Recorded live as the Friday keynote session on Day 3 of the HETMA Virtual Conference, this hybrid episode combines #Roadto10K and This Month in Higher Ed AV into one fast moving conversation. The panel starts with the month’s community theme, Time to Level Up, sharing what each person has improved over the past year, what the turning point looked like, and how they decide what is worth learning deeply versus what only requires functional competence.
The second half pivots into a timely industry discussion sparked by an AV Magazine piece that framed growing education AV spend as wasteful and trend driven. The panel unpacks why the tone landed as dismissive, why combining K 12 and higher ed as one story leads to bad conclusions, and how real higher ed purchasing is shaped by governance, accessibility, security, procurement, and lifecycle realities. The discussion also stresses the importance of a healthy feedback loop between campuses, manufacturers, integrators, and the rest of the channel, plus a reminder that burnout helps nobody and stepping away can be part of staying effective.
Topics Discussed
Live hybrid format and why these two monthly shows were merged for the keynote
Tim’s role change to Rutgers Newark and leveling up leadership, mentoring, and networking knowledge
Britt’s classroom design growth and the hidden skill of time blocking and patience
Gina’s leadership evolution: facilitation over fixing, plus guiding questions as a coaching tool
The 80 percent mindset and why progress and learning can beat perfectionism in real operations
Choosing what to learn deeply based on role, direction, and passion, including learning purely for joy
Neurodivergence, hyperfocus, and the flip side of overwhelm and freeze, plus self awareness about learning style
Tackling discomfort: imposter syndrome, returning to the classroom, and using external accountability
Personal documentation and knowledge transfer as an emotional hurdle, and the parallel to workplace continuity
The AV spending controversy, the AVWeek discussion, and HETMA’s published response pushing back on the framing
Articles Discussed:
Original article: https://www.avinteractive.com/news/systems-design-integration/are-educational-institutions-wasting-their-money-on-av-14-01-2026/
Discussion on AVWeek: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FLQnVhkwlA
HETMA response op ed: https://www.avnation.tv/2026/02/04/oped-higher-ed-is-not-wasting-money-on-av-but-we-are-tired-of-being-talked-down-to/
Join the conversation at community.hetma.org
Host: Ryan Gray
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/
Panel:
Britt Yenser
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/britt-yenser/
Tim Van Woeart
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-van-woeart-cts-45416826/
Gina Sansivero
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gina-sansivero/
This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for new content every day.
