Contributed Article
By: Valerie M. Sargent, Broadband Communities
We honor the life and legacy of Dan Terheggen.
I must be upfront and tell you that this is a very difficult article for me to write. But it is also one that I feel compelled to write, to ensure that you know about all the wonderful qualities and aspects of this man whom I appreciated so much, and to mark the importance of his legacy in the telecommunications and broadband space of the multifamily industry.
I am deeply sorry to let you know of the sudden passing of Dan Terheggen last week. Dan was a member of our multifamily private cable and broadband industry for decades, and he was a frequent contributor at the Broadband Communities Summit as both a moderator and panelist. Dan was also married to the woman who is a business partner in other aspects of my business and my chosen sister, Yvette Poole. After I had stepped out of an ancillary services role in 2005, he pulled me back into the multifamily telecommunications world in 2008, so he is actually responsible for me writing this article for you now. You can imagine that our hearts are truly broken with this heavy loss.
Dan led a long and varied career serving the multifamily industry.
From a young age, Dan had a hand in real estate, clothing, laundry, and recreational businesses. As CEO, in 1973 he formed his coin-operated laundry business, Consolidated Lauco Systems, that became Consolidated Smart Systems. Dan recently celebrated a 50-year career providing a multitude of valuable services to the multifamily industry. He was recognized as a broadband and MDU industry expert and leader, and he spoke at multiple broadband conferences around the country.
After enjoying success as a coin-operated laundry vendor early in his career, Dan bought a pay phone company, thinking it would be similar in nature. It wasn’t as expected, but the family he bought the pay phones from had a little TV store in Palos Verdes, and the owner spoke frequently with one of the founding members of DIRECTV about the newest way to receive and transmit communications via satellite. That family became an installer/dealer.
Dan Terheggen
They connected Dan – who had 16,000 laundry accounts in Southern California – with DIRECTV to begin to serve the multifamily market. Dan furthered his ancillary services work and stepped into the life of a private cable operator in the mid- to late 90s, installing DIRECTV systems in apartment buildings to provide satellite television, high-speed internet, and VoIP services. Dan sold his laundry business in 2008 to concentrate fully on the independent private cable provider market as the focus turned toward broadband needs for the market.
Advocacy was always a priority.
Advocacy was important to Dan. From the time he started in the space as a private cable operator he was a member of the Independent Multi-Family Communications Council (IMCC), which helped smaller, independent providers advocate for their needs in front of the FCC on critical operational issues and impacts. He became its president of the board in 2008, which is when he brought me in to work with the trade association (this is when I first encountered Broadband Communities). Dan maintained the role of IMCC president through its rebranding into Multifamily Broadband Council (MBC) in 2016, and its ultimate dissolution and transfer of membership to the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA) in 2020, leading all the way. He was a passionate voice for the industry and helped encourage many others to get involved throughout his career.
“I consider myself to be very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Dan for much of the last decade—learning from him, advocating with him and in the end realizing that he was passionate about his work and about making connections that helped move the ball forward at every turn,” said Kevin Donnelly, vice president of Government Affairs, Technology & Strategic Initiatives for NMHC.
“His legacy in the multifamily industry will be felt for many years to come and I’m proud to have called him a friend. Dan was such an incredible, kind and generous person who undoubtedly left a major mark on my life and work. And I know I’m not alone. On behalf of the National Multifamily Housing Council and our members, I wish to extend my sympathy and condolences to Dan’s family, many friends and industry colleagues.”
He modeled raising the bar with a focus on excellence.
The needs of the industry changed from a focus on the triple play of video, voice, and data to the necessity for robust internet service to support the ever-growing demand for speed and connectivity, so Dan focused his lens on high quality internet service. He began to plan for the next chapter of his life, and Consolidated was acquired by SDC Capital Partners in 2021, where he remained as CEO. After the pandemic, the company’s focus turned to retail and bulk solutions to improve property values and simplify the experience for users. Consolidated was re-branded in 2022 to become Smartaira, a national, independent ISP specializing in smarter internet and entertainment solutions. Dan switched his role from CEO to Board Chairman at Smartaira in October 2023, and continued to help with business development and mergers/acquisitions.
Bob Benton met Dan in 1980 and, after working together in other areas, Bob joined him as a business partner at Consolidated in 1997, working with him as Chief Marketing Officer at Smartaira until his final day. Benton said of his longtime friend, “The quality of people that Dan attracted into his life was the highest caliber. He paid it forward, before that was even a thing. Dan always saw the best in everyone. He saw their potential, and he was a protector of the positive, always trying to extract the negative from a situation and focusing on the best-case scenario. When things were challenging, he would wake up and say, ‘Well, the sun came up. Let’s get after it.’ Each day was a new day, and he would begin again. It is unthinkable that he is gone, but the imprint left on the lives around him will be a lasting one. I miss him already.”
Dan made us all want to be better. Excellence was his measuring stick. He was also playful and had a wicked sense of humor. His involvement with Young Presidents’ Organization and numerous industry trade associations through the years provided him the opportunity to lead corporate retreats, spearhead strategic planning initiatives, and give keynote speeches to other leaders both inside and outside his industry. He loved helping others grow, and often challenged leaders to do more, be more, and be better, recognizing their full potential.
Robert Grosz, President & Chief Operating Officer at WorldVue, served with Dan for years as the MBC board treasurer, and the two became close friends and industry colleagues. His words were for Dan directly, stating, “Though your physical presence may be gone, your spirit as a mentor and friend lives on forever. Your guidance and wisdom continue to inspire and shape the lives of those you touched. In our hearts, you remain a guiding light, a source of strength, and a cherished memory. Your absence is deeply felt, but your impact will never be forgotten. Thank you for being an extraordinary mentor and friend, and for leaving an indelible mark on our lives.”
The industry has truly lost an icon, and his presence will be missed by all. May we all continue to raise the bar in his honor. Rest in peace, dear Dan.
