Life as a woman in the comms world is like a balancing act, with your professional life on one side and your personal life on the other, according to Cheri Beranek, the president and CEO of Clearfield, Inc. As a woman who has been in comms for some time, Beranek should know. A founding member of Clearfield Inc. , she was appointed president and CEO of the optical fiber provider in 2007 after having served as President of APA Enterprises' subsidiary APA Cables & Networks.