Past Award Winners

Adele De Berri Pioneers of AV Award

Tom Danley
Co-Founder and Designer, Danley Sound Labs

Danley was interested in radio, electronics, loudspeakers, and “hi-fi” since childhood. In 1979, he went to work for Intersonics, a NASA contractor, where he invented an acoustic levitation sound source 100 times more efficient than previous technology. He was awarded 17 patents for acoustic and electromagnetic levitation devices and designed and built major portions of the hardware flown on space shuttle flights. In 2005, Danley and Mike Hedden founded Danley Sound Labs, where, among other inventions, he created the Synergy Horn, which combines the output of multiple drivers into a single horn.

CTS Holder of the Year Award

Rob Ziv, CTS-D, CTS-I
Director of Business Development, Almo Professional A/V

Ziv’s commitment to certification as a pathway for improving pro AV and industry professionals is infectious. As the only dual CTS-D/CTS-I at Almo Professional A/V (he attained both in the same year), Ziv has dedicated himself to mentoring other Almo employees through the certification process. He runs prep classes at Almo, while also serving as an adjunct instructor of audio production at Anne Arundel Community College. Ziv has also been an advisory board member of music production and recording for Community College of Baltimore County and a multimedia subject matter expert for the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools.

Educator of the Year Award

Jeremy Elsesser, CTS-D, CTS-I
President, Level 3 Audiovisual

In addition to being president of a national AV integrator, colleagues call Elsesser “a born educator.” For several years, he has taught AVIXA’s CTS-D Prep coursework, and this year he adds CTS-I Prep to his repertoire. He is known to teach AVIXA classes at the company’s Mesa, Az., headquarters not just to Level 3 employees, but also to anyone wanting to improve their craft, raising the bar for excellence throughout the AV industry. Elsesser currently serves on AVIXA's Content and Learning Committee.

Volunteer of the Year

Jose Carselle, CTS-D
International Advanced Application Engineer, QSC

A CTS holder since 2006, Carselle began volunteering at InfoComm shows in 2011, teaching CTS Prep and CTS-D Prep courses at AVIXA’s Colombia- and Mexico-based events. He was a founding member of AVIXA’s Mexican Advisory Group, offering webinars and training in Latin America while also teaching at the U.S. trade show. In 2013, Carselle translated training material for AVIXA’s Networking Technology class into Spanish, ensuring the important coursework was available locally within just months of its English debut. He currently chairs AVIXA's Content and Learning Committee, which evaluates education sessions for InfoComm and advises the association on program design and content development.

Macky Baron Distinguished Achievement Award

Steven Somers
Retired, Extron

Somers helped lead Extron since 1988, most recently as Vice President of Engineering, growing the company’s catalog to more than 5,000 products. He was an integral leader of and contributor to the InfoComm Projection Shoot-Out from 1992 to 2001, a bellwether industry event that contributed to the trade show’s success. Somers was named AVIXA’s Volunteer of the Year in 2009 and served the association in various capacities, including as an adjunct instructor and member of the Professional Education and Training Committee (PETC).

Women in AV Award

Laurie Englert
VP of Customer Experience, Legrand

While at Milestone AV Technologies, before it became part of Legrand, Englert was a driving force behind the company’s focus on customer experience. That commitment continues today, as she shares her expertise in design thinking across Legrand AV. While at Chief, Englert launched Community Connections, an employee-driven committee that organized company volunteer opportunities. Now part of Legrand’s Better Communities initiative, she continues as the group’s executive sponsor.

Lisa Thorburn, CTS, LEED-AP 
President, Thorburn Associates

Thorburn co-founded Thorburn Associates, specialists in acoustical consulting, technology engineering, and lighting design, in 1992. Over the course of her career, she has been dedicated to sharing technical knowledge, not only with InfoComm attendees and AV professionals, but also with members of the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. While leading her firm of five national offices through 3,000 projects across all markets, Thorburn has shared her insight with related industry groups such as the Themed Entertainment Association, Society for Marketing Professional Services, and Construction Specifications Institute.

Young AV Professionals Awards

Ben Boeshans, CTS-D
Senior Consultant, Idibri

In 2010, after earning his bachelor’s degree in Audio Production and Technology from Michigan Technological University, Boeshans joined the team that would become AV design firm Idibri with a strong background in live production. His clients have included the Circuit of the Americas Formula 1 Race Track, Trinity Church Wall Street, and US Bank Stadium, home of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings. A freelance audio engineer, Boeshans serves on the AVIXA Standards Steering Committee and the Audio Coverage Uniformity Task Group. He’s also been an instructor for three consecutive InfoComm shows.

Adele De Berri Pioneers of AV Award

Pat Quilter
Founder and Chairman of the Board, QSC

Barry and John Andrews
Founders, QSC

What started 50 years ago as Quilter Sound Company became QSC under founders Quilter and the Andrews brothers, leading technological advances across several audio product categories. One of the honorees’ lasting legacies, since the time Quilter personally led QSC’s original development team, was in the advancement of power amplifier technology. QSC also drove innovation in powered loudspeakers, and recently, the founders saw to fruition their almost-20-year vision of software-based processing.

CTS Holder of the Year Award

Michael Pedersen, CTS-D, CTS-I
Senior Staff Engineer, Mechdyne

In 1999, Pedersen was the sixth full-time Mechdyne employee. In 2012, he became one of only about 300 AV professionals worldwide to hold both CTS-D and CTS-I certifications. He is a consummate volunteer and educator. In addition to being an AVIXA adjunct faculty member, he gives his time and expertise to the local Marshalltown (Iowa) High School, Marshalltown Community College, and nearby Iowa State University. Committed to STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education, Pedersen is also a member of Iowa's STEM Advisory Council.

Educator of the Year Award

Hope Roth, CTS
Lead Programmer, Riordan Brothers

Roth was a member of the inaugural class of AVIXA/IMCCA Emerging Trends Fellows at InfoComm 2017, where she presented on the future of control systems programming. She also taught the three-day CTS Prep course at the 2017 show and continues to spearhead a CTS study group to help women in commercial AV attain their industry certification.

Volunteer of the Year

Rodrigo Ordóñez, CTS-D
Principal, K2 Audio

Ordóñez is a longtime AVIXA volunteer, serving currently on the Certification Steering Committee. Over the last seven years, he has also served on the CTS-D Item Writing, CTS Renewal, and Appeals subcommittees, as well as the CTS Scheme Review subcommittee, which has been active in re-evaluating the CTS structure and recommending changes to the exam. Ordóñez is also a veteran AVIXA instructor, teaching network technologies at the InfoComm show in the United States and in-language AV content at InfoComm events in Latin America.

Dick Tollberg, CTS-D
Senior Design Engineer, AVI-SPL

One of AVIXA’s most widely accepted standards is AVIXA V202.01:2016 Display Image Size for 2D Content in Audiovisual Systems (DISCAS). One of DISCAS’ earliest developers and ongoing champions is longtime AVIXA volunteer Tollberg. He served on the task group that created the standard and recently spearheaded the creation of the DISCAS “calculator”—an online tool for crunching the numbers necessary for creating an optimal viewing experience.

Macky Baron Distinguished Achievement Award

Mike Weems, CTS
Retired, Harman

As the professional AV industry began to take its current form, Weems, whose career included positions at Sony, InFocus, NetStreams, Sanyo and Harman, understood that without training, certification and standardization, the industry couldn’t grow and reach its potential. Starting almost from scratch, Weems and a team of industry volunteers created the framework that still exists today and helped advance the careers of thousands of AV professionals.

Women in AV Award

Maricel Cruz
Audiovisual Engineer, ASTAD

Cruz is a talented, committed AV engineer based in Doha, Qatar. In her 10 years in the industry, she was worked on more than 30 major projects across the Middle East, including the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, the Qatar National Library, and the National Museum of Qatar. At ASTAD, she is a driving force behind the implementation of company standards, best practices and specifications. Colleagues call Cruz a role model for other women in the region, demonstrating ways to impact the workplace and make significant contributions to business outcomes.

Samantha Phenix
Vice President, Research and Development, Leyard and Planar

Phenix’s 20-year career has spanned engineering, business development, and corporate leadership. She has been named on various technology patents, innovated display technology across multiple demanding vertical markets, and maintained leadership roles at companies such as Leyard and Planar, Intel, Dell, and Barco. Phenix serves on the Board of AVIXA, as well as the AVIXA Foundation. In 2017, she was recognized as an Industry Innovator by NewBay Media.

Young AV Professionals Awards

Annabelle Gazzo
Director of Marketing, Media Vision

Gazzo’s multidisciplinary and multicultural background help break down silos and advance the AV industry in an integrated fashion. She operates in nine global markets, developing localized content marketing strategies in three languages. Gazzo is an advocate for diversity in the workplace and uses her legal studies to support improvements in AV business practices and human resources.

Luke Jordan, CTS-I
Account Manager, Electro Acoustics

Jordan was 2016 CTS Holder of the Year and serves as Chair of the AVIXA Integrators Council. He is a champion of AVIXA certifications and led Electro Acoustics to attain the designation of AVIXA Audiovisual Provider of Excellence (APEx). Jordan and his team at Electro Acoustics have created a farm system, partnering with local community colleges to identify qualified individuals, offer training, and guide them toward rewarding AV careers.

Adele De Berri Pioneers of AV Award

Russell Gentner
President and CEO
Listen Technologies

Gentner founded Gentner Communications (now ClearOne) in 1981. He developed the first channelized acoustic echo canceler for telephone and videoconferencing applications. In 1997, Gentner founded Listen Technologies to provide wireless audio solutions for applications such as assistive listening, guided tours, and language interpretation. He is passionate about raising awareness of hearing loss issues, advocating for greater accommodations to help those with hearing loss, and educating people about listening solutions.

CTS Holder of the Year Award

L. William Nattress III, CTS-D, CTS-I
Director of Channel Strategy
Biamp Systems

Nattress has been active with AVIXA for 17 years, serving important roles with the Professional Education and Training Committee (PETC), the Certification Subcommittee, the Board of Directors, and the Leadership Development Committee. He was instrumental in the development of AVIXA’s CTS certification, which has become the industry standard.

Educator of the Year Award

James Maltese, CTS-D, CTS-I
President
Audio Visual Resources Inc.

Maltese has been an instructor for AVIXA for the last 15 years, teaching design and prep classes in addition to delivering presentations on industry quality and trends. He is also a monthly contributor to Sound & Communications magazine, where he shares his expertise on a wide-range of AV topics.

Volunteer of the Year

Jason Brameld
Technical Director
Torpedo Factory Group

Brameld is heavily involved in developing standards for the AV industry. He is the former Chair of AVIXA’s Standards Steering Committee and has served on various task groups devoted to publishing not only standards accredited by the American National Standards Institute, but also industry-specific AVIXA standards on practices such as cable labeling and racking building. He speaks internationally about standards, including at plenary sessions at the InfoComm show.

Jim Bowie
President and CEO
Electrosonic

With a career in AV spanning 30 years, Bowie has been a pioneering systems engineer to now the CEO of Electrosonic. Bowie has been very active with AVIXA for years, supporting training programs and the Certified Technology Specialist® (CTS) program. In 2011, Bowie launched an apprentice program at Electrosonic. The unique, one-year program exposes individuals to the company’s core departments, allowing them to gain a deep understanding of project flow and business strategy.

Women in AV Award

Patty McGoldrick
CEO and Founder
Immediate Connections Inc.

McGoldrick began her business Immediate Connections, Inc. more than 30 years ago with $3,000. Now, with seven offices across the U.S., her company generates sales revenues in the millions providing AV staffing for live events. McGoldrick has been a member of AVIXA’s Rental and Staging Council since 1992 and co-founded the Independent Technical Services Council in 2009.

Mahua Mukhopadhyay
Director, AVID India Pvt. Ltd.
Executive Vice President, IAV India

In 2008, Mukhopadhyay joined IAV India, which is currently among the top five AV systems integrators in the Asia-Pacific region. That same year, she co-founded AVID India, an award-winning AV/IT services company. Mukhopadhyay has been successful in establishing mandatory training and certification within both organizations. Additionally, she leads the Women of InfoComm Network in India.

Young AV Professionals Awards

Megan Dutta
Editor
Systems Contractor News

After taking over management of the Peerless-AV marketing team in 2013, Dutta created a cohesive message for the company, guiding its image from a display mount manufacturer to its current position as a leading AV solutions provider. She has been a member of the AVIXA Exhibitor Committee since 2007 where she works closely industry peers, InfoComm show exhibitors, and AVIXA staff to develop new policies to improve the annual tradeshow. She is also Chair of the InfoComm Exhibitor Advisory Committee for 2017.

Wallace Johnson, CTS
Vice President of Business Development
Mertzcrew

Johnson is avidly involved with AVIXA, having served on PETC for four years, the Young AV Professionals Council and the 2016 AV Executive Conference planning committee. In addition, Johnson is currently Chair of the Live Events Council. At the age of 28, he was promoted to Vice President of Operations for the live events division at AVI-SPL, where he grew the department in scale, services, and profitability. In his current role at Mertzcrew, he focuses on providing an AV software platform that supports the live events community.

Adele De Berri Pioneers of AV Award

Dr. Roger Hajjar
Chief Technology Officer
Founder of Prysm

Growing up in Lebanon, Roger Hajjar was fascinated by light, specifically disco lights, which inspired him to launch a backyard business selling disco balls made of mirrors taped to Styrofoam orbs. As he got older, Hajjar’s business grew more sophisticated, leveraging light and electricity. When he immigrated to the United States and entered Boston University, his obsession with light remained with him. Today, Hajjar is known for developing laser phosphor display (LPD) technology and holds more than 100 patents in the U.S. and around the world.

CTS Holder of the Year Award

Luke Jordan, CTS-I
Service and Small Systems Manager
Electro Acoustics Inc.

Luke Jordan was the first Electro Acoustics employee to receive CTS certification at his company and he inspired other employees to follow his lead. His commitment to quality led him to spearhead a cloud-based application that draws from ANSI 2M-2010, Standard Guide for Audiovisual Systems Design and Coordination Processes and ANSI 10:2013, AV Systems Performance Verification.

Educator of the Year Award

Jeremy Caldera, CTS-D, CTS-I
CEO
IAS Technology

A champion for bringing young professionals into the AV industry, Jeremy Caldera established, and still teaches, audiovisual courses at Columbia College in Chicago. Caldera was also an early proponent of the AVIXA Foundation grant program, which was created to offer internships and mentoring to talented individuals entering the AV industry. He is currently chair of the AVIXA Certification Steering Committee and an AVIXA faculty member.

Volunteers of the Year

Christa Bender, CTS
Account Manager
Pivot Communications

Bender, an industry blogger and podcast host, was cited as one of Commercial Integrator’s 2015 Top 40 Influencers Under 40 and a 2015 Systems Contractor News Power Player. She earned her CTS in 2010 and spent several years handling inside sales and marketing for Applied Video Technology before taking her current position at Pivot Communications.

Hope Roth, CTS
Programmer
Riordan Brothers

Roth started her technology career by earning a degree in computer science before transitioning to commercial AV. She also was among Commercial Integrator’s 2015 Top 40 Influencers Under 40 and a 2015 Systems Contractor News Power Player. She earned her CTS in 2012 and became a Crestron-Certified Programmer.

David Bright
President
Kramer Electronics USA

Dave Bright has been an active, committed member of the AV industry for more than 30 years. Bright started in pro AV selling cathode ray tube displays for Mitsubishi. He eventually formed the company’s Professional Electronics Division, which became one of Mitsubishi’s most profitable in the U.S. He became the first employee of Kramer Electronics USA in 1997 and spent the ensuing 19 years positioning the company as one of the most innovative and fastest-growing in the industry.

Women in AV Award

Rose L. Shure

Rose Shure, former Chair of Shure Inc., was in the AV industry for more than 60 years. She led Shure from a small manufacturer of microphones and phonograph cartridges to a global leader in audio electronics. Shure remained active in the company until her death, recently initiating research into applications of nanotechnology with Northwestern University and always investing substantially in R&D and industry education.

Young AV Professionals Awards

Kelly Perkins, CTS
Marketing and Communications Manager
AVI Systems

Perkins was an early adopter of social media as a means of communicating among AV professionals. She’s been a podcast host and presenter at InfoComm shows. During her time working for Vaddio, Perkins launched an internal CTS training program for sales and marketing staff. In her current role at AVI Systems, she’s implementing new marketing programs and spearheading a training initiative.

Josh Srago, CTS
Design Engineer
TEECOM

Srago is a respected voice in the AV industry and a frequent presenter at AVIXA events. At InfoComm 2016 show, he spoke at the IoT Insights session on Super Tuesday and delivered the AVIXA course Government Regulations and the AV Industry. He serves on the AVIXA Certification Steering Committee, which is responsible for overseeing the development and administration of the Certified Technology Specialist™ certifications, and often addresses industry gatherings on the importance of certification.

Adele De Berri Pioneers of AV Award

Brian Critchley
Founder and Managing Director (retired)
Digital Projection

The InfoComm International Adele De Berri Pioneers Award highlights important contributions made by industry individuals to the science of AV. The award calls attention to the AV and information communications industries by recognizing pioneers who made scientific breakthroughs resulting in new AV technologies that impacted the manufacture and sales of novel products enjoyed by audiences worldwide.

CTS Holder of the Year Award

Byron Tarry, CTS LEED AP
Director, Enterprise Solutions
Sharp’s Audiovisual

The AVIXA CTS Holder Award calls attention to the AV industry by recognizing Certified Technology Specialist™ holders (CTS, CTS-D and/or CTS-I) who are achieving rewarding and successful careers in the audiovisual and information communications industries.

Educator of the Year Award

Paul Zielie, Jr., CTS-D, CTS-I
Manager, Enterprise Solutions
Harman/AMX

The AVIXA Educator of the Year Award highlights important contributions made by an individual to the professional development, education and training of the AV industry. These contributions have impacted audiences worldwide. The Educator of the Year Award is presented annually for outstanding achievement in AV education for that particular year.

Fred Dixon Service Award in Education

Alan Brawn, CTS, ISF-C
Principal
Brawn Consulting

The overall purpose of the Fred Dixon Service in Education Award is to call out an individual who association members and the industry recognize as worthy of a lifetime achievement award in AV education. It is bestowed upon an individual who exhibits excellence throughout his or her entire body of work and to someone nearing or at the end of his/her educational career. It is not awarded annually; rather it is based on a given year and whether there is an appropriate candidate for such a prestigious award.

Volunteer of the Year

Ron Camden
Vice President of Global Sales
Biamp Systems

This award uncovers and celebrates the volunteer who has contributed greatly to the association and who is not recognized in other ways for that contribution. It is awarded annually for contributions made to the association within the last one to two years. This award winner is determined by staff.

Women in AV Award

Heather Callaway, CTS-D, RCDD, LEED AP
Principal
SiteReady Design

Read Heather's Story

Wendy Cox, CTS
Director, Product Group Development
Milestone AV Technologies

Read Wendy's Story

The AVIXA Women in AV Awards call attention to the AV industry by recognizing women who are achieving rewarding and successful careers in the audiovisual and information communications industries.

Young AV Professionals Award

Jeremy Caldera, CTS-D, CTS-I
Lead Audiovisual Design Engineer
Zeller Digital Innovations

The AVIXA Young AV Professionals Awards call attention to the AV industry by recognizing that young people are achieving rewarding and successful careers in the audiovisual and information communications industries.