Associations Focus: InfoComm International CTS-D Credential Earns ISO/IEC 17024 Accreditation
May 12, 2009 12:33 PM
InfoComm International announced that the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has expanded the scope of InfoComm’s accredited Certified Technology Specialist program to include the Certified Technology Specialist–Design (CTS-D) credential under ISO/IEC 17024. ANSI is the International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) U.S. representative.
ISO/IEC 17024 offers a global benchmark for the certification of personnel for businesses, governments, and the public. ANSI accredits standards developers, certification bodies, and technical advisory groups to both the ISO and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Employers in the public and private sectors can be confident that AV professionals holding the CTS, CTS-D, and CTS-I credentials have demonstrated the knowledge to implement audiovisual best practices, processes, and procedures.
“As the only audiovisual industry organization to earn ANSI accreditation for its personnel-certification program, InfoComm continues to set the industry standard for competency and quality in the AV industry,” says Randal A. Lemke, Ph.D., executive director, InfoComm International. “This accomplishment is the result of the visionary thinking of InfoComm’s elected leadership, who several years ago recognized the value of seeking outside validation of InfoComm’s certification program. It is also testament to the tenacity of close to 100 InfoComm volunteers around the world who, under the direction of InfoComm’s Certification Committee, developed new CTS-D exams and implemented programmatic changes that were necessary to navigate ANSI’s rigorous accreditation process.”
A CTS-D is an AV systems designer who assesses clients’ needs, designs AV systems, and prepares AV design documents by coordinating and collaborating with other professionals to create AV systems that satisfy clients’ requirements. A minimum of two years’ industry experience in audiovisual design and CTS certification is required in order to qualify to take the exam. For a complete description of the credential and requirements, please visit www.infocomm.org/certification.
Companies and institutions interested in working with AV companies employing CTS personnel in their area should visit www.ctsforav.com.
InfoComm International Executive Director Randal A. Lemke, Ph.D., with Steven L. Somers, this year’s Harald Thiel Volunteer of the Year award winner.
InfoComm Names Steven L. Somers Harald Thiel Volunteer of the Year
InfoComm presented its Harald Thiel Volunteer of the Year Award to Steven L. Somers of Extron Electronics. The award was presented at the InfoComm 100, a new conference designed to bring together top AV industry thought leaders and volunteers.
Somers was on the InfoComm Projection Shoot-Out committee and the event chairman from 1998 to 2001. Established in 1990, the Projection Shoot-Out at InfoComm in Anaheim, Calif., was the first place to compare projectors side by side. Prior to and during his tenure as the Shoot-Out chair, he was also the Shoot-Out’s engineering manager, directing and managing the technical design of the event from 1992 to 2001. Following the Projection Shoot-Out, Somers was the chairman and technical director of the Large Venue Display Gallery event held at InfoComm from 2003 through 2008. He also coordinated the technical aspects of the Projection Shoot-Out events held at Photokina and InfoComm Europe in Cologne, Germany; InfoComm Asia in Singapore; and InfoComm Japan in Tokyo. Somers was the driving force behind the creation of the InfoComm Projection Shoot-Out CDs and DVDs, serving as executive producer. The incredible industry-standard software included Somers’ stellar photographic images and HD video clips that he produced himself. He also wrote the technical articles that accompanied the Shoot-Out software.
He has taught numerous courses on display and interfacing technologies and applications over the years at InfoComm shows around the world. He has also volunteered to serve on the Professional Education and Training committee for a number of years.
“Steve Somers has been a tireless champion of the AV industry and InfoComm International,” Lemke says. “From his service in the days of the Projection Shoot-Out to his stellar teaching at InfoComm shows, Steve has personified the ultimate InfoComm volunteer. It is InfoComm’s pleasure to honor Steve Somers with this award and also to thank Extron Electronics for supporting Steve in his volunteer service to the AV industry and the association.”
The Harald Thiel Volunteer of the Year award uncovers and celebrates the volunteer who has contributed greatly to the association and who is not recognized in other ways for that contribution. It is awarded annually for contributions made to the association within the last one to two years.
Associations Focus: InfoComm International CTS-D Credential Earns ISO/IEC 17024 Accreditation
May 12, 2009 12:33 PM
InfoComm presented its new Women in AV Award to Deborah J. Britton, CEO of K2 Audio in Boulder, Colo.
First Women in AV Award Winners
InfoComm presented its new Women in AV Award to Deborah J. Britton, CEO of K2 Audio in Boulder, Colo., and Bridget K. Cline, president and CEO of Industrial Strength Inc. & Pilot House Audio Visual in Pinellas Park, Fla. The awards were presented at the InfoComm 100, a new conference designed to bring together top AV industry thought leaders and volunteers.
The Women in AV Award was created by InfoComm to raise awareness of the growing role of female professionals in the field of audiovisual technology. These debut award winners are entrepreneurs in the upper echelon of AV professionals.
As K2 Audio’s CEO and lead project manager, Deb Britton manages AV and acoustic design projects ranging from local recording studios and schools to the new audio system for the U.S. Senate Chamber. She has taught classes in audio networking, chaired an audio networking panel for the Audio Engineering Society, and lectured to groups for Women in Engineering. She also taught acoustics at Berklee College of Music in Boston and contributes articles on audio networking to leading industry trade magazines.
Before leading K2 Audio, Britton designed and specified sound reinforcement systems, and collected and analyzed architectural, industrial, and environmental sound and vibration data for Cavanaugh Tocci Associates. She later joined Kirkegaard and Associates and then Peak Audio, managing their AV systems consulting group and designing and managing projects for clients including Disney and the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Britten also developed training programs to educate audio professionals about the basic principles of audio network design.
InfoComm presented its new Women in AV Award to Bridget K. Cline, president and CEO of Industrial Strength Inc. & Pilot House Audio Visual in Pinellas Park, Fla.
Bridget K. Cline has been the owner, president and CEO of Industrial Strength Inc. & Pilot House Audio Visual for five years. In that time she has grown the business at an exponential rate, quadrupling the company’s warehouse space, acquiring several trucks for local and national shows, opening offices in the midwest and California, and achieving an increase in sales that have doubled each year since she assumed control of the company. She also updated the infrastructure such as control processes and monitoring of ROI.
Cline’s rental and staging company specializes in corporate productions, and it provides a range of services including national tours for pharmaceutical clients, large and multiday annual meetings and award shows, video production, and destination management. Recent accomplishments include the installation and operation of the LED walls for the NFL Experience during the Super Bowl and creating and operating sets for CNN. In addition, Cline created FAVE (Female Audio Visual Executives)—an international, non-profit trade association designed to mentor and encourage young women to join the ever-expanding AV/media/visual arts field, while providing support, scholarships, and networking opportunities to seasoned veterans.
“Both Deb Britton and Bridget Cline have reached the highest level achievement in the audiovisual industry,” Lemke says. “We are fortunate to have such strong female leaders who can both mentor and inspire the next generation of audiovisual professionals.”
Associations Focus: InfoComm International CTS-D Credential Earns ISO/IEC 17024 Accreditation
May 12, 2009 12:33 PM
InfoComm presented its new Young AV Professional Award to Steve Garber, president of BP Marketing Group. The awards were presented at the InfoComm 100.
First Young AV Professional Award Winners
InfoComm presented its new Young AV Professional Award to Steve Garber, president of BP Marketing Group, and James Maltese, CTS-D, CTS-I, president of Audio Visual Resources. The awards were presented at the InfoComm 100.
The Young AV Professional Award was created by InfoComm to recognize up-and-coming professionals in the audiovisual industry. These debut award winners are held in the highest esteem by their AV industry colleagues of all ages.
Steve Garber began his professional outsourced sales and marketing company, BP Marketing Group, in Savage, Minn., in 2001. Beginning by representing just one manufacturer, Garber has grown his business to include representation of more than 16 manufacturers in 18 states. His extreme work ethic and commitment to the AV resellers and consultants in the territory he represents is recognized on a national basis.
As a manufacturer’s representative, Garber used his background in the office furniture industry to help Chief Manufacturing develop a division marketing to that segment. He was instrumental in bringing together two of his manufacturers, APC and Chief, to create several new products that use the power conditioning of APC in projector and flatpanel mount accessories from Chief. Garber was also one of the first firms to begin working in the digital-signage field. He has taken great lengths to service dealers by creating a centralized office location within his territory, which is used for regular training sessions and product showcases. Additionally, in 2008, Garber launched Global Business Services with several manufacturers and local service providers, creating the only telepresence suite in the greater Minneapolis area. Garber has served on InfoComm’s Independent Reps Council and its steering committee, participating in three consecutive InfoComm leadership forums.
InfoComm presented its new Young AV Professional Award to James Maltese, CTS-D, CTS-I, president of Audio Visual Resources. The awards were presented at the InfoComm 100.
As president of AVR, Jim Maltese is directly responsible for the growth and development of all on the operations staff, and he has constantly helped improve the AVR Quality Management System, in Williston Park, N.Y. With engineering degrees from MIT and Stanford University, his disciplined thinking skills directly contribute to the growth and development of the corporation. Maltese has been praised for the patience he displays at working with demanding clients, and he is widely viewed as an example to those desiring customer-driven organizations.
Maltese has been an instructor for the InfoComm Academy; a CTS-D and CTS-I candidate evaluator; a retest evaluator; a reviewer for InfoComm Academy content, including the AV Installation Manual, Second Edition; and various course content materials. He has served on several subcommittees for InfoComm’s Professional Education and Testing committee. He was a volunteer judge at InfoComm’s two-rack building contests. He also regularly visits local high schools and middle schools to discuss AV career opportunities on behalf of the industry and is a regular seminar/workshop presenter at InfoComm.
“In a relatively short time Steve Garber and Jim Maltese have left an indelible imprint on the audiovisual industry and InfoComm International,” Lemke says. “If the future of the AV industry hinges on their knowledge and record of success, I know the industry will be in good hands for generations to come.”
Performance Standards Program has 200 Volunteers
The Performance Standards Planning committee is pleased to announce that more than 200 people have volunteered its professional expertise and time toward the development of international audiovisual standards. This milestone reflects the commitment among the leadership of the audiovisual community to audiovisual systems excellence. New standards task groups are being formed throughout this year, and additional volunteers are always welcome. More information is available at www.infocomm.org/standards. If you would like to participate as an expert contributor in the InfoComm Performance Standards Program, please email [email protected].
