Commercial Integrator March 2023 - 24

TECH MANAGERS Going Inside HETMA
process is often done in 30 days. If there's
a delay in any part of it, the timeline can be
extended to 60 days. " We have products
coming in, seeking HETMA approval, from
every major manufacturer out there right
now, " Hatchett says. In fact, at the time of
our interview, five manufacturers (Huddly,
Bose, Elgato, Epiphan and Panasonic) had
already attained HETMA Approved status
across 12 products. Meanwhile, another
five manufacturers and 13 products were in
the middle of being evaluated.
From Way's perspective, the HETMA
Approved program's greatest virtue is that
it will embolden higher-ed technology
managers when they ask for hundreds of
thousands of dollars to invest in technoloOne
of those values is egalitarianism;
indeed, from the start, Way wanted to ensure
that everyone was treated the same...
and had the same platform. Monday
acknowledges that, without HETMA, technology
managers from tiny schools would
never have the opportunity to shape the
industry conversation. " Those of us in
rural schools and rural areas in the world
didn't have an outlet to talk these things
out and be part of something bigger, "
he continues. " HETMA's really allowed
that to happen. " Hatchett concedes that
our industry can be cliquish and certification
obsessed. But that makes HETMA's
approach - where no one is left behind
- even more refreshing. " Everybody has
tinues, citing various industry advocacy
groups supporting DEI efforts. If anything,
though, those trouble trends have steeled
HETMA's spine to effect change. And the
organization clearly knows how to do it:
After all, during the same period, HETMA
substantially grew its female demographic
not only as members but also in running
the organization and leading initiatives.
One of HETMA's proudest achievements,
is creating the Prism Scholarship, which
we turn to next.
'It's easy to pay lip
service and be like,
" Oh yeah. We're going
to do something. " But
it's amazing to be part
of an organization
that is actually doing
something to help
make a difference.'
- Erin Maher-Moran,
CTS, DMC-E, vice chair,
HETMA
gy, because they'll no longer fear they're
making a wrong decision. Eventually, being
HETMA Approved might become table
stakes to get your product spec'd at scale at
some of these institutions. It's unsurprising,
then, that Monday adds, " The manufacturers
have been fantastic about it. Our manufacturer
list is growing every single day. "
Values-Driven Organization
HETMA is a values-driven organization,
and its activities flow naturally from the
ethical principles to which it adheres.
24
a voice in this, " he declares.
HETMA centers its activities on the
idea of helping...of making a difference.
One action item, therefore, has been to
drive diversity and inclusion within the
technology community. With emotion
evident in his voice, Way laments that the
commercial AV industry has actually sunk,
post-pandemic, to being 9% women.
(Previously, we had 14% female representation).
" I was shocked to hear that our
industry has actually gone backwards at
a time we're all so focused on it, " he conCommercial
Integrator MARCH 2023
The Prism Scholarship
HETMA, in association with AVIXA,
announced the Prism Scholarship at
InfoComm 2021 with the vision of supporting
underrepresented communities'
growth within the U.S. higher-education
technology workforce. HETMA seeks to
encourage women, LGBTQIA+, Black,
Latino, Asian, Indigenous and disabled
persons to become active leaders and role
models for technology managers in the
higher-education space. The goal each
year is to offer 10 scholarships, whose
recipients receive resources that will help
them pass their CTS exam. According to
Foster, those resources include one year
of access to AVIXA training modules, complimentary
exam access at testing center
or at InfoComm, and a HETMA-sponsored
trip to InfoComm. " We wanted to really
bring them into the network and let them
see the experience of going to InfoComm, "
she says. " Getting exposed to all
the different vendors and all the people
in the community. " Recipients are also
paired with a CTS-certified member to
guide them through their study process.
The Prism Scholarship is open to fulltime
staff members at higher-education
institutions who are not also employed
by an integrator. Candidates must also
express a need for support in furthering
their education. Finally, they must identify
how they fit into an underrepresented
category, although scholarship organizers
don't want to impose rigid requirements
on that. " We're asking them to express
why they think they belong to an underrepresented
category and just to explain it
to us, " Foster says.
Creating something like Prism was
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