Awards for the 2016 ESTA Volunteer of the Year Announced

The ESTA Volunteer of the Year Award was created to honor Frank Stewart for his selfless 18 year tenure as treasurer of ESTA. This award recognizes extraordinary effort by a volunteer or group of volunteers during the previous year and is bestowed by the ESTA board of directors. In the past year, two groups of volunteers have contributed countless hours and untold effort in bringing to fruition two very important projects. The board is pleased to present this award to the Technical Standards Program's Stage Lifts Working Group and the ETCP Subject Matter Experts for the Portable Power Distribution Technician Certification.

The Stage Lifts Working Group, chaired by Dan Culhane and Richard Nix, developed ANSI E1.42 - 2016, Entertainment Technology - Design, Installation and Use of Orchestra Pit Lifts. The additional voting members of SLWG are Daniel Brinker, Bruce Downer, Sanford P. Gilzow, Jerry Gorrell, Phil Heid, Joseph Jeremy, Jim Niesel, Michael Nishball, Jeff Phillips, Kurt Pragman, Peter A. Scheu, Steven Serafin, Zachary Stevenson, Christopher Tilton, James Tomlinson, Steve Walker, and Duane Wilson. Their determination to bring this document to publication is truly commendable.

The Portable Power Distribution Technician SMEs developed a new certification to define the required knowledge and skillsets surrounding the assembly, use, and disassembly of portable power distribution systems. Chaired by Derek Coleman and Alan Rowe, this group also includes Rob Baxter, Pat Enos, Kevin Felton, Lance Hughston, Sr., Lance Hughston, Jr., John Lacy, Gregg Lirosi, Billy Peacock, Phil Reilly, Steve Terry, and Christopher Wren. This certification will prove invaluable to facilities and companies working in the corporate, trade show, outdoor event, theatrical, and motion picture/television segments of the entertainment industry and we greatly appreciate the time and effort extended by this generous group in its creation.