Erin Maher-Moran sits down with Stephen Ashby from Riverside City College, HETMA Education Chair, for a grounded conversation about what it means to start the year with intention in higher ed AV and IT. Stephen shares how a student job in AV turned into a 26 year career, and why the work still feels fresh when the tech, the expectations, and the campus footprint keep evolving.
They dig into what teams actually need to finish strong, from standards and documentation to training consistency, digital audio fluency, and listening to faculty feedback without defaulting to defensiveness. The key takeaway is timely: the HETMA Virtual Conference is next week, and this episode is both a preview and a nudge to show up for your own growth, plug into the community, and get in the room for the conversations that help you do the job better. s
Topics Discussed
• Stephen’s path from UC Riverside student AV work to Riverside City College
• Why the new year is a useful moment for intentional career reflection in higher ed
• Team growth, scaling support demand, and the reality of being pulled into projects late
• Standards, documentation, and why the missing step is usually not the technical one
• Digital audio upskilling, including Dante and AVB as real team priorities
• Turning faculty and user feedback into better support instead of background noise
• What the HETMA Education Chair role actually includes, beyond Lunch and Learns
• HETMA Virtual Conference preview, including AV over IP, AI, accessibility, monitoring, analytics
• Why live virtual events still matter when content is available on demand
• HECS credential progress and how it is meant to support career pathways
Call to Action
Register and join the HETMA Virtual Conference happening February 18, 19, and 20, 2026 on Zoom. Registration details are on the HETMA Community.
Join the conversation at community.hetma.org
Connect with Stephen
education@hetma.org
Education Committee meeting, Thursdays at 12 pm Pacific
Connect with Erin
ErinMaherMoran@hetma.org
LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-maher-moran/
This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for new content every day.
