The International Communications Industries Association, Inc.® (ICIA®) is very happy to announce that Gary V. Kayye, CTS, was presented the ICIA Educator of the Year Award and Kim Milliken was lauded with the Fred Dixon Service in Education Award at ICIA’s Council and Committee Breakfast on Thursday, June 5 at InfoComm 2003.
Educator of the Year Award: Gary V. Kayye, CTS
“ICIA is very pleased to be able to recognize Gary Kayye for his achievements and his contributions to the pro-AV communications and systems industry,” commented Randal A. Lemke, Ph.D., ICIA’s executive director. “When I started at ICIA as the vice president of education, Gary served on the Professional Education and Training Committee (PETC) and was a fixture in our education programs. He has contributed to all of our programs – seminars at InfoComm, the Institute for Professional Development, our advanced onsite courses and our Academy Online. He has done it all and we want to recognize him for doing so.”
Gary Kayye graduated with a degree in journalism and marketing from the University of North Carolina and served as VP of marking and sales for two of the largest audiovisual manufacturers in the world (AMX and Extron). In addition to leading sales and marketing efforts, he also directed the companies’ education and training programs for the pro-AV systems integration market.
“Gary’s biggest impact from the standpoint of PETC was to set the stage for opening up membership to anyone – before it was a very closed group,” noted PETC chair Mike Weems, CTS, MCP, of InFocus Corporation. “He made it possible to establish new initiatives in curriculum revision, certification changes and new offerings at InfoComm.”
In 1998, Kayye founded Kayye Consulting, Inc. with his partner Jody Thomas--a marketing consulting and training development firm. In addition to being a contributing editor for his own pro-AV insider e-newsletter, rAVe (www.kayyerave.com), he is also a columnist for Sound & Communications magazine as well as a freelance writer for WIRED and Church Production magazines.
Kayye has a passion for education and not only has supported the pro-AV market as an ICIA senior faculty member through volunteer efforts with ICIA’s training and education department, but he also has a dream to eventually be a high school teacher in Chapel Hill, N.C. where he lives.
Fred Dixon Service in Education Award: Kim Milliken
Kim Milliken of Da-Lite Screen Company and founder of Optixx Screen Systems passed away on March 10 following an extended illness with cancer.
“Kim has the overwhelming esteem and admiration of his peers and he will be greatly missed,” said Randal Lemke. “He gave wholeheartedly of himself to the work he loved, and we are proud to honor him with this year’s Fred Dixon Service in Education Award.”
Milliken spent more than 25 years in the audiovisual industry. He is best known for his commitment to educating the industry with a level of intelligence and sophistication that remains unparalleled. For example, PETC recently undertook the responsibility of revising the first edition of The Basics of Audio and Visual Systems Design under Milliken’s editorial leadership. Upon Milliken’s passing, Mike Weems built upon his work and brought the project to completion.
“Kim brought together the people to make the book revision a reality,” remarked Mike Weems. “It was his vision that set the tone for all subsequent work and laid the groundwork that enabled me to carry the project to completion.”
In 2002, ICIA awarded Milliken InfoComm’s Distinguished Achievement Award, the industry’s highest honor, for his career achievements as a true industry leader and educator. Milliken served on ICIA’s Board of Governors and held various other committee positions including PETC membership.
“Kim’s zeal to always do the right thing and to make absolutely certain that all large displays were done correctly has made the audiovisual world a better place,” said Richard Lundin, chairman and CEO of Da-Lite Screen Company. “A deep sense of integrity and purpose combined with his unmistakeable style and wit were his hallmarks. It is the legacy Kim leaves for all of us in our industry.”
The International Communications Industries Association, Inc.® (ICIA®) is the premier trade association for the professional audiovisual communications industry. ICIA is the founder of InfoComm, the conference and trade exposition for audiovisual communications professionals who come to learn about the latest technologies and available services as well as new and alternative applications. ICIA serves its worldwide membership as the pre-eminent provider of education, training and certification.
InfoComm is the foremost gathering of AV communications professionals who come to learn about the latest technologies and available products and services as well as new and alternative applications for systems integration. As a key industry event, InfoComm is the educational and interactive marketplace for manufacturers, distributors, dealers, systems integrators, rental and staging companies, independent representatives, independent design consultants, architects, facilities managers, engineers, presentations designers and end users, including AV and IT professionals, sales and marketing staff, meeting planners and purchasers. InfoComm attracts a broad spectrum of market sectors, including business, government, military, education, religion, health care, entertainment and conventions.