Commercial Integrator August 2022 - 26

LEGEND Happy Retirement
CORY
SCHAEFFER:
A LEGACY OF
HELP, A LEGACY
OF CHANGE
Commercial AV journalists come together to
document the remarkable career and enduring
legacy of the retiring industry icon. By Dan Ferrisi
AS COMMERCIAL AV has matured, it has
become increasingly clear that ours is an
industry not of technology but of people.
At our best, commercial AV professionals
are committed to creating experiences that
tell compelling stories and leave indelible
memories. In that way, the technologies we
create, spec and integrate are mere tools
to create genuine human experiences. That
" people-fi rst " ethos might be revelatory to
some whose minds are aswirl with specs,
speeds and feeds, but it's an approach that
Cory Schaeff er embraced from the outset
of her career. As director, alliances and
ecosystem for Q-SYS, Schaeff er decided
earlier this year to retire from the industry
she loves - and on which she leaves an
enduring imprint - over the summer.
Schaeff er's announcement sparked an
outpouring of love and gratitude from her
commercial AV peers, as well as an alliance
between AVNation, rAVe [PUBS] and
Commercial Integrator to celebrate her remarkable
career and legacy. This tribute is
just one outgrowth of what we've dubbed
the Cory Schaeff er Appreciation Society.
26
Exploring the 'Why'
Many of us #avtweeps were surprised to
hear of Schaeff er's retirement plans, given
that she's only 57. So, our fi rst question was
simple: Why now? The answer lies in the
pandemic that disrupted our lives and reordered
our priorities. " COVID-19 was pivotal
in me making this decision, " she begins.
Schaeff er explains that, prior to the pandemic,
she felt like she was on a treadmill,
her " all in " approach driving her sometimes
to put in 14-hours days, including travel.
Both husband Tim Schaeff er (senior vice
president with Allen & Heath USA) and
she have spent a lifetime crisscrossing the
globe, working long hours to serve their
respective companies and support their
three kids. " Just crazy busy, " Schaeff er puts
it pithily. In fact, Tim Schaeff er was traveling
right as COVID-19 lockdowns began,
causing real worry about whether he'd even
be able to fl y home. Like everyone else, the
Schaeff ers had no conception of the odyssey
that would follow, expecting pandemic
accommodations to last only a few months.
Regardless, COVID-19 brought about someCommercial
Integrator AUGUST 2022
thing that hadn't ever happened before:
Cory and Tim Schaeff er were together, at
home, for an extended period.
Schaeff er admits her own uncertainty at
the outset. " Since 1998, I've had this busy
life, " she recalls thinking. " I had never been
home this long ever in my life. And I had
never been together with my husband this
long. " Any doubts, however, washed away
almost immediately. " It was wonderful, "
Schaeff er beams. " I do adore him! " They
both quickly realized they wanted more of
exactly that life. But, as vaccines started rolling
out and the economy picked up steam,
it became clear that their schedules would
soon pick up again. Around that time, in the
autumn of 2021, Schaeff er lost a very close
friend, age 60, to COVID-19. The memorial
service was not only a time for grief and
reminiscences but also, for Schaeff er, a time
to refl ect. She thought long and hard about
her beautiful family - in particular, her mind
fi lled with thoughts of her four grandchildren,
all age 5 and under, and her parents,
whom she hadn't seen for 18 months.
That very evening, Schaeff er came
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Commercial Integrator August 2022

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