Big business communications and VoIP management for small and mid-sized businesses; At Cypress Communications, we simplify the complex world of phone, voice, data, Internet, unified communicaitons and VoIP (Voice over IP) communications and make it affordable for small and mid-sized businesses using routers and technology from Cisco, Juniper and Nortel.

Charles Ogburn (Charlie) is an Executive Director and Head of Corporate Investment of Arcapita. Prior to joining Arcapita, Charlie spent more than 15 years at the investment banking firm of Robinson-Humphrey, most recently as Senior Managing Director and co-head of investment banking. Prior to Robinson-Humphrey, Charlie was an attorney with the law firm of King & Spalding for five years.

Charlie is a graduate of Duke University and earned his law degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law. He is a Director of the Atlanta Venture Forum and a Trustee of Trinity School.

Leo Montgomery joined SunTrust Robinson Humphrey in 2003 after spending more than 39 years as a Senior Partner for Ernst & Young LLP. Leo served as the Southeast Area Industry Leader for the Technology, Communications and Entertainment Group and served on the International Telecommunications Advisory Committee. He has significant experience in helping publicly held companies with merger and acquisition transactions, as well as structuring their financing arrangements.

Leo has assisted companies with more than 100 Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including 20 initial public offering registration statements. At Ernst and Young, he served clients of all sizes, from entrepreneurial enterprises to professionally managed companies including Cingular Wireless, BellSouth Corporation and AT&T Latin America.

Leo holds a BA degree from Harding University.

Stan Allen is Founder and President of First Mile Communications, a provider of broadband wireless last mile services based in Atlanta. Stan also co-founded Cypress Communications, Inc., a provider of managed voice, data and Internet solutions for small to mid-sized enterprises in commercial office buildings.  He served as Chief Executive Officer of Cypress through its IPO in 2000 and later as Vice Chairman for Strategic Initiatives through the sale of the company to Arcapita in 2005.

Prior to Cypress, Stan was founder and President of Applied Video Technologies, Inc. an MMDS investment and development company based in Atlanta with holdings in the Southeastern United States. He was also co-founder and President of American Quality Cable, Inc. an MMDS license acquisition and operating company based in Charlottesville, Virginia.

James S. Gilmore III is a former Governor of Virginia and a partner at the law firm of Kelley Drye and Warren where he practices corporate and technology law and advises clients on homeland security issues in the areas of public relations, information technology and international relations. James is also president of USA Secure, a homeland security public-policy think-tank based in Washington, D.C.

He received an undergraduate degree in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia and graduated from Virginia Law School. After working for a decade in community service and as a lawyer in private practice, he was elected Commonwealth's Attorney in his home county of Henrico in 1987 and 1991, Virginia Attorney General in 1993 and Governor in 1997.

Mr. Gilmore serves on the corporate boards of the following companies: Barr Laboratories, IDT Corporation, Atlas Airlines, the National Rifle Association and Windmill International. Additionally, he is on the advisory board of Lucent Technologies, Lynuxworks, and Unisys. Jim Gilmore is Chairman of the National Council on Readiness and Preparedness and is a senior consultant to Computer Sciences Corporation and Battelle Memorial Institute regarding homeland security initiatives.

Stephen L. Schilling
President & Chief Executive Officer

Stephen L. Schilling has over 20 years of experience in the telecom and data communications industry where he has specialized in turnarounds, start-ups and managing high-growth firms. Prior to Cypress Communications, Steve was the founder and President of Netifice Communications, a company he created in 1998 and led until its merger with MegaPath Networks. Under his leadership, Netifice navigated the turbulent waters of telecom in the early 2000’s to become a thriving, nationally recognized leader and innovator in the IP VPN space.

Prior to Netifice, Steve was President and COO of Charter Communications International, and prior to Charter Communications, he held executive positions at GE Capital-ResCom, MFS and RealCom Office Communications. 

Steve has twice been named to Catalyst Magazine’s Atlanta’s Top 50 Entrepreneurs list. In 2000 he was an Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year finalist and in 2004 he was awarded Atlanta Telecom Professionals’ Award for Outstanding Leadership. Steve speaks frequently at industry tradeshows and has been published in various trade journals. He earned a B.S. in Administrative Management from Clemson University and an M.B.A. in International Business from Georgia State University.