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.
Still a bit of an AV rookie. Not technical at all unless you need the clock on your VCR reset. Ally for Diversity & Inclusion across all industries. Member of the AVIXA Foundation Board, Diversity Council, and Women's Council. I have no clue what that component does. Professional Speaker. Aspiring Game Show Host. Below Average Charity Golfer. Overuser Of Capital Letters Where They Are Not NECESSARY. He/Him.
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.
Frank is an IT/AV Evangelist in the AV Industry. Frank strives to bridge the knowledge gap between Tech disciplines. As a self proclaimed "cert junkie" he holds more than 10+ IT/AV Industry certifications, along with an MS in Cyber-Security/Information Assurance and BS in IT Sec.
Frank is active on social media, is a life-long learner and believes in constant self-improvement. He contributes as an SME to AV publications and IT/Cybersecurity podcasts and events. He also hosts ITFactor, an IT - AV - Tech centric podcast on www.avnation.tv
He volunteers with AVIXA currently serving as the Chair of the Diversity Council where he is constantly mentoring and creating opportunities for community development through open communication.
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.
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.
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.
I entered the AV industry in 2001 after a 20 year career in the software industry while based in Chicago, writing software tools for companies like Microsoft, Google and Oracle and executing more than a dozen M&A transactions building a network of software developers creating linguistic and search and retrieval tools.
In 2001, I started with AMX and "learned the ropes" in the AV industry meeting many integrators, manufacturers, consultants and end users, who collectively induced my passion for this industry. In 2010, I joined RGB Spectrum in Alameda, CA, and currently serve as the Chief Operating Officer overseeing all sales, marketing, development, operations, and IT functions of the company.
In my spare time, I am raising a pre-teen son and his two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, volunteer at AVIXA and do a fair amount of creation in the kitchen, most recently with a focus on southeast Asian cuisines and fermentation.
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