Spotlight on…
Tim Neviska
Senior Audiovisual Solutions Manager
Kenyon College
Connect with Tim Neviska: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-neviska-875b331b/
As the Senior Audiovisual Solutions Manager for Kenyon College, Tim Neviska navigates the diverse worlds of event and classroom support. He’s a leader who believes in leading by example, a conviction that if a manager can’t or won’t do the job themselves, they shouldn’t ask someone else to. Tim strongly believes that a good manager should be able to step into any of their team’s roles when needed. He acknowledges, however, that not all managers meet this standard.
One of Tim’s toughest lessons is that not every employer or boss has your best interest at heart. However, he also knows there are many incredible supervisors who do, and he encourages people to celebrate them.
Tim’s primary advice for anyone in the industry is to expect change. Both technology and people are constantly evolving, and eventually, the professional landscape might be unrecognizable. Yet, one thing remains constant: “AV is the last thing people think about, and the first they complain about.” This is one of the reasons why Tim thinks a common misconception is that people in his industry do live events for fun.
While “fun” might not be the first word Tim uses to describe his work, it is a big part of his job. He finds the work fulfilling, and his team is the one thing “keeping the chaos at bay.” The work itself draws on the US Navy Seabees motto, “can do,” which highlights that even though things may be difficult, nothing is impossible. As the motto goes, “The difficult we do now, the impossible takes longer.”
The difficult we do now, the impossible takes longer
Have you always worked in AV? What did the path look like for you to get to where you are now?
The pathway begins in high school where the Radio Club and Stage Crew provided an education equally as important as any academic class. It was then that I first learned how, and why to properly wrap cables. It was also due to the experiences in these groups that I decided to major in Mass Communications (Radio and Television) at Ohio State. I discovered that most of the others in my production classes had no previous hands on experience with audio, video, or lighting gear. In addition, they certainly could not wrap cables!
During my senior year of college, I accepted a position with the largest mobile deejay service in the Midwest. This is one of those AV adjacent roles I mentioned earlier. While being a deejay at every type of event imaginable as well as at several nightclubs, does technically involve operating and at times setting up AV gear, it was in my role as the operations manager that many AV skills were honed: building sound systems, wiring equipment racks, installing systems in nightclubs, converging CRT video projectors, and more.
I discovered that most of the others in my production classes had no previous hands on experience with audio, video, or lighting gear. In addition, they certainly could not wrap cables!
I took those skills to my first true AV job when I was hired as a delivery driver/technician for a company that did audiovisual rentals and events, as well as CCTV and hospital television headend systems. Among other things, the ability to setup and converge the CRT video projectors led to increased responsibilities as the rental and service manager. When the owner retired and sold the business to his largest rental competitor, I stayed on as the branch manager, and oversaw the establishment of the office at a new location before transitioning to a newly created position as Technical Services Manager. In this role, I operated the service functions of the company in addition to being the coordinator and lead tech on all of the large staging events. One such event required turning a high school gymnasium into a concert venue for Tony Bennett, as we provided the video production and IMAG.
The next period involved another very similar role to the previous one, followed by a period of freelance opportunities, and then hotel AV. The hotel AV position came at a period of great expansion for the company, and I was asked to serve as the area supervisor, establishing a warehouse operation in the Columbus market. Our mission: to serve the needs of our seven or eight in-house hotel offices; coordinate transfers with other area warehouse locations; and establish ourselves in the corporate, staging, and convention arenas.
A new challenge awaited me after building that warehouse operation. I accepted the position of Director of Event Operations for a large special event center. They acknowledged that the business was not to the point of needing a fulltime AV person on staff, so I proposed a role that allowed me to be the “AV guy” while overseeing the setups and providing scale event drawings and advice to the sales staff. The event center grew and my role soon included the responsibilities of Building Manager. Suffice it to say there are many stories from that period, a period that drew upon valuable skills learned in my AV positions and jobs and experiences outside of AV.
After another short period of freelance work, I accepted the newly created position of Events and Classroom Technology Specialist at Kenyon College.
I proposed a role that allowed me to be the “AV guy”
What is your morning routine?
In this age of smart phones and apps, I usually have checked emails and looked for any notifications that would indicate that my day was going to be different than I had planned it, prior to my arrival. Once on site, I review my setup sheets and start my day.
What does an average weekday look like for you?
Since much of my time is event based, it is hard to think in terms of an average. Some days are filled with small setups, some with lots of meetings, live or virtual, some are consumed by a large staging event.
What does your busiest day look like?
The busiest days are one of two scenarios: a singular large event with lots of moving parts (including setup, actual event, and teardown days, example Commencement) or occasions with multiple concurrent events (example, Alumni Weekend).
What are the challenges your role faces, and how do you overcome those?
The greatest challenges are always those for which you have no control. Those higher up the chain of command make the decisions about budgets and staffing. I try to overcome the challenges with ingenuity and creativity while advocating for changes.
What do you enjoy doing on weekends? How do you spend your time outside of work?
Spending time with family and anything I can think of that involves me sitting on my tractor!
I serve as president of the local pork producer organization, and am on the board of directors and video producer for the Ohio National Poultry Show (annually the largest show in America).
I enjoy food of every kind. Trying out a cuisine that I have never had is always a good time. Visiting local wineries or breweries is also enjoyable. A rousing game of Dutch Blitz (look it up!) with the family is always fun. And, did I mention the “will it run” YouTube videos?
Comparing your career path over time, what are some of the moments, accomplishments, or projects that you’re most proud of?
There have been many at each stop along the path. What comes to mind immediately is not a singular event, but a change in the “who” and the “how” after my arrival at Kenyon. Many small events were outsourced or turned away prior to my tenure on the hill. We utilized integrators for basic repairs and troubleshooting adding cost and delay to the break-fix system. Outsourced large events cost the college many times the in-house rate. I made it my mission to change the narrative.
What inspired you to get involved with HETMA and AVIXA?
To me, AVIXA is the center of the A/V universe. AVIXA’s influence reaches every part of the industry. HETMA has become much the same for the higher ed part, giving one large voice from a chorus of smaller voices across the higher ed community. Being involved with these types of organizations keeps me better informed about what is happening outside of my campus bubble.
Where do you see your career trajectory going in the next five years? Where do you envision yourself?
I have always believed that “I don’t know”, is an acceptable answer.
What is your life motto and how do you apply it to your daily routine?
I’m not sure that I have one, per se, but I think that I have a desire to learn something new every day. With that comes the realization that learning can come from anyone, at any place, and at any time. Be open to it.
I have always believed that “I don’t know”, is an acceptable answer.
