Lighting Controls Podcast

“Spec Rep” Anthony Guerriero started out as a sales rep then transitioned into controls which now puts him in the pretty unique position of being able to talk to engineers, architects, interior designers, and lighting designers. In this episode, Anthony talks with Webster about the need for clear responsibilities and intent in lighting control projects, emphasizing the role of a specification sales representative in ensuring project success and customer satisfaction. Communication and collaboration with designers are key to addressing challenges and refining solutions. The ultimate goal is to enhance user satisfaction and adapt to their evolving needs over time. Anthony Guerriero is a Specification Sales Agent at Boston Light Source. About ten years ago, after graduating with his degree in electronic engineering from Wentworth Institute of Technology, he chose a more sales-oriented career path and lighting happened to be a great fit. Over the years, he's focused on both Lighting and controls separately but has shifted recently to focus on assisting specifiers from a more holistic perspective and stressing the importance of a solid handshake between Lighting and controls on a project. Connect with Anthony: IG - @lagslights LinkedIn- L. Anthony Guerriero III Website - bostonlightsource.com Financially supported by NAILD (www.naild.org) Presented by The Lighting Controls Association (lightingcontrolsassociation.org)  

Mary Beth admittedly is not an expert on lighting controls, but when someone with her experience and knowledge of the lighting industry is in on the conversation, you should listen. Isn’t it interesting that Mary Beth, as someone from outside the controls section of the industry, has seen the same frustrations as insiders Webster and Ron? Perhaps people don’t know that behind color changing, color tuning, and video media, are lighting controls. Let’s get the word out! Mary Beth was the Manager of the GE Lighting Institute in Cleveland, Ohio for 18 years. She was responsible for the overall operation and curriculum development for this training and education center that hosted over 4000 visitors a year. She chaired the prestigious GE Edison Awards lighting design competition, and conducted weekly “Mondays @Noon” lighting webinars for customers. She worked in the GE Lighting business for almost 40 years holding a number of positions in lamp technology and marketing including: Lamp Development Engineer, Research Physicist, Senior Product and Application Specialist, and Manager of Lighting Education. Mary Beth holds BS and MS degrees in Physics and MBA from John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. She is Lighting Certified (LC) by NCQLP (National Council on Qualifications for the Lighting Professions). She served on the IES Board of Directors for five years, and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Lighting Bureau in 2018. She currently is an independent lighting consultant and is the current Chair of the National Lighting Bureau where she manages the NLB Tesla Awards™ for lighting design, the “Art and Science of Lighting” product awards, and the new Lighting Transformation Awards for retrofit projects. She is also a member of the Lighting Agora - a consortium of lighting experts that provide educational and marketing expertise to a broad range of clients. Connect with Mary Beth: http://lightingagora.com http://nlb.org linkedin.com/in/mary-beth-gotti-29094819 Financially supported by NAILD (www.naild.org) Presented by The Lighting Controls Association (lightingcontrolsassociation.org) 

Kaleb is a Field Service Coordinator with ETC. What is a Field Project Coordinator you ask? Well, you’ll have to listen to the podcast to find out, but suffice to say, it is a unique perspective on the industry. If you’re a designer, you’ll want Kaleb on your side. He doesn’t think you need to know “how the sausage is made” - that’s ETC’s job. Just tell him what you want and he and his team will figure out the electrical codes, the question of wired vs wireless and the challenges of interoperability. Kaleb Gottwald is a Field Project Coordinator at ETC. He supports ETC’s Architectural Sales team with projects across the country. Kaleb developed a long history of working on fun and complex architectural projects during his 15 years as a Systems Estimator. Kaleb is a native Wisconsinite which means when he is away from the office you can find him cheering on his favorite local sports teams (Go Packers, Bucks, Brewers, and Badgers!) 

Can’t we all just get along? Specifiers, integrators, engineers, manufacturers, contractors, end-users… Bryan, with Webster and Ron, decries the lack of communication between entities. And it’s not just people. Where’s the cohesion between the different types of controllers, control platforms, fixtures, and connections? And then there’s the lack of education and standards. How can anyone be expected to design a system? That's why you should have Bryan on your project, he’ll work with you to find a solution, and he knows a lot! Bryan Lussier currently is a Systems Integrator for Barbizon of New England. For over 20 years Bryan has worked in the lighting industry as an entertainment and architectural lighting professional for distributors, manufacturers, and specifiers. Bryan began his career at the University of Massachusetts. After graduating he was hired as the Master Electrician at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art where he was responsible for both the theatrical and gallery lighting designs. He then earned his MFA in Lighting Design at the University of Florida. After which he was a member of IATSE Local 5 in Cincinnati and was Master Electrician on some national tours. Bryan is an award-winning lighting designer and has his LC, CLCP and is a member of the IES, IALD and is Vice-President for the Designers Lighting Forum of New England (DLFNE). Bryan also has a pending patent entitled Light Emitting Diode Sports Lighting Luminaire Assembly which describes how to best apply LED lighting sources in sports lighting applications. 

Who’s responsible for the lighting controls on a project? Who’s qualified? Who’s certified? We can tell you this - Darren is qualified! He brings up some interesting questions and he talks with Webster and Ron about communications between teams, education, the future of lighting controls, and much more. Darren Lapsley is a Business Development and Specification Sales professional with Clarus Lighting + Controls. His career in lighting began in the United States Marine Corps as an avionics technician. Accelerated promotions led him to serve on the staff of retired Marine General and former Chief of Staff, John Francis Kelly. After over 20 years of honorable service, Darren worked as a Facility Engineer at General Motors Fort Wayne Assembly Plant where the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks are manufactured. His passion for lighting grew when he took a position as a Field Service Engineer and Regional Sales Engineer for a lighting controls company based in Indiana. Darren now serves as Membership Committee Chair for the Illuminating Engineering Society Detroit Section. He works to apply his knowledge of community building, complex social structures, and leadership to make a lasting impact on the home we leave behind for future generations. 

Are you a landscape designer? A Contractor? Do you want to add “landscape lighting” to the services you provide? Then contact Justin and Zach at AMP. They’re shaking up the industry with their free design service. Send them pictures of your next landscape job and they’ll help you out. Listen to this episode to find out how they’ve partnered with Ring Doorbells to create some innovative controls. Justin Belz is an accomplished professional in the landscape lighting industry, currently serving as a Sr. AMP Specialist at AMP Landscape Lighting. With a diverse background in in-home sales, customer service, and low voltage contracting, Justin brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his role. Zach Evensen is a seasoned professional in the landscape lighting industry, currently serving as the Sales Enablement Manager for AMP Lighting. With over 7 years of experience in the field, Zach possesses an in-depth understanding of the intricacies of landscape lighting and its vital role in enhancing outdoor spaces. 

David Robinson from Mecho has learned to harness the sun! Well, sort of. More like Mecho uses the sun for light in buildings by applying just the right degree of window shading along with artificial lighting for the optimal comfort of building occupants. And it’s all done automatically with… controls! David Robinson is the Director of Automation at Mecho with over 30 years experience in the lighting and controls industry. He is responsible for developing the sales and marketing strategies of the automated PoE shading solutions with SolarTrac® and has delivered numerous papers informing the design community of the importance of the synergy between automated shades and automated lighting control systems in the delivery of Smart Sustainable Building designs. Financially supported by NAILD (www.naild.org) Presented by The Lighting Controls Association (lightingcontrolsassociation.org) 

Ruth tells Webster and Ron how PNNL (Pacific Northwest National Laboratories) has focused for years on solid state lighting research, but has now seen the value of controls and is now focusing on that. They’ve gone into the field to see what happens in real time. Ruth expected that the research would be about the technology but she discovered that it’s really about people, or, more to the point, the intersection of people and technology. You know if PNNL is looking at it, it’s going to grow in importance! Ruth Taylor currently serves as a program manager on the Advanced Lighting Team at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory where she manages the Next Generation Lighting Systems (NGLS) Program. NGLS uses “Living Labs” to conduct observational research in real-world settings—indoors at Parsons School of Design in New York City and outdoors at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute in Blacksburg, Virginia. NGLS is gathering valuable information on how systems are installed and configured, how well they perform, and how users operate them with the goal of identifying approaches that work, revealing needed improvements, and publishing findings for the benefit of the lighting community. 

Check out Michal’s “Cadillac” - his Tron Dance Suits (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVt2OwMKiM8). How long does it take for him to make a custom suit? You'd be surprised! Listen to this week's episode where Michal chats with Webster and Ron about the challenges of attaching lights to suits then controlling them while dancers bounce around in those suits. Michal Pokluda has a background in mathematics, software development and computer graphics. He started as a laser show designer for small parties and discos. Later he found interest in developing laser show software and hardware. He is an author of Fiesta and Moncha laser show software produced by Showtacle Ltd. company. He is also one of the developers of LED Strip Studio pixel mapping software used for a variety of LED installations for TV, clubs, museums, or LED dance performances. He is now CEO of LED Strip Studio company, which produces pixel LED controllers and LED Strip Studio software. 

In case you missed the live stream from Lightfair 2023 in New York, here is an encore presentation of the segment featuring Szymon Slupik. Simon talks with Webster and Ron about the latest in Bluetooth controls.