CE Pro January 2023 - 8

Industry Pulse
NEWS | ANALYSIS
Lutron's Andresko
Named CTA 2023
Smart Home
Leadership Award
Winner
Technology evangelist Melissa Andresko
will be feted in ceremony at CES 2023
with CTA Smart Home Division's 2023
Leadership Award. By Jason Knott
ON A CURSORY LEVEL, the
ideologies of " passion " and
" technology " would seem
to be polar opposites, but
for Melissa Andresko, Chief
Corporate Brand Ambassador
for Lutron Electronics,
the two concepts are deeply
intertwined.
Her long-held belief that
technology is a beneficial
force that improves people's
lives has enabled Andresko
to passionately advance
Lutron's marketing initiatives
for integrators and consumers
since 1998. Her passion
has not gone unrecognized,
as Andresko has been named
the recipient of the Consumer
Technology Association
(CTA) 2023 Smart Home Division
Leadership Award for
her outstanding service. Each
year, CTA presents the Smart
Home Leadership Award to
an individual who has made
significant contributions to
the growth and success of
8 | CE Pro January 2023
the smart home industry and
shows continued dedication
and service to the consumer
tech industry.
" I have a passion for
helping consumers understand
the benefits of smart
home products, particularly
the benefits to seniors and
the disabled, " says Andresko,
who has spent more than
two decades driving the
adoption of smart home
products through various
communications vehicles.
She has appeared frequently
on national and local news
programs and podcasts as
a smart home expert. She
also has spoken at multiple
events and conferences annually,
sharing her expertise
in the areas of the smart
home user experience and
product adoption.
Little did she know that 25
years after joining Lutron as
her first job out of college after
graduating from Moravian
Melissa Andresko, chief corporate brand ambassador for
Lutron, is passionate about communicating the beneficial
role technology can play in people's lives.
University, Andresko would
find herself so engaged in
the industry. Her passion for
helping consumers with their
technology needs has meant
she is an involved participant
on multiple association committees
aimed at helping the
industry. She currently sits
on numerous CTA and CEDIA
boards and committees,
serving on the CTA's Executive
Board, as well as the
boards of Industry Leaders,
Smart Home and Accessories
Divisions. She is also a CTA
Foundation Trustee.
" It is very rewarding. I
chaired the CTA TechHome
board from 2016-2018,
and under my leadership, I
advocated for and led members
to change the name
from the TechHome Board
(which had been the name
for more than a decade) to
the Smart Home Board to
better reflect the industry
landscape, " she recalls.
" There are only so many
hours in the day to volunteer
and explore your
passions. For me, that
passion comes in the form
of consumer and industry
advocacy by volunteering
on several CTA boards and
committees. During these
meetings, your fellow board
members are not competitors
- we are all here for
the exact same reason - to
find common ground in our
passion to take care of our
customers and to advance
the consumer electronics
industry, " explains Andresko,
who was named a CE Pro
Masters recipient in 2019
among other accolades.
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CE Pro January 2023

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