Bios
Listed in alphabetical order
Rick Brown
Network Systems Engineer
North Carolina State University
Rick Brown is a Network Systems Engineer at North Carolina State University. He is responsible for network design including 802.11 wireless, along with the operation and maintenance of the CATV head end and distribution system. He is currently involved in evaluating IPTV and next generation CATV systems in order to develop criteria for replacing or upgrading the current system.
Rick has been at NC State for 23 years and has been involved with every aspect of data communications and video networking from installation of the Layer 1 and 2 infrastructure to network manager. He also spent 10 years in the US Naval submarine force where he was responsible for systems such as radar, sonar, electronic surveillance and countermeasures, LORAN, and the predecessor to the current global positioning system. He also taught naval courses in electrical and electronic fundamentals.
Mayumi Hirtzel
IT Project Leader, Penn Video Network
University of Pennsylvania
Mayumi oversees the technical and programmatic facets of the University of Pennsylvania's closed-circuit SMATV system. Over 60 channels, including a Video Bulletin Board and two Movie Channels, serve the entertainment and educational needs of Penn's 8000 students in residence. She has been in her current position since 2001, producing program themes, marketing materials, and anything else to make use of her BA in Victorian Literature and Classics from Fordham University.
Mayumi has been an enthusiastic attendant and presenter at several AHECTA conferences since she joined in 2001. She was the Content Committee Chair for CCC2007 in Portland, Conference Chair for CCC2008 in Providence, and most recently served as President in 2009.
Tom Marentette
Manager of Video Services
University of Notre Dame
Tom Marentette serves as Manager of Video Services at the University of Notre Dame. In this capacity, he has operational oversight for the cable television systems on campus and assists with strategic direction for other video technologies. Additional responsibilities include video streaming, project management, collaboration technologies and exploring multicast IP video applications.
Since 1998, Tom has been a member of the Network Engineering team at Notre Dame, concentrating on the administration and operation of the University data communications network during years of tremendous growth. He advanced from Network Technician to Senior Network Engineer, focusing on project management for campus wide upgrades to the wired and wireless infrastructures. He joined the University of Notre Dame in 1997 as a Media Equipment Technician. In this role, he assisted with various academic technologies, including media control systems, video conferencing, streaming and satellite technology. Prior to joining the University of Notre Dame, Tom worked as a video contractor for Ford Communications Network (FCN) in Dearborn, Michigan, as well as other clients in the Metro Detroit area.
Tom currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Michiana Chapter of the Society of Cable Television Engineers. He has been a member of AHECTA since 2006. Tom holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in Telecommunications and Film from Eastern Michigan University. When he is not spending time with family, Tom can be found on the golf course, reading a good book, playing with technology, or in the great outdoors.
Bill Naivar
Video Manager, Academic and Research Technology
Office of Information Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
Bill is the Video Manager for the Academic and Research Technology division of the Office of Information Technology at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.
Bill began his cable television career in 1980 as an Auditor for Calcasieu Cablevision in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He progressed to Installer, Bench Technician, Trunk Technician, and System Designer. Bill moved to Port Arthur, Texas in 1983 and became Chief Technician. He then moved to Mineral Wells, Texas as Chief Technician, and then to Douglasville, Georgia in 1988 as Plant Manager. Bill came to Georgia Tech in 1996 just prior to the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. Bill operates a 750 MHZ hybrid fiber/coax SMATV system on the Georgia Tech campus. In addition, Bill designs and oversees construction of extensions to the system.
Bill has been a member of AHECTA since 1999 and has presented technical sessions at the last six Campus Cable Conferences.
Trisha Patterson
Director of Local Ad Sales
Fox News Channel
Trisha Patterson is currently the Director of Local Ad Sales for Fox News Channel. She has been with Fox News Channel in a sales capacity since 2000, and prior to that was in sales at the Food Network.
Originally from New York, Trisha spent 14 years in Chicago where in her non-existent "free time" coached crew at Northwestern University (go Big Ten!). Trisha has served on various industry boards and committees over the past few years and has been attending AHECTA conferences since 2001. She is looking forward to working with other Board members as well as university members and exhibitors.
Tim Polk
Video Services Manager
University of Michigan
Tim Polk has worked in some aspect of the communications industry for the past 36 years. He began his career in the industry in 1972 at a CATV company as a Contract Installer. From 1978 through 1984, Tim held numerous positions with different cable companies: installer, construction lineman, installation manager, service technician, service manager, system engineer and plant manager.
Tim worked at Clover Communications from 1984 through 1994 developing, designing, installing and maintaining two-way broadband communication systems for Ford, GM and Chrysler as well as for area hospitals and public schools.
In 1994, Tim accepted a position with the University of Michigan to build a two-way broadband institutional Cable TV system. In 1998, he assumed the position of Service Manager for all of the voice, video, data maintenance and repair services for the University of Michigan campus systems. In 2007, Tim was involved in replacing the Comcast CATV system in 5,500 dorm rooms with the university's own 110-channel UMTV cable system. He is currently the Video Services Manager which includes all of the CATV engineering and design, system management and documentation and, of course, the maintenance and repair of the system. They also offer campus digital services of encoding, streaming, storage and playback service for classes and athletic events.
Tim's hobbies are golfing, walking, home improvement, observing nature and car rides with his wife.
Brenda Rockswold
Team Leader, Video Services
Academic and Administrative Information Technology
Emory University
Brenda serves as team lead for Video Services within the Academic and Administrative Information Technology division at Emory University. She is enjoying her 12th year at Emory and continues her role in IT focusing on video broadcasting technologies for Emory's campus and its affiliates. She works closely with the Network Communications division providing these services. Brenda's Video Services team provides consulting and operational management of central services for current and future technologies in campus TV programming and delivery, streaming, live event broadcasting, videoconferencing and any new video initiatives for the campus. She is also the student media (electronic) Technical Advisor and helped initiate EV53 - Emory Vision, the student video channel in 1998.
Brenda has a B.A. in Communications from West Georgia College (now the University of West Georgia). She worked in the Engineering department at Convergent Media Systems, a satellite business television company, for eight years prior to coming to Emory.
Brenda became a part of AHECTA in 1997 when the conference was held at Emory University and has enjoyed all but two of the yearly conferences. She hopes to bring fresh ideas and continued great leadership to the organization.
Tim Sullivan
Educational & Government Sales Manager
Nickless Schirmer & Co., Inc.
While attending Northern Kentucky University, Tim was hired by NSC (Nickless Schirmer & Co., Inc.) in March of 1998, and since that time has worked in every area of operation within the company. As is the case in many small companies, he has been asked to wear new or multiple hats from time to time. In 1999, Tim began sales account management as a member of the Government Sales Division where he has dealt with city and local government agencies to federal & military installations from all over the globe. In 2001, he started the Educational Division to include K-12, and Higher Educational Institutions across the country. His current position is Educational & Government Sales Manager.
Tim was first introduced to AHECTA not long before CCC2001 in Chicago. Over the last nine years, he has made many good contacts and friends and is looking forward to continuing to build upon these relationships for many years to come. For the last year, Tim has served on the AHECTA Corporate Council in support of the vendor member base, and looks forward to helping all members prosper as a result of their affiliation with AHECTA.
Raymundo Vilca
Manager, Technology Resources Centers and Academic Computing Services
El Paso Community College
Raymundo is the Manager of Technology Resources Centers and Academic Computing Services for El Paso Community College in El Paso, Texas, a position he has held for over four years. During his tenure at El Paso Community College, Ray has been instrumental in planning, implementing, and managing various district wide projects and initiatives for the college with tremendous success. These projects include the project management for a district-wide 1900 instructional computer project that required coordinating with all of the instructional programs together with the division of information technology. Another initiative was the development and implementation of a district-wide Kiosk project that provides media assisted information to all students and other users with relevant college information. Digital El Paso is a city-wide initiative that provides wireless capabilities to community residents and El Paso Community College has partnered in the development of a refurbished computer program coupled with the appropriate training for residents. He is currently participating in the development of a comprehensive business continuity plan with the Division of Information Technology and also part of a SharePoint Taskforce.
Ray possesses a unique, powerful skill set in planning, coordination, analysis, and other management and analytical competencies that can be proven useful in assisting AHECTA on accomplishing their tactical and strategic initiatives.
Ray is new to AHECTA, but is anxious to assist with facilitating communications and networking with members; helping develop effective/dynamic educational workshops; and conducting research of any required areas that the board may need help on such as legal/pedagogical/social issues related to the use of campus communications, content, and video services in higher education.