Avixa Awards announces the winners of this year's edition

The winners will be recognized in a virtual ceremony that will take place during the InfoComm celebration 2020 Connected, on Wednesday 17 June.

Avixa Awards has announced the winners of this year's edition. These will be recognized in a virtual ceremony during InfoComm 2020 Connected on Wednesday 17 June at five in the afternoon. Awards that recognize AV professionals for their contributions to the industry.

Industry members nominate candidates for recognition: Adele De Berri to Pioneros AV, CTS of the Year, Educator of the Year, Fred Dixon for Service in Education, Mackey Barron for Distinguished Achievement, Women in AV and Young AV Professionals.

The edition 2020 has two new awards: for Emerging and Event Design Talent of the Year. The Harald Thiel Award for Volunteer of the Year is awarded by the Avixa staff.

"Day by day, “Professionals in the audiovisual industry leave a mark on the people they meet and the spaces they help create”, notes David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD, CEO for Avixa. "Every year, Avixa is honored to shine the spotlight on the people who are driving the growth of this industry, either through teaching, breaking barriers or exploring as pioneers of new technologies and ideas”.

Adele De Berri Award for AV Pioneers (Adele De Berri Pioneers of AV Award):
Bruce Howze. Biamp Engineer. President and Founder of Community Professional Loudspeakers.

While working as a young audio engineer and doing sound mixes on tours for groups like Jefferson Airplane and other emerging artists in the 60s, Howze saw the need for better equipment in the industry and decided to found his own company in 1968, Community Professional Loudspeakers.

He was a pioneer in manufacturing fiberglass speaker systems and enclosures to create huge speaker systems., but at the same time light. It is also credited with multiple implementations that were firsts in the industry., including the first coaxial speaker system, and the first large format midrange compression driver, inter alia. Howze remains active in the company today, enfocándose en la investigación y el desarrollo de nuevas tecnologías de altavoces.

Premio a CTS del Año (CTS Holder of the Year Award):
Mark Higgason, CTS-D, CTS-I. Vicepresidente Ejecutivo y Socio de Encompass Audio Visual.

Higgason ha trabajado profesionalmente con audio y electrónica por más de 20 years. Ha ayudado a Encompass AV a crecer desde una startup sin fondos a una operación multimillonaria. Higgason está determinado a hacer de las tecnologías centradas en humanos algo común en los espacios de trabajo y más allá de ellos.

Premio al Educador del Año (Educator of the Year Award):
Jonathan Brawn, CTS. Director de Brawn Consulting.

Brawn cuenta con vasta experiencia en el diseño e integración AV, as well as digital signage systems and the development of educational programs. He is an instructor for Avixa and a member of various standards working groups for the association., including the Project Image System Contrast Ratio standard. Brawn was also the winner of the AV Young Professionals Award from 2012.

Emerging Talent Award (Emerging Talent Award):
Ediny Guzman. Student at Lincoln Tech.

Guzman is a student at Lincoln Tech with a GPA of 4.0 in the Electrician and Electronics training program. He has a Crestron Programming Fundamentals Certification and is currently working towards his level certification. 2 Crestron while studying for his CTS certification.

Event Design Award (Event Design of the Year Award):
Meredith Francsis. Productora Creativa Senior para BlackOak Technical Productions.

Francsis is an experienced producer in the events area, developing lighting solutions, audio, custom video and stage design. He has a bachelor's degree in Technical Theater/Theatrical Design and Technology from Illinois State University..

Fred Dixon Award for Service in Education (Fred Dixon Service in Education Award):
Steve Thorburn, PE, LEED-AP, CTS-D, CTS-I. Director de Thorburn Associates.

With more than 30 years of experience in the architectural application of acoustic technology, audiovisual and lighting systems, Thorburn is an authority as an engineer. His dual degree from Michigan Technological University, in electrical engineering and technical theater, allow you to coordinate technical requirements involved in construction bidding processes considering the practical issues required by end users.

Thorburn is a senior instructor for Avixa and winner of the Educator of the Year Award 2011 by Avixa. Additionally, He is the author of the book Acoustics in Architecture.

Harald Thiel Award for Volunteer of the Year (Harald Thiel Volunteer of the Year Award):
Lisa Perrine, Ed.D. CEO of Cibola Systems.

In addition to being CEO of Cibola Systems, Perrine is an avid writer and presenter, which offers courses and workshops on Design Thinking and experience design in workspaces. Your courses have been approved to obtain renewal units (RU) for Avixa certifications, The American Institute of Architects, y la International Interior Design Association.

Perrine forma parte del Avixa’s Standards Steering Committee y es miembro del Standards Development Task Group, creating a standard for human-centered AV design.

He has also collaborated on various boards of directors of non-profit organizations., including: Orange County United Way, Girl Scouts of Orange County, St. Joseph Hoag Health y Mission Hospital. He has a PhD in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University..

Mackey Barron Distinguished Achievement Award (Mackey Barron Distinguished Achievement Award):
Ben Adams. IATSE International Representative.

Adams began his career as an assistant professor in cinematography within his alma mater, Michigan State University. But before continuing his career in film, He spent two years in the United States Army during the Vietnam War.

Once your service is completed, worked on a documentary series in conjunction with his university and the National Iranian Radio and Television (DIVE). Adams worked as a filmmaker for Ford Motor Company in 1975 a 1977 and continued his career as a unionized freelance videographer for 1977 until his retirement in 2002.

Adams then gradually became more involved in labor activism, working for the American Federation of Teachers. In 2005, settled into his second career as an International IATSE representative, working to protect and serve entertainment industry workers like him.

Women in AV Award (Women in AV Award):
Sarah Becher, CTS-D, CTS-I. Project Engineer, AV Calibrations.

Becher has more than 30 years of engineering experience in audiovisual display equipment and processing equipment. During his career, has managed operations at the local and regional level, quality control, and also training for employees and clients.

At the moment, He is working on a Master's degree in Technology Management at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Women in AV Award (Women in AV Award):
Melissa Ross, CTS. Senior Engineer, Special Projects Group, AVI-SPL Owned by AV-PE.

Melissa Ross is considered the most certified person in the AV industry. She is an HDBT Master Installer and has certifications in AV Network Design and Commissioning., Crestron DMCD-4K, AutoCAD 3D, Revit, and many more. He is also a member of the Avixa standards think tank and has a degree in structural engineering from North Carolina State University..

Young AV Professionals Award (Young AV Professionals Award):
Sean McChesney, CTS. Electrosonic Experience Technology Consultant.

McChesney has a strong academic background, a bachelor's degree in Electronic Media in Arts and Technology from the University of Tampa and a Master's degree in Entertainment Technologies from Carnegie Mellon University.

As Experience Technologies Consultant for Electrosonic, works with clients to understand their requirements and translate them into a technological solution, coordinates the right experts and works closely with everyone involved. Lead some of the most iconic and recognized Electrosonic projects, and explore the limits of experiential technology.

Young AV Professionals Award (Young AV Professionals Award):
Gregory Rushton, CTS-D. Vice President of Muley & Banani Audio Visual.

Rushton graduated with honors from the Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology (OIART). Joined Mulvey & Banana International a 2007, and in 2017 became vice president of its professional audiovisual design subsidiary, Muley & Banani Audio Visual. Rushton works with a diversity of projects and areas, ranging from cultural and sports venues, educational and health facilities, to private commercial developments.