Michael Cornell

Program Manager, Solutions Engineer, hitplay
  Almo Pro AV aims to build a collaborative Pro AV community. We encourage you to ask questions and participate in the conversation. Our trusted, in-house experts provide thought leadership, audiovisual industry trends, event coverage, technology news, and resources to help grow your AV business. Almo Pro AV is the largest value-added North American Professional AV distributor offering its manufacturer and reseller partners the most expansive range of products, managed services, technical support and training to drive business growth and generate profits. Formed in 2022 following DCC’s acquisition of Almo Corporation, Almo Pro AV harnesses the combined sales, service, marketing and subject matter expertise to deliver customized business development strategies, programs and educational events that enable partners to thrive. With a highly-accomplished joint leadership team, more than 300 employees, 12 distribution facilities, and 2.7 million square feet of warehousing space, Almo Pro AV provides the specialization and resources its partners need while maintaining the personal distribution approach they expect. For more information about Almo Pro AV, go to www.AlmoProAV.com.
Matt Bercot

Member Services, AVIXA

Tyler Lawrence

Manager, Council Administration, AVIXA

I'm Tyler Lawrence, the Manager of Council Administration here at AVIXA. I work with the AVIXA Councils to support their missions and projects. Please chat with me if you would like more information on our Councils or would like to get involved.
Alexis Bou Farhat, CTS-D, CTS-I

ELV Project Manager, IMAR Trading and Contracting

With over 20 years of experience in the AV and ELV industries, I specialize in AV system design, installation, management, and integration across diverse sectors, including corporate, education, sports, healthcare, hospitality, and government. My career began in 2003 with the AV team at a 5-star hotel in Lebanon, where I developed a passion for AV systems. I hold certifications as a Project Management Professional (PMP) from PMI, as well as CTS-D and CTS-I from AVIXA, blending technical expertise with strong project leadership. I have extensive experience deploying technologies from leading manufacturers such as Crestron, Extron, Biamp, and many others, while managing vendors and ensuring seamless integration. Currently, I am part of BLINQ, a division of IMAR Trading and Contracting in Qatar, where I serve as the ELV Projects Manager, focusing on ELV systems and immersive AV solutions. I am committed to continuous learning, staying ahead of industry trends, and mentoring emerging professionals to elevate the AV field
Nathan Hufford

Global Enterprise Account Manager, FORTÉ

I am a client centric AV/IT Technologist / Account Manager working with enterprise clients on a national and global level. With a long career focused on convergence technology, I am passionate about developing great user experiences through development of solving collaboration challenges.
The purpose of the Systems Integrators Council is to help advance the interests and capabilities of system integrators in the audiovisual industry by emphasizing standards and best practices, supporting continuing education, and increasing industry outreach with an eye on recruitment and retention. These elements are intended to drive excellence and growth in the Audio-Visual Industry.
Everything You Need to Connect With Your Audience Every day, Ross powers live productions for billions of viewers. With the industry’s widest range of high-impact, high-efficiency solutions and services, Ross helps all manner of organizations create and share compelling content, from leading broadcasters to houses of worship, stadiums, corporations, education and governments. With approximately 1300 team members around the world and manufacturing facilities in Ontario and Austria and the most reliable service in the industry, we are here to turn your ideas, plans and strategies into reality.
Chris Lavelle

Senior Director of Development, EMEA, AVIXA

Senior Director of Development for AVIXA in EMEA with over 20 years experience in AV and IT industries. Started off in sound engineering in the late 90s then pursued a career in IT. After working in web development I returned to AV and have not looked back! I do at times pine to work more directly with the amazing technology available today to help create great AV experiences but I do get to see them being shared and celebrated! I look forward to seeing many of those examples on the Xchange!
Lisa Matthews, CTS

Open to opportunities , NA

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. 
Kelly Smith - AVIXA

Marketing Manager, US/Canada, AVIXA

Hi! I help connect people to AV education, standards and more resources from AVIXA. I am an expert in finding resources to help you meet your training and certification prep needs to help you reach your goals.
George "Red" Fournier Jr. CTS

Founder, Director of Technical Services, Laia Technologies North America

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.