Joel Middleton

Joel Middleton has extensive experience in the field of optical network engineering. Joel began their career at AT&T in 1983, where they served as a Senior Member of Technical Support for over two decades. During this time, they gained a deep understanding of telecommunications systems, particularly in the area of integrated SONET/DWDM/Ethernet optical networks.

In 2005, Middleton joined NEC of America as a Telecommunications Tester. In this role, they provided support for fully managed and dedicated integrated optical network systems, including the AT&T Ultravailable Network Service (UVN).

In 2012, Middleton joined CCI Systems, Inc as a Senior Systems Engineer. Joel worked as a technical consultant, helping companies develop plans for secure cloud solutions. Their responsibilities included designing solutions that integrated various technologies such as colocation, network, cloud hosting, and data center technologies.

In 2013, Middleton moved to Exelon, where they served as an IT Operations Analyst. Joel played a vital role in the operations support for the Exelon/ComEd SONET Network, specializing in the ALU 1830 DWDM product for the ComEd Network Ring in the Chicago area.

Middleton then worked at CenturyLink as a Senior Transport Engineer from 2015 to 2016. In this role, they were responsible for managing transport, collocation, and access projects, ensuring compliance with industry standards and company guidelines.

From 2016 to 2017, Middleton worked at the Illinois Tollway as a GEC Fiber Optics Engineer & Manager. Joel assessed the health and capacity of the Tollway's Fiber Optic Network and contributed to the overall master plan for fiber/communications.

Middleton joined AECOM in 2017 as an Optical Network Engineer. In this position, they led the Design Corridor Management (DCM) team for the Central Tri-State Corridor of the Illinois Tollway. Their responsibilities included ensuring the optical network design met industry standards and managing the temporary and permanent relocation of fiber and ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) throughout the corridor.

Most recently, Middleton joined OMEGA & Associates, Inc. in 2021 as an Optical Network Engineer. Joel served as a Fiber Optic Network Subject Matter Expert (SME) and was responsible for IPDCs, Fiber HandHoles, and other network-related tasks.

In 2022, Middleton joined TranSystems as an Optical Network Engineer, continuing their work in the field of optical network engineering.

Joel Middleton holds a Master of Science (MS) degree in Telecommunications, which they obtained from the University of Colorado Boulder between 1996 and 2001. Prior to that, Middleton pursued their Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Engineering Management at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, completing their studies from 1979 to 1984.