AVIXA is thrilled to introduce the new chairs of AVIXA’s Consultants Council, Rising Professionals Council, Systems Integrators Council, and Technology Managers Council. These councils guide the planning and development of membership policies and education training programs.

Lloyd Ranola, CTS-D, Principal and Senior Consultant at TEECOM, is the new chair for the AVIXA Consultants Council. This council is an advocacy group with a global focus that cultivates rising talent and promotes the role of consultants to the wider market. Ranola has over 25 years of experience in AV systems. He combines his passion for technology with a focus on the way people interact with it, providing clients with an engaging, simple, and effective user experience.

The new co-chair of AVIXA’s Rising Professionals Council is Stephen Ahlgrim, CTS-D, Senior ICT Designer for Syska Hennessy Group. He joins Gregory Rushton, CTS-D, Vice President at Mulvey & Banani Audio Visual Inc., who began his leadership of the council in 2022. This council promotes the skills, careers, and ongoing development for rising AV professionals, as ambassadors of the pro AV industry, through outreach and mentorship.

Nathan Hufford, Global Enterprise Account Manager for AVI Systems and GPA, is the new chair of the AVIXA Systems Integrators Council. This council focuses on advancing the interests and capabilities of system integrators in the AV industry by emphasizing standards, best practices, continuing education, and exceptional customer experiences. Hufford is passionate about convergence technology and has a deep background in AV/IT and a vast array of experience in global delivery.

Jeremy Blasnogame CTD-D, AV Systems Engineer, Information Systems at Children’s Mercy Kansas City, is the new co-chair for the AVIXA Technology Managers Council. This council is a community for current and future technology management professionals to discuss collective interests, share best practices and diverse perspectives while collaborating with other AVIXA groups and the industry as a whole. At Children's Mercy, Blasnogame works along a team to manage 120 AV-enabled spaces and provide technical support for telemedicine.

In addition, Josh Kaufman, CTS, Campus AV Services Coordinator, Tufts University, joins Blasnogame as co-chair of the Technology Managers Council. Kaufman has worked at several colleges and universities around the Boston area in both event and classroom support, and as supervisor of technical operations. A major focus of his work has been to advocate for increased use of audiovisual technology in the classroom, with a special focus on increasing accessibility.

The AVIXA Membership Committee put forth a selection of candidates for the council chair positions, and they were approved by the Leadership Search Committee. 

To learn more about the AVIXA committees and councils, visit www.avixa.org/membership/committees-councils.