Damon Pieterse
Group Lead - Acoustics and Digital Environments Consultant, Advitech / Emergent Group
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.
Up through May 2022, I managed the AV Engineering & Operations team at the University of North Georgia. We maintained multiple campuses of classrooms with control systems in each and we worked with a team of support technicians who handle work on incident management while we handled incident escalations as well as problem management, change management, and request fulfillment (to use the ITIL vernacular).
In May 2022, I became a Design Engineer 1 for AVI-SPL, based out of the Atlanta, GA office. I worked with the Account Managers to design systems for customers prior to sales, then worked with the post sales team once a system is purchased. Over the next two years, I was promoted to Design Engineer 2. In October 2024, I became an Engineering Manager for AVI-SPL, managing the Design Engineers and Project Engineers in the Atlanta, GA office.
I've been in the low voltage industry for my entire career in sales management / consulting / business development roles covering a diverse range of solutions and channels.. Over my 30+ year career in AV I've had the pleasure of working with company's such as: Bogen Communications, BOSE Professional, Crestron Electronics, ClearOne, Music Group and Axis Communications where I currently head up Axis network audio initiative in the US.
Bill Larsen, CTS, serves as District AV Technology Coordinator for ISD 197 (West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan, Minnesota), managing AV services across nine buildings including two high schools, two middle schools, and five elementary schools. He holds the CTS credential from AVIXA and serves as a Subject Matter Expert for CTS exam development.
Bill is the founder of Backstage Essentials LLC, an independent consulting practice focused on K-12 performance space and AV systems. His forthcoming book, Backstage Essentials: Skills for Stagehand Technicians in Live Event Production, is being published by Routledge/Taylor and Francis in 2026.
He also serves as Education Coordinator for IATSE Local 490 and brings more than 30 years of experience in educational technology and live event production.
