CEDIA has changed up its leadership ranks, announcing the approval of the 2024 Board of Directors and new executive committee. At its January meeting, the Board appointed James Chen and Stuart Tickle as directors. Chen and Tickle join previously announced newly elected members Mike Chorney and Edward Gilmore, and re-elected member, Amanda Wildman, into the latest cohort of CEDIA’s Board.

The Board also elected its officers, who will serve as CEDIA’s executive committee. Alex Capecelatro was elected chairperson, Amanda Wildman as vice chairperson, Jennifer Mallett as treasurer, Jamie Briesemeister as secretary, and David Weinstein as immediate past chairperson.

“I am honored to serve as chairperson of CEDIA at this exciting time in its history,” says Capecelatro.

“I get to work with an amazing group of talented and dedicated Directors who give their time to make our industry better. As a member of the CEO Search Committee that selected our executive, I am looking forward to continuing to partner with Daryl Friedman to further CEDIA’s upward trajectory.”

Wildman notes, “I thank the Board for their confidence in me as I assume the Vice Chairperson’s role, something I only dreamed of when I first joined CEDIA in 2013. I look forward to working alongside Alex to continue CEDIA’s evolution and to lead the important work of the Governance Committee.”

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CEDIA Global President and CEO Daryl Friedman is enthusiastic about the team in place to move the association forward in 2024 and beyond.

“As CEDIA’s CEO, I consider myself extremely fortunate to have the guidance and support of this strategically minded group of professionals,” he says.

“I want to sincerely thank David Weinstein for his leadership during my first two years in the role. I’m delighted he will continue to provide his wisdom as immediate past chairperson.”

The full CEDIA Board of Directors can be found at cedia.org/about-us/board-of-directors. Here’s a brief bio of the Board members.

James Chen, Managing Director, Kordz

Chen is a US-Australian entrepreneur, author, and speaker with over 30 years’ experience in the AV industry. At Kordz, a multi-award-winning cable manufacturer, he is managing director and lead product designer of Kordz’ professional-grade connectivity solutions designed for systems technicians.

Last year’s CEDIA Fellow recipient, Chen has served on CEDIA’s Technology Council, Governance Committee, and Certification Commission, which creates industry accredited certification to ANSI and ISO/IEC 17024 standards for Professional Systems Technicians. He is now part of the RP23 video standards working group. 

Stuart Tickle, Owner & Managing Director, AWE

AWE is a leading smart home technology distribution and training company in the UK that represents some of the industry’s best known AV brands and specialist custom installation products. Tickle joined AWE in 1990 when the family business was a small Hi-Fi retailer and electronics manufacturer based in South London, England.

He steered the expansion of the business into specialized distribution for the custom installation market and took over as managing director in 2001 as the fourth generation at the helm of the family business. Tickle served as a director of CEDIA UK from 2003 to 2009 holding posts including treasurer and CEDIA Expo Chair.

Alex Capecelatro, Founder & CEO, Josh.ai

Capecelatro has brought voice control and AI to the channel with Josh.ai, a voice-controlled home automation system with a focus on artificial intelligence. Josh.ai utilizes a proprietary natural language understanding (NLU) engine with state-of-the-art home control integrations for a powerful smart home experience.

Capecelatro’s focus is at the intersection of elegant design, cutting-edge software, and purposeful hardware to offer transformational experiences. He received his engineering degree from UCLA, and splits his time between Los Angeles and Denver.

Amanda Wildman, Co-owner, TruMedia

Wildman is a dedicated innovator and co-owner of TruMedia, a renowned family-owned integration firm that has been at the forefront of home automation and entertainment solutions for families across Michigan for over two decades. Wildman earned a B.A. from Calvin University, CEDIA ESC, CIT-SME, and IST-SME certifications, and an electrical apprenticeship.

She is an active contributor to the smart home technology industry, with volunteer positions within CEDIA, including chair of the Professional Development Advisory Council (PDAC), CEDIA’s Certification Commission, CEDIA’s Business Working Group, and participation in Workforce Development as well as sitting on many panel sessions.

Jamie Briesemeister, Co-founder & CEO, Integration Controls

An avid speaker at conferences and seminars, Briesemeister, head of St. Louis-based Integration Controls, often participates in panel discussions, presenting informative sessions, or offering Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to architects and designers.

She serves as an advocate for technology considerations and collaboration in the design/build process and is a CEDIA Outreach Instructor (COI), avid volunteer, member of the Industry Relations Advisory Council, and previous chair of the Governance Committee.

Jennifer Mallett, Founder & Owner, Level Up Automation

Mallett has been in the home technology industry for 22 years with 15 years’ experience on the manufacturer side and seven as the owner of her own integration company. She founded Level Up Automation in 2016 and today, the company creates smart homes and intelligent buildings in Massachusetts, Arizona, Florida, Ohio, and Maryland.

Prior, Mallett was the North American director for the Home Technology Sales & Services division at Bose Corporation, leading the custom installation business unit in the U.S. and Canada, as well as providing leadership advisory roles in Europe, India, the Middle East, and Australia. A graduate of Bentley University, she has a B.S. in Marketing and earned leading industry credentials as a Control4 programmer and Savant programmer, as well as URC, Ring ProX, and Lutron Triathlon shading system certifications. She has spoken on numerous panels at CES, InfoComm, and CEDIA conferences.

David Weinstein, Vice President-Residential Sales for Lutron Electronics

Weinstein is responsible for developing market and sales growth across residential market segments for all of Lutron’s professionally designed and installed products and solutions. He has worked in the lighting control, shading, and lighting systems business for over 40 years. Before joining Lutron in 1999, he was president of Yusen Associates, a New England-based manufacturer’s representative for lighting and electrical construction products.

Weinstein is past president of the Electric Institute of New England, the Connecticut Section of the Illuminating Engineering Society, and the Connecticut Electric Association. In addition to his CEDIA role, Weinstein is a board member of HTA (Home Technology Association). He has a B.S. from Northeastern University and is a Certified Professional Manufacturers Representative. 

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