Atkins Fleming is the Assistant Director of Learning Spaces at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas.  He’s worked for over a decade in higher education A/V support, preceded by numerous years in acoustical design.  He has a degree in Sound Recording Technology from Texas State University and is a lifelong musician, and he uses both skillsets on a regular basis at his church.  Atkins has always loved A/V, from before he knew what A/V was.

The Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance, Inc. (HETMA) is a registered 5013(c)3 advocacy organization focused on the higher education AV industry. The goal of HETMA is to raise awareness of technology issues unique to the higher education community by communicating with manufacturers, vendors, and higher education administrators on the needs and challenges that technology managers face. HETMA is also dedicated to providing educational and networking opportunities to our members so that we can empower and grow our influence as an industry. Our belief is that all resources provided through HETMA should always be FREE to the higher ed community. We are by us and for us, and hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity. OUR PURPOSE 1. ADVOCACY: HETMA seeks to advocate for the needs of the Higher Ed vertical within the greater AV industry by investing in our institutional and manufacturer relationships through programs like “HETMA Approved Program.” 2. EVENTS: “We were virtual before it was cool” is our tagline. We recognize the importance of information sharing as an essential element to higher ed. 3. COMMUNITY: We believe we are stronger together. AV in the higher education vertical accounts for over $27B in annual spend. Join us as we work together to strengthen one another through our initiatives, including our Prism Scholarship!  We offer two membership types that are always FREE OF CHARGE for the higher ed community! If you have a .edu, ac.uk, or equivalent, you automatically become a voting member and may join our monthly all-hands meetings on the third Friday of each month as well as our backend communication channels (ya know, where the real biz takes place). We also welcome corporate allies to partner with us for our advisory boards, “HETMA Approved” program, and as conference session providers. 

AVNation™ started in 2011 as a small community of friends having fun and wanting to share their knowledge and experiences working with audio visual technology and the av industry in general. Since our first show AVWeek™ we’ve grown considerably over the years, we’re still a community where everyone is welcome to share ideas, make new friends, and celebrate the AV industry. Most importantly, we’re still having fun. Tim Albright created AVNation for the purpose of bringing high-quality broadcasts (or netcasts) to the AV community. Tim has envisioned building a network of industry professionals who are passionately engaged in furthering the AV industry through education and knowledge. One of the premiere functions of AVNation is to see industry professional provide first-hand knowledge to other professionals across North America and the World. Many of the hosts and people involved with AVNation are industry leaders in various ways. The first AVNation podcast was the initial episode of AVWeek – “The Pilot,” recorded July 29th, 2011. Ever since that first recording, AVNation has continued to grow its show offerings encompassing all aspects of the AV industry through weekly AVWeek episodes, as well as many additional periodic shows. We continue to have a wide variety of guests including industry professionals who work in or own integration firms and corporate industry leaders.

Erin Maher-Moran is the IT Manager – Classroom Technology at Johns Hopkins University (JHU).  She manages the Classroom/Audiovisual Technology Services team. Her team designs, installs, supports and maintains the classroom technology in general pool classrooms, as well as supports events, on the Homewood Campus in Baltimore, MD. She is also the Vice Chair of the Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance (HETMA.org) and the host of AVNation’s EDTech podcast. With 25+ years in Higher Education AV, Erin has seen the industry grow and change in leaps and bounds.  She has been programming Crestron control systems since the early 2000’s and an AVIXA Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) since 2008. Erin is a former roller derby skater and coach.  This has helped her understand the importance of building a dynamic team as well as allowed her an opportunity to develop her leadership skills and style. Erin holds a BFA in illustration and an Advanced Graduate Certificate in Interactive Multimedia Development from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). She is currently pursuing her MS in Engineering Management – Technical Leadership at JHU. 

Ryan Gray, M.Ed., CTS, is Director of Technology Engagement and Strategy at Yavapai College based in Northern Arizona. He holds Bachelor's Degrees in Political Science and Media Arts from Arizona State University and a Master of Education in Educational Technology from Northern Arizona University. Ryan is passionate about creating high quality technology driven experiences for students, faculty and staff.  He drives attention towards a focus on user experience, the constant incubation of new ideas and the creation of genuine community. He is proud to serve on the Board of Directors of the Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance (HETMA.org) and is host of the AV/IT Amplifier Podcast at Higher Ed AV Media (HigherEdAV.com).

CTI delivers world-class audiovisual, IT, and unified communications (UCC) solutions, including engineering, design, installation, integration, maintenance, and service. Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, CTI serves customers in the US from 40 locations, two locations in the UK, and worldwide through the PSNI Global Alliance. The largest privately held AV integration and events provider in the United States, CTI has served clients in the corporate, justice, house of worship, mission critical, government, sports, broadcast, education, higher-ed, and healthcare markets since 1988. From a single room to the largest Fortune 100 companies, the team at CTI has the experience and expertise you need for a successful integration.

Mike Pedersen, the Audiovisual Experience Manager at Iowa State University since the summer of 2018, brings over 30 years of experience in the engineering industry with a focus on the professional audiovisual (AV) sector for the past 25 years. Leading the Audiovisual Experience Team (AVXT) at Iowa State, Mike oversees the maintenance of AV systems in over 200 university classrooms and provides consulting, installation, and repair services across campus. The AVXT won the 2023 Higher Ed AV Team of the Year with Higher Ed AV Media.  Recognized as an expert in the field, he holds both Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) certifications in Design (CTS-D) and Installation (CTS-I), a distinction shared by only approximately 700 individuals worldwide. In 2018, AVIXA named him CTS Holder of the Year.  Mike currently serves on the Membership Committee and Certification Renewal Committee with AVIXA, and he previously served as an elected member of the Certification Steering Committee and chair of the Technology Mangers Council.  He currently serves on the board of directors with the Educational Technology Collaborative (ETC) as the Membership Committee and Program Committee.  He has previously served extensively with HETMA including as the 1-year at large board member.  Before joining Iowa State, he spent almost 19 years at Mechdyne Corporation, contributing to various roles including engineering manager, R&D, and pre-sales engineering. Outside of his professional endeavors, Mike actively volunteers in STEM education, serving on the governor's North Central Iowa Regional STEM Advisory Board. A 1994 graduate of Iowa State University, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering with distinction and a minor in History and is working toward a Master of Engineering in Engineering Management degree.

We’re the Hub for All People and Things AV We are the community for the creative professionals who use technology to create integrated experiences. AVIXA is the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association, producer of InfoComm trade shows around the world, co-owner of Integrated Systems Europe, and the international trade association representing the audiovisual industry.

Higher Ed AV aims to be the true voice of the customer, bringing the latest news and insights directly from those who serve in the trenches.

Dr. Josiah Way is the Executive Director, Digital Spaces at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), known as a revolutionary visionary and innovator in the audiovisual industry. As the leading educational technology thought leader, Joe was recognized as the 2019 AV Professional of the Year, 2023 AV Living Legend, 2008 Businessman of the Year, and is named to multiple top industry and influencers lists, including the 2024 global Top 100 Innovators and Entrepreneurs, 2024 Who’s Who in America, 2023 Top 50 UC Professionals, and 2019 and 2022 Top 30 Higher Ed IT Leaders lists. He is a highly sought keynote speaker and writer, most acclaimed for his innovative design of the technology standard for hybrid instruction and business development within the higher ed vertical. Joe is the cofounder of the Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance (HETMA) and serves as the Editor-in-Chief of Higher Ed AV Media, host of the Higher Ed AV Podcast, and writer of the Business of AV monthly column. Dr. Way authored the bestselling book, Producing Worship, and is a regular contributor to multiple leading AV-industry publications, while also serving on numerous corporate and higher education advisory boards. Joe has over 30 years’ experience in education, technical production and the arts, and organizational leadership and management. He has been featured in Forbes Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, ABC and PBS Television, Yahoo News, and consulted for high profile organizations like the United Nations, US Department of Education, and over forty Fortune 500’s. In his free time, Joe enjoys cruising the lake on his boat with family and friends, golfing PGA West, and perfecting his Traeger meat-smoking techniques. Oh, and he once won his fantasy football league. Joe is available for speaking engagements, media appearances, and business development consulting.

With over 25 years of networking expertise, NETGEAR provides a wide range of products engineered for technologies like AV over IP, Power over Ethernet (PoE), wireless local area networks (WLAN), multi-gigabit connectivity, and remote cloud management.  Proven leadership in network switching and advanced wireless access points with the latest security protocols make NETGEAR the smart choice for commercial and residential custom installs. 

Co-Chair Rising AV Professionals Council Engineering Mentor CTS-D-certified Audiovisual Consultant with over 10 years in the industry.  Talk to me about climbing, soccer, fitness, and environmentalism.  I guess probably AV too.

The mission of the Rising Professionals Council is promoting the skills, careers and ongoing development for rising AV professionals, as ambassadors of our industry, through outreach and mentorship.

A marketing professional and 20-year AV industry veteran, I am a proud CTS holder and enthusiastic #AVfoodie who is passionate about innovative technologies, design, and all things AV. I look forward to connecting with you here on Xchange and invite you to join me on LinkedIn as well.  To reach me, please message me on LinkedIn, as I am unable to reply to conversations here.