For our August ‘25 Xchange Community Spotlight, we're featuring @Joe Way, Executive Director, Digital Spaces at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). From a young age, his love of music sparked a lasting interest in AV tech.

“With playing guitar growing up, the technical side of music and entertainment was part of my DNA,” he said. “I naturally gravitated toward the audiovisual side of things—probably because it brought together technology, creativity, and people in a way that just clicked for me.”

Since his first student job at the University of Southern California (USC) running live events, he’s continuously worked in AV, but over time, he found himself more drawn to the business and management side. 

He now serves as an Executive Director at UCLA, where he oversees the strategy, design, and implementation of technology across the enterprise. Among other duties, his role includes leading teams in AV integration, customer support, live events, digital signage, executive spaces, and classroom modernization.

 “Most of my role involves working at the strategic level across the enterprise and industry. I also manage partnerships with vendors and industry leaders to bring innovative, scalable, and accessible solutions to the university. Currently, we are working on a revolutionary audiovisual campus modernization project that surely will change the industry,” he commented, noting that he can’t wait to share more about this project in time.

As a visionary and technology enthusiast, he’s working to transform UCLA into a hyper-personalized smart campus, with a cloud-first strategy.

“As an industry, we always preach about ‘voice-of-the-customer,’ but often fall short of actually personalizing the experience to each customer. And at UCLA, we have 65,000+ different customers. Thus, hyper‑personalization is front and center. At the same time, the smart campus concept is going beyond classrooms,” he mentioned.

Joe has worked on countless projects throughout his career and won many accolades like AV Nation’s AV Professional of the Year. But one of his most meaningful moments came when he started a special project with BC Hatchett, Associate Director, Classroom Technology at Vanderbilt University.

Together, they co-founded HETMA, a nonprofit organization focused on growing the influence and elevating the profile of the higher education audiovisual vertical. With HETMA, their long-standing passion for higher-ed AV was turned into a national advocacy movement.

“It wasn't just about starting an organization—it was about giving a voice to an entire vertical that had been overlooked for far too long,” Joe stated. “BC and I founded HETMA after realizing that higher‑ed AV professionals often felt isolated and overlooked at major industry events—a conversation that sparked during a manufacturer gathering back in 2019 when we found ourselves swapping stories about campus AV struggles and common challenges. We set out to create an organization ‘by us and for us’ that could connect, educate, and advocate for our community on a national and even international scale.” 

Since its launch six years ago, HETMA has created 22 different initiatives, grown to over 3,000 members, and set up multiple exciting InfoComm booths. Through HETMA, Joe has also helped to build programs like the Prism Scholarship, the HETMA Approved Program, and countless events that empower AV professionals to grow their careers and shape the industry.

“I will never forget the moment we announced the Prism Scholarship, and to now see that those who came through it have progressed in the careers and even hold leadership roles in HETMA now. That moment solidified that my work isn’t just about managing technology—it’s about leading a community, driving change, and leaving the industry better than I found it,” he remarked.

On Xchange, Joe often writes articles tailored for AV professionals in higher ed. You can find his articles on his Xchange profile or in the Learning Solutions channel. His favorite aspect of Xchange is how it brings the entire AV community together in an interactive and collaborative manner.

“It’s not just a platform for sharing content, it’s a place where real conversations happen, ideas are shared, and relationships are built across every part of our industry,” he said about Xchange. “I love that it gives higher-ed professionals a seat at the table alongside manufacturers, integrators, and channel partners, and other end users. It’s helped break down silos and foster a sense of belonging in an ever-evolving AV landscape.”

Thank you @Joe Way! To stay updated on members of our growing community, make sure to follow the Xchange Community Spotlight page.