Latin America. AVIXA's Leadership Search Committee (LSC) has appointed Frank Padikkala, CTS-D, CEH, CHFI, who serves as Kairos Solution Architect at Panasonic, to serve as Chair of the AVIXA Diversity Council.
Padikkala is an AV/IT engineer and technology enthusiast who places both innovation and inclusion at the heart of his design philosophy. As an AV and IT expert, he hopes to close the knowledge gap between the two industries that have already begun to overlap in a wide range of market segments. A strong advocate of training and certification, Padikkala has a master's degree in cybersecurity in addition to more than 10 certifications in AV and IT issues.
"The growth of the AVIXA Diversity Council over the past three years under the leadership of Charmaine Torruella has been meteoric and we will continue to honor its legacy," said Sarah Joyce, Avixa's Global Director. "Frank's focus on outreach and the addition of local and regional events will increase the sense of community and belonging that we champion at AVIXA."
"Advancing diversity within our audiovisual community is much more than training sessions and webinars," said Frank Padikkala, new chair of AVIXA's Diversity Council. "My biggest goal is to bring the community together to embark on a personal learning journey through creating safe spaces where we can all learn from each other, learn about ourselves, and assimilate the value and power of our own diversity. Each person's journey of diversity is different and inclusion is achieved through shared and mutual acceptance of their identity and brand. The hope, with the focus on outreach efforts both locally and internationally, is that it will help broaden our perspective and bring positive change within the global AV community."
The mission of the AVIXA Diversity Council is to foster inclusion and promote human, cultural and systemic diversity in all its forms within the commercial audiovisual industry through the use of professional networks, educational opportunities, leadership development and community awareness.
The AVIXA Foundation Mosaic Scholarship, conceived by the AVIXA Diversity Council in support of greater inclusion within the global audiovisual industry, is accepting applications through July 31. This scholarship seeks to shed light on young adults whose experience, background, and thinking will positively influence the future. of the AV community. For more information and to apply, visit www.avixa.org/scholarships
