I’ve been reflecting on my career recently, and one thing that stands out is that I wouldn’t be where I am today without the CWNP certifications—and the amazing community that’s grown around them.
Certifications have always played a key role in my professional journey. Even today, a large part of my time is spent taking, building, and teaching certification programs. But CWNP holds a special place in my heart.
Back in 2002, while studying for my CWNA, I fell in love with Wi-Fi. It might sound strange, but studying for that exam genuinely changed the direction of my life. I discovered this technology that felt almost magical. I was like a kid with a new toy—I just wanted to tell everyone about it. (Some things don’t change!)
I remember the comments I got at the time: “Wi-Fi will never replace wired networks” and “There’s no money in Wi-Fi.” But those opinions didn’t matter to me—I was completely hooked.
Looking back now, I realize it wasn’t just the technology I loved. A big part of it was the CWNA certification itself. It was created by a company called Planet3 Wireless (later renamed CWNP), and what made it so unique was that it was vendor-neutral. It didn’t focus on any one product—it focused on the technology itself, diving deep into how it all worked.
I’ve always been a detail-oriented person. As a kid, I was the one constantly taking things apart with a screwdriver just to understand how they worked (and occasionally attempting to put them back together—much to my mother’s dismay). The CWNA took that same approach: it wasn’t just about how to configure or manage Wi-Fi—it was about why it works the way it does. And I loved that.
Years later, at a CWNE roundtable event in Atlanta, I met Devin Akin—one of the founders of CWNP and the author of the original CWNA. Meeting Devin made it clear why CWNA resonated with me so much. Before then, I don’t think I’d met anyone quite as detail-obsessed as I was. We had conversations that I couldn’t have with anyone else I knew at the time. Maybe we were just two slightly strange, oddly similar individuals who had finally found each other.
But it didn’t stop there. Through CWNP, I met more people like us: Ben Miller, David Coleman, Keith Parsons, Kimberly Graves, Chris Hyde, Tom Carpenter—just to name a few. I had found my people.
Over the last 20 years, the wireless and CWNP communities have only grown. We’re not alone—there are so many of us who share this passion for wireless technology and a deep desire to truly understand it. Events like WLPC, Tech Field Day, and Wi-Fi Congress have brought us together even more.
CWNP is more than just a certification company. It’s been the foundation of a community. It’s connected me with people I’ve learned so much from—people I now consider close friends.
And for that, I’ll always be grateful.
