Recorded live at the HETMA Roadshow in Chicago, this week’s episode continues the conversation with Atkins Fleming, Assistant Director for Learning Spaces at Texas State University and Treasurer of HETMA. Picking up where Episode 115 left off, this candid discussion drifts from music to meaning, from fake Zoom backgrounds to the real impact of integrity in leadership.

Atkins and Ryan go deep into what drives decision-making, the slippery slope of compromised values, and why being a steady, ethical presence in an organization is more powerful than we think. Along the way, they get a little lost in 90s country nostalgia, try to cast the movie of Atkins’s life, and toy with the idea of forming a HETMA house band. This is more than just a follow-up—it’s a masterclass in consistency, character, and how showing up with quiet authenticity shapes a culture.

Topics Discussed
• What Atkins would do if not in higher ed or tech (spoiler: drums are involved)
• His musical roots, band geek origins, and love for 90s country
• The challenge of naming the HETMA band and Joe Way’s Slash story
• Casting Jake Gyllenhaal in the movie of his life
• Whether people are fundamentally good—and how that belief shapes his work
• Ethics in leadership, from timecards to treasury duties
• The contagious nature of moral culture, good or bad
• Travel hacks from Central Texas and the 16-hour rule of driving through Texas
• Why Atkins always uses the same Zoom background (and what it says about him)
• The most common answer to “a question you wish people asked you”

Guest Info

Atkins Fleming
Assistant Director for Learning Spaces, Texas State University
Treasurer, HETMA
[email protected]

Ryan Gray – Host
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/
Email: [email protected] www.higheredav.com

Voiceover by Chris Dechter
We’d love your feedback! Email us or find us in the HETMA Community.

Recorded live at the HETMA Chicago Roadshow on the campus of Northwestern University, this episode features a candid and insightful conversation with Atkins Fleming, Assistant Director for Learning Spaces at Texas State University and current Treasurer of HETMA. Ryan finally manages to sit down with Atkins after years of crossing paths, and the result is a conversation full of heart, structure, and purpose.
Atkins walks listeners through his HETMA origin story, his evolution from a university AV tech to an administrative leader, and the behind-the-scenes work it takes to run a financially responsible, volunteer-led national organization. From tax filings and credit card systems to the values that underpin budget decisions, Atkins opens up about how his structured mindset has helped shape HETMA’s operational maturity. For anyone curious how an advocacy group like HETMA actually works—or thinking about how they can contribute—this one’s a must-listen.

Topics Discussed:

• Atkins’s 13-year journey at Texas State University
• The AV profile and internal integration model at TXST
• HETMA’s early days and Atkins’s first exposure to the organization
• The path to becoming HETMA Treasurer and what the role entails
• Balancing structure and ambiguity in a volunteer-run organization
• Maturing processes: CPA support, credit cards, and reimbursements
• Financial transparency and sponsor accountability
• Moving toward self-sustaining event models
• Succession planning and setting the next treasurer up for success
• The alignment of HETMA’s financial practices with its core values

Guest Contact Info:

• Email (HETMA): [email protected]
• Email (Texas State): [email protected]

Host Contact Info:

• Ryan Gray (LinkedIn): linkedin.com/in/ryanagray
• Email: [email protected]

Show Links:

• Higher Ed AV: higheredav.com

Voiceover Credit: Chris Dechter

Feedback Welcome:
If you’re enjoying the AV/IT Amplifier, consider rating and reviewing the show on your favorite podcast platform. You can also leave a comment or send us a message—we’d love to hear your feedback and ideas for future guests.

In this completely off-the-rails, hilariously human second installment, Rebecca Wade returns to the AV/IT Amplifier for a wide-ranging and joyfully unpredictable conversation that barely touches technology—and that’s exactly the point. What begins as a follow-up to her work with Igloo Vision turns into a full character study as Rebecca opens up about introversion, extroversion, road-tripping across America with only the Twilight soundtrack, and the emotional weight of being British in the U.S. the week the Queen died.

Ryan and Rebecca riff through a kaleidoscope of absurd hypotheticals, tall-girl tales, celebrity sightings (or lack thereof), and one particularly cursed would you rather involving finger-length legs. If episode one was about immersive tech, this one is about immersive personalities—especially Rebecca’s. It’s the kind of episode that feels more like eavesdropping on best friends at a pub than a formal interview, and it’s all the better for it.

• Introversion vs. extroversion and being a remote worker in L.A.
• Moving to the U.S. on a whim (and a visa)
• The cross-country road trip with nothing but the Twilight soundtrack
• Making a band t-shirt quilt while flanked by bulldogs
• Mourning Queen Elizabeth at a San Diego tech event
• Celebrity gossip and TSA run-ins with Tom Felton
• Ordering fast food with a “fake” British accent
• The rise and fall of a flawless American impression
• Pen pals, stamps, and analog joy
• Would-you-rather questions that haunt your dreams

Connect with Rebecca
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-wade-979094154/

Connect with Ryan
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/
[email protected]

Voiceovers by Chris Dechter
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cdechter/

Find out more about this show and a whole collection of other great content from Higher Ed AV Media at www.higheredav.com

Have thoughts on this episode? Want to join the conversation? Reach out to us anytime—we love hearing from you.

In this immersive episode recorded live from the HETMA booth at InfoComm 2025, host Ryan Gray sits down with Rebecca “Bex” Wade of Igloo Vision to explore the transformative role of shared immersive spaces in education. From her nickname on her badge to her engineering team’s creative geometry problem-solving, Bex brings energy, humor, and insight to every corner of the conversation.
Together, they dig into the flexible applications of Igloo’s tech—from virtual field trips to paramedic simulations to massive esports arenas. They also unpack the supportive community forming among higher ed institutions adopting immersive spaces, offering examples of peer-to-peer collaboration and content sharing. Whether you’re curious about building design constraints or want to see data spreadsheets in a dome, this episode proves you don’t need to wear a VR headset to step into the future.

Topics Discussed

• The growing presence of Igloo immersive rooms on the InfoComm show floor
• How immersive spaces are being used in higher education and K–12
• The role of Igloo Vision in transforming classroom experiences
• Medical simulation, e-sports, and neuroscience applications of immersive tech
• Engineering challenges (like low ceilings) and creative AV solutions
• How Igloo’s hardware-agnostic platform enables custom builds
• The design and planning mindset of educators vs. enterprise buyers
• The “girl math” logic of multi-use investment in immersive rooms
• Building a collaborative user community across higher education
• Using Street View and ThingLink as entry points for immersive engagement

Connect with Rebecca:

• Company: https://www.igloovision.com
• Email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn: Rebecca Wade on LinkedIn

Connect with Ryan:

• Twitter: @Ryan_A_Gray
• LinkedIn: Ryan Gray on LinkedIn
• Email: [email protected]

Show Links:

• Twitter: @HigherEdAV
• Website: HigherEdAV.com

🎙️ Voiceover by: Chris Dechter💬

Send feedback or episode ideas to [email protected]

In this episode of the AV/IT Amplifier, we’re back with the one and only Frank Alaimo, Manager of Classroom Technology Services at UNLV, for part two of our conversation. If you thought the first episode was candid, insightful, and full of AV realness, buckle up. We go deeper into career resilience, camping disasters, philosophical takes on human nature, and what it really means to be a no-nonsense decision-maker in higher ed tech.

Frank opens up about rejection, redemption, and why knowing your worth makes you a better collaborator. We talk vendor etiquette, leadership clarity, trust, AI fatigue, ladder mishaps, and how higher ed AV has grown into a true force in the industry. This episode is as funny as it is fierce—and it ends with one of the best mic-drop sign-offs of all time. If you’ve ever had to re-interview for the job you didn’t get, or call your boss from a rooftop after a slip, this one’s for you.

Topics Discussed

• How not getting the first UNLV job opened a better door
• Why applying for jobs keeps you sharp—even if you’re not leaving
• The evolution of higher ed hiring practices
• What Frank would be doing if not in AV (spoiler: not firefighting)
• Why camping sucks until it doesn’t
• A near-death ladder story that rewired his brain
• Jealousy vs. evil—and which one is harder to detect
• How Frank handles vendor relationships with clarity and conviction
• Why higher ed should stop calling itself “end user”
• The origin of “If you’re reading this, it’s already too late”

Connect with Frank:
https://www.unlv.edu
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankalaimo/

Connect with Ryan:
https://twitter.com/Ryan_A_Gray
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/
[email protected]

Follow the Show:
https://twitter.com/AVITAmplifier
https://higheredav.com/ryangray

Voiceovers by Chris Dechter:
https://twitter.com/cdechter
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cdechter/

Please rate and review the show wherever you get your podcasts, feedback is very welcome and we look forward to hearing from you!

Ryan Gray interviews Frank Alaimo, Manager of Classroom Technology Services at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Frank shares his journey from crashing on a friend’s couch to leading one of the most respected AV teams in higher education. They discuss what it takes to build a culture of trust, how to lead without losing your hands-on instincts, and the balance between autonomy, accountability, and just getting things done.

The conversation covers leadership transitions, designing teams like projects, and how UNLV’s Rebel Flex program was developed, scaled, and even simplified—sometimes without telling anyone. Frank brings his trademark honesty and humor, talking openly about burnout, control, collaboration, and what it means to build something you don’t want to walk away from.

• Falling into higher ed AV and staying for over 20 years
• Working at a small Catholic college and pivoting to casinos
• Moving to UNLV and building a full-service internal AV team
• Transitioning from technician to manager during COVID
• Designing teams the same way he designs systems
• Creating new roles to retain high-performing student workers
• Launching and scaling Rebel Flex classrooms
• Simplifying tech for faculty without telling them
• Balancing strong opinions with true collaboration
• Thinking about legacy, succession, and what might be next

Connect with Frank:
https://www.unlv.edu
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankalaimo/

Connect with Ryan:
https://twitter.com/Ryan_A_Gray 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/
[email protected] 

Follow the Show:
https://twitter.com/AVITAmplifier
https://higheredav.com/ryangray

Voiceovers by Chris Dechter: https://twitter.com/cdechter
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cdechter/

Please rate and review the show wherever you get your podcasts, feedback is very welcome and we look forward to hearing from you!

Live from the InfoComm Show Floor, right before opening Ryan gives us an update of where the state of industry tradeshows is and where its going!  Whether your at the show this week or at home get a feel for whats happening and whats to come.

We’re back for a brand-new second conversation with Charity Anne Caldwell — and this time we’re keeping it fun, insightful, and future-focused! Charity and Ryan swap stories about running for school board, building more inclusive spaces in tech, and why conferences like InfoComm are about so much more than just the gear. Charity also shares her sci-fi favorites, what makes great leadership in higher ed, and why asking “Why are we doing this?” is always a good place to start.
If you’re packing for InfoComm, tuning in on the road, or just thinking about growing your career — this one’s for you! And remember… you’re going to do great.

• The real experience of running for school board
• Why representation in leadership matters — in schools and in tech
• First impressions of InfoComm and the AV industry’s diversity challenges
• The higher ed advantage in leadership representation
• Why building community at local events is key
• How sci-fi helps us process the world around us (and why Octavia Butler feels prophetic)
• Dune, Hitchhiker’s Guide, and the irresistible pull of a good fictional universe
• The “why” question higher ed teams should ask more often
• The importance of building space for others to lead
• Charity’s advice for anyone facing self-doubt: “You’re going to do great.”

Connect with Charity:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charityannecaldwell/

Connect with Ryan:
https://twitter.com/Ryan_A_Gray
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/
[email protected]

Follow the Show:
http://higheredav.com/ryangray

Voiceovers by Chris Dechter:
https://twitter.com/cdechter
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cdechter/

Please rate and review the show wherever you get your podcasts!
Feedback is very welcome — we look forward to hearing from you!

Ryan Gray is joined by Charity Anne Caldwell, Classroom Technology Supervisor for the University of Illinois College of Medicine. In this lively conversation, they explore the unique culture of working in a medical school environment, the tension between tradition and innovation in higher ed, and how personal idealism can shape leadership.

Charity shares insights about navigating institutional politics, the evolving role of IT in education, and how staying mission-driven sustains long-term fulfillment. From boundaries and burnout to community-driven strategies for survival, this episode captures the spirit of building meaningful careers — on purpose, not by accident.

• Life inside a College of Medicine AV department
• Differences between Gen Ed and Med Ed tech support
• Growing influence in higher education institutions
• Centralization vs. local autonomy in IT
• Staying idealistic in long-term roles
• Balancing management and leadership
• Why cross-institutional collaboration is no longer optional

Connect with Charity:

• LinkedIn
• Email: [email protected]

Connect with Ryan:

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Email: [email protected]

Follow the Show:

• Website

Voiceovers by Chris Dechter:

• Twitter
• LinkedIn

Please rate and review the show wherever you get your podcasts — we love your feedback!

Welcome back to The AV/IT Amplifier! In Episode 107, host Ryan Gray sits down again with the one and only Jon Hamilton, Senior AV Manager at Emory University’s School of Medicine. Jon is a well-known voice in the higher ed AV world, and this episode gets personal — touching on everything from alternative career paths and deep-sea fishing to building trust, forging partnerships, and staying true to your word.
💡 In this episode:

• Jon imagines his own absurdist podcast idea
• Discusses why military structure might’ve suited him
• Explains how being an extrovert helped his AV career
• Shares how he negotiates directly with manufacturers to benefit Emory
• Gets real about trust, loyalty, and reputation in the industry
• Ends with a legendary shirtless photo story and an even better sign-off

Whether you’re in AV, higher ed, or just trying to be a decent human, there’s something in here for you.

📬 Connect with Jon Hamilton:
📧 [email protected]
🔗 Jon on LinkedIn

📢 Connect with Ryan:
🐦 @Ryan_A_Gray
🔗 Ryan on LinkedIn
📧 [email protected]

🎧 Follow the Show:
🌐 higheredav.com/ryangray

🎙️ Voiceovers by Chris Dechter:
🐦 @cdechter
🔗 Chris on LinkedIn

Please rate and review the show wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback helps us grow and improve — and we’d love to hear from you!