Ron Callis Jr is the CEO and founder of One Firefly, LLC, an award-winning and 6-time Inc. 5000 recognized marketing agency. With over 20 years of experience, he has built a reputation for helping custom integration businesses grow and succeed through innovative marketing strategies and top-notch website design. In 2023, Ron expanded One Firefly’s impact by launching Amplify People, the company’s dedicated hiring division that helps technology businesses attract, evaluate, and retain top talent. A well-known speaker and educator at industry events, Ron is also a regular contributor to industry publications and host of the AV and integration-focused podcast, Automation Unplugged.
Matt Bernath is a consumer electronics veteran with more than two decades in retail, wholesale, custom integration, and business coaching. He started his CE career in the late 90’s in Car Audio retail management, then moved on to rep several major brands in the So Cal territories and went on to start a CI business in 2006. Matt successfully grew and sold his CI business, owing a large part of his success to the principles learned as a client of VITAL management. VITAL asked Matt to join their team as an executive business coach in 2019, and he went on to purchase the company in 2021 with a group of industry partners. Today Matt is known for thought-leadership in the area of business excellence and speaks around the country on this topic. He hosts a highly successful monthly webinar series and has been a guest speaker at events such as the CEPro Total Tech Summit, Regional Tech Summits, OneFirefly Podcast, Smartprenuer Podcast, and many others.
Mark is an accomplished lighting professional with deep experience in electrical contracting, distribution, manufacturing, sales and design and is a Partner at Light Can Help You. After serving in the Navy’s nuclear power program, Mark became and electrical contractor and discovered his first framing project light fixture, kicking off over thirty years of industry leadership. Mark introduces hundreds of potential clients to the possibilities of lighting each year and is a key component of Light Can Help You’s dealer support programs.
Alessio’s deep knowledge for light and human wellbeing led to a chance meeting with the Light Can Help You team andthe discovery of a shared passion for improving lives. Alessio is a seasoned architectural lighting designer with substantial international experience. He holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering and is a Senior Lighting Designer and Studio Leader with Light Can Help You.
Dennis’s passion for custom integration began over 20 years ago when he founded Maverick Integration in 2003, building it into one of the nation’s leading design and system integration firms. Under his leadership, Maverick grew to a CE Pro 100 top-ranked company with operations across New England and Florida, specializing in whole-house audio, home theater, lighting control, and automation.
With extensive experience leading integration teams and developing comprehensive technology solutions for residential and commercial clients, Dennis has become a recognized visionary in the industry. Today, through his venture Maverick Lite, Dennis provides comprehensive lighting design services for leading integration companies and offers consulting services, leveraging his deep design and engineering expertise on the industry’s most challenging and valuable projects.
Mark S. Rea, PhD is a professor at the Light and Health Research Center (LHRC) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is an expert in human vision, lighting engineering, human factors, photobiology, psychology, and light and health. He is the author of more than 100 scientific and technical articles related to vision, lighting engineering, and human factors and was the editor-in-chief of the 8th and 9th editions of the IES Lighting Handbook. His current research projects include the study of the effects of light on circadian disruption, the use of ultraviolet light for disinfection and to fight plant pathogens, and the development of bias-free pulse oximetry technology . Dr. Rea has conducted groundbreaking research in the areas of human visual performance, visual efficacy at nighttime light levels, and light and human health.
Kevin Houser (PhD, PE, FIES, LC, LEED AP) is a Professor at Oregon State University, Chief Engineer at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, co-founder of Lyralux, Inc., and former editor-in-chief of LEUKOS, the journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES). He has published more than 150 publications about light and lighting, has been awarded 5 patents for innovations in light source spectral design, and has shared his insights and discoveries globally through more than 135 presentations delivered across six continents. He’s won the CIBSE Leon Gaster and Walsh Weston Awards, three IES Taylor Technical Talent Awards, an Edison Report Lifetime Achievement Award, the IES Presidential Award, the IES Medal Award, and is a Fellow of IES. His work focuses on human perceptual and biological responses to light, endeavoring to balance human needs with planetary health.
Light and Health Research Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Mariana Figueiro, PhD, is among the world’s leading experts in the area of light and health, with a focus on bridging science to practical applications aimed at improving human quality of life. She has made a significant impact on this developing field and continues to actively expand her influence through translational research and teaching. She is the Director of the Light and Health Research Center and serves as Principal Investigator of various research projects at the Center. She regularly collaborates with lighting designers and manufacturers, through her work with the Center’s Light and Health Partners program. Dr. Figueiro previously served as the Director of the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Biographical Sketch – Craig A. Bernecker, Ph.D., FIESNA, LC
Dr. Bernecker has been a lighting educator for over 40 years. He is founder of The Lighting Education Institute, providing education to practicing professionals, and Professor of Lighting Design and Director of the Masters of Fine Arts in Lighting Design program at Parsons School of Design, The New School. Prior to founding The Lighting Education Institute, he directed the lighting education program within the Department of Architectural Engineering at Penn State University. He has published more than fifty articles on research and education in lighting design and illumination engineering and is known for his work on the psychological aspects of lighting. He also maintains an active consulting practice, providing lighting design services and serving as an expert consultant on many projects and as an expert witness on many legal cases. He regularly serves as a peer reviewer for lighting research proposals and projects sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy.
He further served for 15 years as Educational Facilitator for LIGHTFAIR International, coordinating the development of the annual conference program, and regularly taught the IES online lighting certification review course in preparation for the NCQLP LC exam.
Dr. Bernecker has served the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) as Vice-President for Technical and Research Activities (1991-1993) and Vice-President for Educational Activities (1993-1995). More recently, he served the Society in its highest office, as Senior Vice-President for 2003-2004, President for 2004-2005, and Immediate Past President for 2005-2006. As a result of his contributions to lighting education, the Society named him a Fellow in 1991, and for his service to the IES, the Distinguished Service Award in 2017. In 2021 he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the LIT Lighting Design Awards program, and in 2024 received the Edison Report Lifetime Achievement Award.
Dr. Bernecker is currently President (2023-2027) of the United States National Committee (USNC) of the International Commission on Illumination (CIE), and U.S. Technical Representative to Division 3: Interior Lighting.
Greg Barrett is an industry veteran with 20 years of experience in lighting and control systems, holding an MFA in Architectural Lighting Design from Parsons School of Design. Over the last decade, his work has significantly shaped the industry. Currently the Director of Product Management for Professional Lighting at Savant Systems, Greg has held key leadership roles, including Director of Specifier Development and Product Category Director for Lighting and Shades. His tenure at Savant followed impactful roles at USAI Lighting and Ketra, where he specialized in product management and marketing, driving innovation in both lighting and control technology.
Greg’s early career saw extensive experience as a freelance lighting designer and theatrical electrician, working with clients such as Disney, BET, and The Public Theatre. Through his various roles, Greg has developed a strong expertise in integrating design, technology, and market education, all while maintaining his passion for how lighting influences perception, emotions, and health.
