2021 CE Pro Masters Nominations Open

CE Pro Masters recognizes unsung heroes who have many years working in the custom electronics industry. Nominate someone today!
Published: October 1, 2021

The 2021 CE Pro Masters nominations are officially open and we are looking to recognize the unsung heroes of the industry. For the ninth year, CE Pro is looking for career CE folks, pretty much right around 50-years-old or so, who quietly moved up the ladder of success over the past three or four decades, made an honest living and made it well.

We are not looking for people who already get more than their share of ink. Some of these people have intentionally stayed out of the spotlight while others have concentrated on their jobs rather than endless self-promotion. You know who we mean.

Remember we now consider posthumous nominations and now-retired people.

We are asking you to scour the landscape broadly. On the vendor level, think about career customer service, tech support or credit managers who fit the profile. Also, in addition to rep principals and CI business owners, consider long time salespeople and other employees.

This year’s program will be especially poignant since long-time contributor Chuck Schneider has passed away. Chuck was instrumental in reaching out to industry veterans to get nominations. But inaugural CE Pro Master Deborah Smith of the Deborah Smith Group will be assisting CE Pro this year. Her decades of experience and the fact that she knows nearly everybody should make this one of the best slates of nominees ever.

But we don’t know everybody… If you know any notable individuals and think them worthy, then, by all means, please let us know.

But, like every year, we want your best candidates. Below is a ballot to fill out and get back to us by October 19, 2021.

Nominate a friend, a co-worker, a boss, an employee, manufacturer, distributor, rep, retailer, integrator, owner, management, sales, marketing, engineer, designer, installer, customer service or finance. Foreign or domestic. Nominate yourself if you want to!

Here’s the ballot:

CE Pro Masters Nomination Form:

  • Person You Are Nominating
  • His/Her Current Position
  • His/Her Other Positions of Note
  • His/Her Years in CE
  • Why the Person Is Worthy of Recognition (50 words or less)
  • Your Name
  • City/State
  • Occupation

You may nominate as many people as you’d like. One per ballot/email please. Send your completed ballots to Jason Knott at [email protected] or to Deborah Smith at [email protected].

Deadline for nominations is October 19, 2021.

Winners will be featured in the December 2021 print issue of CE Pro and on CEPro.com page in early December. 

Here is a list of the past winners:

2013Fred BargetziCrestron
2013John BishopBishop Audio Services
2013Charlie BoornazianEpson America
2013Paul DiComoCE Marketing Pros
2013Leonard BellezzaLyric Hi-Fi & Video
2013Dennis ErskineThe Erskine Group
2013Steve FirsztFast Forward Business Consulting
2013Mark FriedmanThe New York Marketing Team
2013Jeannette HoweSpecialty Electronics Nationwide
2013Ric JohnsonRight @ Home Technologies Inc., Elite Systems Solutions, Ohio Home Theater, R.L. Johnson Construction Services
2013Michael KuhlmannRCS Technology
2013Tom MorganLeviton
2013Larry PextonTriad Speakers
2013Richard SchramParasound
2013Deborah SmithPARA, Deborah Smith Group
2013Frank SternsNiles, Sony, Sound United
2013Richard StoergerADA
2013Adam StoneD-Tools
2013Charles ThompsonSell Through Solutions
2013David WeinsteinLutron
2013Wally WhinnaAllnet
2013Walt ZerbeOnQ/ Legrand, CEDIA
2013Keith ZollRay Supply
2014Greg CavesDisplay Development
2014Mark CichowskiClarity AV International
2014Bruce FranklinTriad 
2014Gene JordanHomeworks Group
2014Bill KieltykaNear
2014Brent McCallEthereal Home Theater
2014Lew FreedmanProfessional Audio Associates
2014Andrew GoldfinchLeisure Tech Electronics
2014John HendersonD+M Group
2014Dean MillerLenbrook America
2014Howard SinkoffVutec
2014Leslie ShinerThe Shiner Group
2014Bonnie PerellaSanus/Milestone AV
2014Tom WalkerAudioControl
2014Jim WohlfordSanus Systems
2014Keith YatesYates Design Group
2015Ernie CoulterControl4
2015Bill BellThe Music Box
2015Peter BrownStewart Filmscreen
2015Bill GroverMorris-Tait Associates
2015Rich BlackLutron
2015Michael HeissM. Heiss Consulting
2015John MillerGoldenEar Technology
2015Brad PaulsenTotem Acoustic
2015Marilyn SanfordLincEdge
2015Randy MasseyLumiere Cinema Group
2015Dave TkachukSymbol Logic
2015Marla SuttenbergSapphire Marketing
2015Mitch WittenDTS
2015Randy TaylorArtison
2015Steve WorkingAudio Concepts
2016Debbie AntrimCEDIA
2016Susan CashenControl4
2016John BevierAudio Plus Services
2016Lawrence Davis IIIPortal
2016Joe FinnNear
2016Richard FrankOEM Systems
2016Ira FriedmanPerfect Third
2016Barbara GlaabDana Innovations
2016Greg MargolisHometronics
2016Jim RistowAVB/Brandsource
2016Joaquin RiveraByDesign Vision & Sound Marketing
2016Paul StarkeyVital Management
2016Greg StidsenThe Lenbrook Group
2016Ray WrightIPRO
2017Randy BlanchardADI Global Distribution
2017Jeffrey Boccaccio DPL Laboratories
2017Stephen DefuriaA Tribute (NAD and VANA?)
2017Fred HardingCapitol
2017Jon HerronTrinnov Audio
2017Colleen Sterns LeithMarketing Matters
2017David MannAce Marketing Group
2017Keith MarshallCore Brands 
2017Helma PaulsonInternational AV Sales
2017Dave Peet Sound United
2017John PravelJPS Group
2017Petro ShimonishiXperi Corp.
2017Mark WeisenbergStewart Filmscreen
2017Kevin ZarowSound United
2018Butch AbramsButch’s Sound & Vision
2018Chuck BackTrinnov Audio
2018Stephen BakerLenbrook
2018Irene BaranMonster
2018Tim BigonessD-Tools
2018Dave DonaldOrigin Acoustics
2018Bjorn DybdahlBjorn’s
2018Helge FischerCatalyst AV
2018Ronnie MeyerowitzAudio Associates
2018Mark NimrodOpus Audio/Video Control
2018Chet PelkowskiSound United
2018Walter SchofieldKrell Industries
2018Scott SylvesterLeisureTech Electronics
2018Cat (Fowler) ToomeyCATylizing
2019Chris KaneAudioControl
2019Melissa AndreskoLutron
2019Jeff CowanSound United
2019Paul GroveParadigm, Anthem, MartinLogan
2019Keith HaasIntegra Division of Onkyo Corp.
2019Rick KomenderaSurgeX
2019Roy HallMusic Hall
2019Orion HopperThea AV Reps
2019Maureen JensonJournalist
2019Mike ParkJames Loudspeaker
2019Bob OliverOliver Marketing
2019Todd RyanSonance
2019Mark StoneLenbrook International
2020Cary ChristieSavant
2020Buzz DelanoDelano Associates
2020Daren EganPeak Audio & Video
2020Eric HarperSnapAV
2020Robert ZohnValue Electronics
2020Colin ClarkRussound
2020Roberta LewisRoberta Lewis & Associates
2020Rob MainieroAndover Audio
2020Andy OxenhornJL Audio
2020Mike PecarMike Pecar Sales
2020Jack ShaftonGoldenEar Technology
2020John StrohbeenOhm Acoustics

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