GMA's Cable and Telecommunications Management Services Program "CTMS" provides full-service consulting* assistance to local governments on all aspects of their relationships with providers of cable television, broadband, telecommunications, and wireless services.  The GMA team has established working relationships with all of the cable providers in the state and, because we work with so many local governments in Georgia, we have developed an extensive knowledge of the best practices in franchise administration.  Using our relationships and knowledge of the industry, we are able to provide our clients with a high level of professional services that ensure governments are receiving the best possible agreements and advice.  In addition, we continuously monitor the rapidly-changing regulatory and legislative environments relating to cable and telecommunications.

 
Greg Fender, President, GMA Consultant
Mr. Fender is President of Local Government Services, LLC a company established to assist Municipal Leagues in providing technical assistance to their members. Currently, Mr. Fender is assisting the Alabama League of Municipalities, Arkansas Municipal League, Georgia Municipal Association, Mississippi Municipal League, Municipal Association of South Carolina and the Texas Municipal League with Cable Television Franchise Advisory Services.

Prior to launching Local Government Services, Mr. Fender was employed with the Georgia Municipal Association (“GMA”). During his employment with GMA, which began in 1986, he served in a number of positions. Most notably, he served as Director of Technical Services, a department that was established in 1993 to assist local governments with a broad range of technical services, including a Telecommunications Management service program to assist local governments in negotiating cable television franchise agreements. 

Since 1993, Mr. Fender has assisted over 600 local governments in negotiating cable television franchise renewals, performing franchise fee audits, responding to transfer request, negotiating pole attachment agreements, facilitating pole counts, technical audits and development of Public, Educational and Governmental Access Channels. 

Mr. Fender earned a Masters Degree in Public Administration and a BS degree in Political Science from Georgia Southern University. 

Brian T. Grogan, Attorney, Moss & Barnett
Mr. Grogan represents local units of government throughout the country on a variety of communications issues, including: cable and telecommunications franchising; right-of-way management; municipal wireless communications; tower leasing; pole attachment negotiations; public safety communications; and litigation. He is a frequent presenter at state and national conferences regarding communications law and he is a member of the American Bar Association (Forum Committee on Communications Law), National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors, International Municipal Lawyers Association (Contracts, Franchises and Technology Section), and is past chair of the Communications Law Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association.