HETMA Presents… Roadto10K: July 2025: True North
| Subscribe wherever you get your Podcasts: | ||||
 | | | | |
| Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeart Radio | Amazon Music | |
In the evolving landscape of higher education audiovisual (AV) technology, the Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance (HETMA) has long stood out for its unique mix of grassroots energy, industry credibility, and community-led momentum. Now, with the launch of the “Road to 10K,” HETMA is setting its sights on something bigger—not just a numerical milestone, but a cultural shift within the vertical. At the center of this effort is a renewed focus on personal, professional, and communal growth for its members. This article unpacks the key themes, strategies, and aspirations discussed in the first episode of HETMA Presents: The Road to 10K, featuring leadership perspectives from Joe Way, BC Hatchett, and Troy Powers.
Back to Basics with Bigger Vision
The origins of the Road to 10K trace back to a broader conversation among HETMA’s leadership about returning to the organization’s founding values. After years of rapid growth and a cascade of new initiatives, the leadership team made a conscious decision to pause and re-evaluate. They found clarity in an idea that had been present since HETMA’s inception: giving a voice to those who often go unheard in the AV space, particularly professionals embedded in higher education IT and AV departments.
“We were founded on that principle of kind of investing in our community of people as an advocate for them… to bring us to that channel line and have that influence as a vertical.” Joe Way
Rather than simply announcing another project, the board sought to frame this initiative as a holistic pathway—a framework for engagement, development, and leadership. This wasn’t about adding one more item to the calendar; it was about anchoring the organization in its roots while simultaneously preparing it to scale.
Growth Beyond the Numbers
Although the name “Road to 10K” might imply a simple goal of reaching ten thousand members, the intent goes far beyond a membership tally. For HETMA, growth isn’t just about numbers—it’s about deepening engagement, building leadership capacity, and enabling collective impact.
“If we hit 10k or if we even hit 20k and we didn’t have a spike in the engagement in the community, I don’t know that that would be success.” Troy Powers
The leadership emphasized that while there is value in expanding the member base, real success will be measured by the vibrancy and depth of participation. Engagement that translates into daily conversations, shared learning, and visible outcomes—such as new certifications, promotions, and campus impact—matters more than passive headcount.
To support that vision, the Road to 10K includes a structured yet flexible calendar with monthly themes designed to provoke meaningful reflection and dialogue. The topics—ranging from personal mission-setting to self-advocacy and rest—are deliberately non-technical, emphasizing growth of the individual behind the gear rack.
A Focus on the Human Side of AV
The leadership team made a striking observation: most professional AV forums and events lean heavily on technical questions—what kind of projector to use, or how to troubleshoot audio issues. While those conversations are necessary, they don’t often address the lived experiences of AV professionals—their leadership struggles, imposter syndrome, career transitions, or mental health challenges.
“We really need to start addressing how we do our community better, how we do our careers better, how we better our teams.” BC Hatchett
In contrast, the Road to 10K places these human questions at the center. The intent is to create space for conversations about the “why” behind the work—what motivates professionals in this field, how they grow as leaders, and how they care for themselves and their teams. This shift represents a bold redefinition of what it means to build a professional development program in AV. It’s not about replacing technical training, but building upon it by helping professionals thrive as people and as leaders.
Empowering Through Engagement
Daily prompts and themed discussions form the tactical core of HETMA’s engagement strategy. The hope is that by normalizing regular, bite-sized interactions, members will build habits of sharing and learning from each other. While the prompts are curated to encourage participation, they are not intended to dominate the conversation. In fact, the ideal outcome is that organic dialogue eventually overtakes the need for structured prompts.
“At the end of the day the hope is that the conversation is natural… while the prompts are nice… there’s other stuff happening in the background because we have an engaged community.” Troy Powers
This focus on habit-building is grounded in the understanding that engagement needs to meet people where they are. In higher education, work is cyclical and often overwhelming. HETMA leaders are designing this framework to allow members to engage when they can and step back when needed—without guilt or penalty. In other words, the Road to 10K is not a sprint. It’s a marathon built for real life.
The Case for Community-Run Events
Another key pillar of the Road to 10K is the goal of making all HETMA events self-sustaining—not just financially, but operationally. Much of HETMA’s success to date has been fueled by volunteer energy. But as the organization scales, that energy needs to be focused and supported.
“It means something that we do the work ourselves… it’s not some company, some nameless company that doesn’t care at the end of the day.” Troy Powers
Rather than outsourcing event management to third-party firms, HETMA leaders are committed to maintaining community ownership. The reasoning is twofold. First, when members plan and execute events, it builds pride, leadership, and a sense of belonging. Second, it keeps the spirit of volunteerism alive, ensuring that the org doesn’t lose touch with its grassroots identity.
Efforts are already underway to document processes, create repeatable playbooks, and distribute leadership across committees. By standardizing the event planning workflow, HETMA can reduce burnout while still empowering new contributors to step in with confidence. The aim is to scale the impact without scaling away from the people who built the organization.
Decentralized, Inclusive, and Free
HETMA’s free membership model sets it apart from many traditional professional associations. Without dues, engagement must be earned—not bought. This model brings with it a different set of challenges, particularly when it comes to sustaining attention and building commitment. But it also creates a radically inclusive space, one where participation is driven by shared purpose, not financial obligation.
“We’re free, right? Free and always will be. What’s it take to join? You fill out the form online.” Joe Way
The leadership team sees this as a strength. It forces the organization to be constantly relevant, valuable, and responsive. People join and stay because they find something meaningful—whether that’s professional support, leadership experience, or genuine community. And when new voices emerge from previously unengaged corners of the field, that’s when the Road to 10K begins to look like a movement, not a campaign.
Leadership Beyond Job Titles
One of the most powerful outcomes of HETMA’s approach is the emergence of leadership in unexpected places. Many of the people leading committees, events, and initiatives hold titles like “technician” or “support specialist” on their campuses. Within HETMA, however, they are building and guiding national-scale programs.
“If you look at a lot of our chairs, their titles at work are support analyst, senior technician… they’re leading a multimillion dollar organization.” Joe Way
This opportunity for leadership development is intentional. By empowering members to lead from where they are, HETMA helps them grow skills that may not be available to them in their day jobs. And in doing so, it positions itself not just as an industry advocate, but as a platform for talent development and career transformation.
Rooted in Personal Mission
The first month of the Road to 10K centers on the theme of “True North”—an invitation for members to reflect on their personal mission and professional purpose. The goal is not to generate corporate-style goals or key performance indicators. Instead, it’s about identifying the inner compass that guides each person through change, challenge, and growth.
“To me what like True North is… it’s that thing that like anchors you when you fail at all your goals.” Troy Powers
This grounding is especially relevant in a field where people often fall into AV work unexpectedly but stay because of a deeper commitment to education, service, or innovation. Leaders spoke candidly about their own motivations—from the desire to support research and learning, to the joy of seeing students cross the graduation stage. These intrinsic motivators, they argue, are the real reason so many people in higher ed AV stay the course.
Success as a Feeling, Not Just a Metric
When asked what success would feel like at the end of the yearlong initiative, the answers went beyond benchmarks. While hitting 10,000 members would be a milestone, the real goal is to foster a culture where members are growing, sharing wins, advancing their careers, and helping each other thrive.
“We’re going to help 10,000 people or more… the raises that are gotten can now afford more things for your family… this becomes exponential.” Joe Way
The hope is that a year from now, the community will look different not just in size, but in tone—more connected, more confident, and more capable. Success will show up in the small wins as much as the big ones: a new certification earned, a workplace challenge overcome, a moment of clarity about one’s career path. In other words, the Road to 10K is not just about the journey—it’s about who people become along the way.
