John Stupka was a telecom veteran in the cellular industry known by those who worked with him as a gentleman and wise businessman and was always a voice for the unsung leaders that built the industry. A native of Oklahoma City, he received his B.S. in Industrial Engineering at the University of Oklahoma in 1971 and later pursued a master’s degree in business administration from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi.

After his education and a three-year tour in the military, John started his telecom career at Southwestern Bell Telephone Company in 1974. He rose quickly to division manager, attended the Bell Advanced Management Program at the University of Illinois, and was named network vice president and then executive vice president for the southwest region of Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS, a Bell subsidiary). By November 1985, John was named President and CEO of Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems (SBMS). Under John’s leadership, SBMS was widely recognized as the premier company in cellular, both in market penetration and operating cash flow. He received many industry accolades for his work in expanding cellular growth. In July 1995, John became senior vice president of strategic planning for SBC Communications. Working with the SBC Chairman, he directed not only strategic development, but also its technology division, SBC Technology Resources, Inc.

In August 1996, John accepted a position at MTel as its president and CEO. MTel/SkyTel Communications held nationwide one-way licenses and national nPCS licenses for two-way paging. John oversaw the company growth as it became a leader in nationwide messaging/paging, and helped SkyTel expand beyond the U.S., developing partnerships in Latin America. SkyTel was bought by MCI WorldCom in 1999, and John remained there until August 2002. He then served as chief of staff to his former SBMS colleague and good friend Stan Sigman, who by then was president and CEO of Cingular Wireless (later to become AT&T Mobility). John went on to found Strategic and Tactical Support, Inc., a consulting company serving the wireless industry.

John was long-time member of CTIA and was an early advisor for the Wireless History Foundation. He served as an adjunct professor of business at Millsaps College and guest lecturer at the University of Oklahoma. John was inducted into the Wireless Hall of Fame in 2002. He passed away in 2016 at the age of 69 after a brief battle with cancer.