Sandler Partners Announces 2025 Channel Manager of the Year Award Recipients

Provider Channel Managers received recognition at the 2025 Sandler Partners National Summit in Huntington Beach, California. The annual event, attended by over 1,000 members of the Sandler Partners community, featured sessions on the latest technologies across the Tech, Sales, and Growth tracks, an AI-focused Keynote, and more - all built to help Partners grow their business. Participants were also able to connect with 65+ featured technology Providers onsite in the Exhibit Hall.

National Channel Manager of the Year Award Recipients:

• Kevin Bednarz, Granite

• Chasidy DeSantis, Lumen

• Helene Fakhery, GoTo

• Holly Hunt, Cipher

• Marina Kay, Nextiva

• Chris Simmons, NHC

• Michael Spartz, NICE

• Stacey Tillman, Five9

East Region Channel Manager of the Year Award Recipients:

• Canada | Steve Jacklitch, CallTower

• New York/New Jersey | Chris Fuhry, NHC

• Mid-Atlantic | Lewis Urena, Spectrum

• Georgia & The Carolinas | Scott Bender, Airespring

• New England | Shane Senior, NHC

• Florida | Scott Costa, Ooma

Midwest Region Channel Manager of the Year Award Recipients:

• Great Lakes | Austin Thompson, NHC

• Mountain | Mark Merritt, Spectrum

• Central | Kaycee Mikeska, NHC

• Midwest | Peter Gasparro, Zultys

Southwest Region Channel Manager of the Year Award Recipients:

• Jose Marin, Spectrum

West Region Channel Manager of the Year Award Recipients:

• SoCal | Jackie Balkus, Spectrum

• NorCal | Heidi Eccles, Dialpad

• AZ/NV/UT | Seema Chiodo, RapidScale

• Pacific Northwest | Mike Tuholski, Sangoma

“Channel Managers are often the first touchpoint for our Partners,” says Managing Partner Alan Sandler. “What truly sets them apart is how deeply they care about the outcomes they help create. Their dedication shows in every detail—the extra effort, the collaboration, and the drive to deliver the right solution for each customer. Our award winners exemplify that spirit, working side-by-side with Partners to build trust, solve challenges, and elevate the experience from start to finish. That’s the essence of the Sandler Partners community.”

This year’s National Summit also featured The Surfrider Foundation as Sandler Partners’ designated charity partner, with an on-site exhibit sharing their mission to protect the world’s oceans and coastlines—and ways for attendees to get involved through personal action and support.