seeking a way to use her love of music to help and educate others, Board-Certified Music Therapist, Brianna Shaffer, MT-BC, NMT, received her Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy with an emphasis in Piano Performance from Chapman University’s Conservatory of Music in 2009. She was selected for a prestigious six-month internship and residency at MusicWorx, Inc., which partnered with Scripps Hospital in San Diego, CA. Upon successful completion of this program Brianna moved to Cincinnati, Ohio where she worked for Music Therapy Services. At MTS, Brianna provided individual and group music therapy sessions for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. While at MTS, Brianna developed a passion for working with children and adults on the Autism spectrum.

To that end, in April 2011, Brianna was honored with the Innovative Award from Ohio Choices for her ability to “build innovative relationships and supportive networks for youth with emotional or behavioral disabilities and their families.” After returning to sunny California in July 2011, Brianna was selected to design and lead a music therapy program at a private school and clinic for children on the Autism spectrum, in Irvine, CA. The creation of this program provided Brianna with an opportunity to develop a complete music therapy curriculum that worked collaboratively with special education programs, as well as Speech, Behavioral, and Occupational therapies.

Working professionally in the field of Autism, Brianna furthered her education by becoming a certified Neurologic Music Therapist in October 2012. This cutting edge certification provides her with a unique skill set that explains how music affects the brain, using evidenced-based techniques and approaches. Brianna is an active member of the American Music Therapy Association, Certification Board of Music Therapists, Western Regional chapter of the American Music Therapy Association, and Music Teachers’ Association of California.