AVIXA Mourns the Loss of Brad Sousa

Vertical AVTV was founded in 2002 in Atlanta, GA by Robert Harlin and Bill Shiverick.  We provide a range of technology services - design, installation, integration and management - in the commercial market.   Audio Visual | Structured Cabling | Access Security | Digital Signage | Sound Masking | Satellite Television | WiFi/DAS We provide these services to our clients throughout the US.

Managed Audio Visual services for School District 197 that includes Two Rivers High School, two (2) middle schools, and five (5) elementary schools. Provide leadership and management to the Audio Visual department. CareHawk system administrator for the two middle schools. Started a service club for Two Rivers High School and District called Tech Warriors. Tech Warriors provided level 1 computer support, event production services, and TV/Streaming production.

I have worked in AV since the early 1980s in various positions ranging from staging to video production. My responsibilities have included engineering, systems design, technical sales, product development, tech support, project management, customer service, CAD Management, drafting, purchasing, and marketing for A/V Integrators and Manufacturers. In 2015 I founded the AV Gives Back initiative on Twitter. Through the use of the #AVGivesBack hashtag on Twitter and LinkedIn, we help people and companies in the #AVcommunity get the information out about fundraisers, community service events, charity events, natural disaster relief, and more. Our motto is ‘helping others help others.’ https://twitter.com/AVGivesBack In the past, as a CAD Manager, I was responsible for managing successful drafting teams in the high-volume NYC Metro Area. While establishing CAD Standards and Drawing packages for A/V & Digital Signage companies I have also worked with the InfoComm International Standards development team that was working on the J-STD-710: Audio, Video, and Control Architectural Drawing Symbols Standard. As a Social Media Advocate, I am active on Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram) helping to get out the company message and project information. I have appeared on industry Podcasts including AVNation’s AV Week, ArchiTech, and EDtech. I have presented online webinars for AVIXA's System Integrators Council on Change Orders, and FSR on AV Infrastructure and HDBaseT technologies. I have been a volunteer firefighter in North Jersey since 1985 and currently volunteer as Fire Police in Pequannock NJ. I volunteer with my son's Boy Sout Troop 144 as the Advancement Chair, Assistant Scoutmaster, and Merit Badge Counselor. I also volunteer for the Northern New Jersey (NNJ) Chapter of the Guardians of the Ribbon.

Ben currently serves as the Head of Pro AV and the Sr. Director of Publishing for MarketScale, a B2B publisher and strategic marketing firm. He has over a decade of award winning experience in media publishing for large scale events, OTT & live streaming platforms, marketing, network television, and podcasting. Ben decided on his career path at the age of 7, and to date has led some of the most influential brands in the world including Intel, Nokia, Samsung and Segway, to billions of content interactions. A huge hockey fan (Go Stars!), and former contestant and current fan of Family Feud, Thomas resides in Dallas, Texas.