Cliff Ferris, Director of Operations
Cliff is a dedicated family man, NASCAR junkie, and self-professed former high school AV geek.  He is also a highly-skilled 25-year veteran of the event technology industry, with some pretty cool stories about his years in the field (like the little game-changing moment he witnessed in '97 between CEO giants Steven Jobs and Bill Gates, a photo of which landed on the cover of TIME magazine).  Cliff brought his wealth of experience to etech when he joined our team in 2007.  He now manages all areas of etech's operations, including: project management support, quality control, and ensuring the most efficient, accurate, and cost-effective use of etech's multimillion dollar equipment inventory.  When not at work, Cliff is all about family.  One of his favorite pastimes with them is visiting his favorite restaurant since childhood, Mario's Italian Restaurant in Ormond Beach (he's been eating there since he was five years old).  Cliff also loves live music and sharing other cool stories from his past, like the one about hanging out with all kids of famous NASCAR drivers while growing up … Or the one about racing professional BMX when he was young.  Oh, and the one about … well, we'll let you ask him. The guy really does have some cool stories.

Kelly Silva, Accounting Manager
When it comes to tackling all of those critical internal tasks that keep a business running smoothly, Kelly is the anchor at etech, and has been since 2007.  This hockey-loving Canadian handles all of our financial statements, budgets and reporting; general ledger reconciliation; HR and benefits administration; and, of course, payroll.  (Oh, yes. Our appreciation for dear Kelly definitely hits a peak every other Friday!)  Though Kelly doesn't get to travel for work as much as the rest of our etech team, travel is a definite passion of hers, with Stanley Park in Vancouver ranking as her all-time favorite destination.  She also adores her family, enjoys getting Zen at yoga class, and positively loves … ketchup-flavored potato chips???  (Uhm … yea. Apparently it's a Canadian thing.)

Kevin Kearns, IT Director
Despite describing himself as "fairly vanilla", Kevin has been keeping things interesting at etech for over a decade now.  His claim to fame is the creation and continued evolution of etech's exclusive (and aptly named) M.O.L.E. software -which stands for Making Our Lives Easier.  And, indeed, it does!  This customized, internal, web-based software program ensures that both our East and West Coast team members, as well as those dispatched across the country at various show sites, can all interface in real time with our most up-to-date inventory, order and project management data, ensuring that critical client show details are never missed.  So while he seems non-assuming enough … nice guy, crazy in love with his wife and daughter … we know that Kevin is a genius!  The guy even tested out at genius level in first grade! Of course, he says that just means that he "peaked" at age 6.

Ruth Schulz (a.k.a. "Ruthy"), National Account Manager
Fielding sales calls in her cheery purple office, Ruthy is a seasoned master at cultivating new business, networking within the industry, quoting and billing events, prepping project proposals, and coordinating cross rentals.  Rounding out her considerable professional strengths with relentless dedication and a warm, quick humor, Ruthy is credited significantly with helping to cultivate and sustain etech's significant base of repeat clients.  A happy part of the etech team for over a decade, Ruthy is truly a people person at heart, which likely stems from her pre-etech years as a pub owner (bet you can imagine the great stories we've heard about those days).  In addition to treating every client with the utmost courtesy, Ruthy also takes pretty great care of her etech peers as well, frequently bringing in treats to share and surprising co-workers with unexpected thoughtful gifts.  The one thing Ruthy is not particularly skilled at is driving in the snow. Since she's based out of our Orlando office, that's a liability we're happy to live with.

Erin Warnock, National Sales Manager
With the company since its 1996 inception, Erin is the queen of all things warm and fuzzy, whether that's making a client feel genuinely heard and appreciated or offering some heartfelt encouragement to a fellow etech team member.  Erin just has a way of making people feel good when she's around.  Don't get us wrong, it's not all singing "kumbiya" with Erin, the woman is a selling machine and is highly valued for her strengths in drafting major contracts and in developing and effectively stewarding positive, long-term business relationships at the highest levels.  It's just that her warm, easy-going disposition and sincere how-can-I-help attitude make her a person both clients and staff just genuinely like to be around.  Outside of work, she takes the "warm and fuzzy" thing to a literal level while tending to her 10-year old, much-beloved pet rabbit, named Fiver (sidebar: that thing is huge!).  Erin is also a proud Vermont native and still has fond memories of her childhood there, exploring the outdoors in the springtime, or in the colder months, staying inside to play Star Wars with her brother.  Apparently Erin was always insistent that she get to be Chewbacca … Hey. Wait. He's warm. He's fuzzy. Ahhh, so that's where it started!

Lee Torregrossa, National Sales Manager
A detail-oriented guy with a highly creative edge, Lee is responsible for identifying new client prospects while optimally sustaining existing client partnerships.  His background, working as a technician on promotional events and concert tours, gives Lee an in-depth understanding of the event process, not to mention: some hefty bragging rights since, among other enviable experiences, one of Lee's first gigs with etech, over a decade ago, was a 34-city tour with Lollapalooza and America Online.  (Nice!)  Currently working with some of America's largest national associations and event producers, Lee also likes to satisfy his latent superhero fantasies by devising creative, save-the-day solutions that keep our clients happy and on budget while also making life logistically easier for our project management team.  When not at work, Lee is sure to be off having fun of some zany kind or another; whether that's hanging with his young son, Liam; rocking out at the latest music festival; or arriving at a friend's wedding in the middle of the night wearing a glow-in-the-dark alien costume. ???!!  (Don't worry. Once you know him, it will all make sense.)

Brian McCrae, Account Executive
At the start of his tenure with etech, Brian logged six years as Director of Operations.  He then freelanced with us for awhile, but quickly realized that he missed life on the etech inside.  He signed back on as an official etech team member in 2008 and has been working sales for us ever since.  An interesting tidbit about Brian is that before etech, he graduated from the Ohio Police Officer Training Academy (so, side note: don't mess with him).  How ironic that his main job with us, "talking to strangers", requires him to forsake all of that safety training.  Luckily for us, Brian is great at meeting new people.  And his ability to accurately assess new client needs and deliver on those needs as promised is among his strongest and most valuable skill sets.  We've also learned that his awesome cooking skills and ability to make a citizen's arrest make him a pretty useful guy to have at an office party, as well.

Veronica Burnett, Sales & Marketing Assistant
Providing unparalleled customer service to each and every client is the gold standard of how etech does business.  Part of that process is helping our clients look good by ensuring that each of their event vendors and exhibitors also receives top-notch personal attention.  The etech team member serving as a consistent point of contact for those secondary AV, computer, and internet needs is the highly competent and comically clumsy Veronica.  Sure she might trip over herself reaching to answer a phone call but, rest assured, when Veronica is on the project, there is no stumbling over important vendor and exhibitor details.  Making sure that everything runs smoothly is her number one priority.  When she isn't busy falling down, (Seriously. She does this. A lot!), Veronica can be found hanging out with her chef husband or chilling out on any beach she can find.  After all, sand does make for a softer landing.

Stephen Williams (a.k.a. "Doc"), Senior Project Manager
To others he's simply "Stephen", but at etech he's reverently known as … "Doctor Incredible"!  On the team since 2005 as our lead PM and manager of etech's NW Seattle-based office, Doc owes his well-earned moniker to his amazing ability to effectively plan, coordinate, lead, and execute a truly "incredible" client event.  Though his professional strengths and talents are many, Doc's signature skill is anticipating and preemptively resolving possible show challenges in a way that consistently yields stellar event outcomes to the delight of etech clients.  When not on the job, Doc enjoys traveling with his lovely wife or playing amateur DJ, mixing jam-band grooves.  Among other reasons he's known as Doctor Incredible: the guy knows how to spin fire!! (Yep. Seriously.)  And though we haven't actually seen him leap tall buildings in a single bound, we're all pretty sure he can do it!

Sean Shanks, Project Manager
Though he officially joined our team in 2007, Sean was part of the etech family for years prior, working on events with us as a highly trusted freelancer.  In his current role as Project Manager, Sean does extensive pre-event planning (labor estimates, flow schedules, cad drawings, etc.) and works closely with the sales team during the quoting process to ensure that every client need is communicated and that every event contingency is considered.  Once an event goes onsite, Sean becomes captain of the "show ship", deftly steering all aspects of setup, labor, gear, show tweaks, risk management, and, at the end of the day, making sure that everything and everyone gets packed up and sent home safely.  Even personally he's a pretty cool guy to know.  What with his amazing wife and darling children, and his mad surfing skills.  Of course … there was that unfortunate period when he tried rocking the long-haired Sebastian Bach look a solid decade longer than he should have.  (Feel free to mock him about that. We certainly do.)

Jim Thein, Project Manager
At a show site, Jim is known for his ability to seamlessly manage clients' expectations, risk, and costs associated with producing a highly successful event.  Jim is also a trusted favorite among etech clients for his knack at explaining technical things in laymen's terms without ever making you feel talked down to.  But among our etech family, Jim is known for bringing "the funny".  Indeed, do not let that earthy, vegetarian exterior fool you.  Jim Thein is a prankster of the highest order.  Amusing us all with his wily ways since 2003, Jim once installed a tiny chip into a co-worker's computer that elicited a high-pitch beep at random intervals.  He then convinced fellow etechers to swear that they couldn't hear a thing.  The prank went on for days, (poor girl).  Jim also videotaped the "punking" of Sales Manager Lee Torregrossa whose car was stuffed to the ceiling with a mountain of packaging peanuts.  Footage of the ensuing Styrofoam avalanche is still circulating the internet to this day.

Megan Maloney, Project Coordinator
When it comes to coordinating the internal logistics of effectively moving the project management team on and off a show site, Megan is the team member etech relies on to keep all the details successfully nailed down.  During pre-production, Megan helps make comprehensive schedules and "show flows", contacts event venues, and books all of the top-notch freelance technicians that help keep etech and our shows looking great.  As for actually dispatching to show locations (where she then functions as an invaluable Production Assistant), Megan seamlessly coordinates all of the freight, air travel, and ground transportation needed to get our team and our equipment there on time.  A rather ironic job responsibility as it seems our Megan is rather prone to frequent flights of fancy of her own.  Whether she's floating off in a daydream, getting swept away watching "Gone With the Wind", literally skydiving, or capturing comical mid-air photos while jumping on hotel beds at show sites (hey, staff have to keep themselves amused on the road somehow), Megan definitely knows how to keep the mood at etech elevated.