Sandler Partners Announces Channel Manager and Executive of the Year Award Winners

REDONDO BEACH, Calif., Nov. 3, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Sandler Partners, a top independent technology distributor, concluded its 2026 National Summit in San Diego, California, with a gala and dinner that honored the best in the industry. The event, which brought together over 1,100 members of the Sandler Partners community, featured educational panels, a keynote address, and sessions across Technology, Sales, and Growth tracks. Attendees also had the opportunity to connect with more than 65 leading technology providers in the exhibit hall.

Among the highlights of the summit were the awards recognizing top industry professionals and organizations. Chad Townes from AT&T was named the Channel Executive of the Year. In the National Channel Manager of the Year category, Kevin Bednarz from Granite, Stevie Heap from Comcast Business, Patrick Cupp from CallTower, Jennifer Rutherford from Zayo, Sarah Manley and Brett Harman from AT&T, Nikki Beck from Front, and Matt Winterburn from Lumen were honored.

Regional Channel Manager of the Year awards were also presented. For the East Region, Kyle Michaels from Vonage was the winner in the New England category, while Tom Mezzapella from Comcast Business took the New York/New Jersey award. Connor Cook from Comcast Business was recognized for the Mid-Atlantic region, Kristina Pagano from Five9 for the Georgia and The Carolinas, and Henry Cruz from Telesystem for Florida.

In the Midwest, Sarah Macdonald from Five9 won the Great Lakes category, Peter Gasparro from Zultys for Central, Kirsten Bonnesen from AT&T for the Midwest, and Mark Merritt III from Spectrum for the Mountain region. Nicole Brungardt from Comcast Business and Chris Risse from Comcast Business were the winners in the Pacific Northwest.

For the Southwest, Max Howell from NHC was the winner in the AZ/NV/UT category, and Yvette Bratt from Broadvoice for SoCal, while Brad Pepper from GTT took the NorCal award.

Sandler Partners also designated The Surfrider Foundation as its charity partner for the event, with an on-site exhibit sharing the organization's mission to protect the world's oceans and coastlines. Attendees were encouraged to get involved through personal action and support.

Sandler Partners helps empower its network of leading independent sales partners to deliver a comprehensive range of technology solutions to organizations worldwide, including cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, connectivity, cloud, colocation, mobility, internet of things, and continuity. Its community-focused approach enables partners to identify the right solutions for customers quickly and objectively from a diverse portfolio of 220+ providers.