TSP

The TSP Above and Beyond Awards

The Above & Beyond Awards were created by the Technical Standards Council (TSC) to celebrate those volunteers that have made a significant contribution or effort that advances the Technical Standards Program. Individuals are nominated by their peers within the Technical Standards Program and winners are voted on by the TSC and the Working Group Chairs. The TSP exists because hundreds of individuals from across the industry volunteer their expertise and significant amounts of time throughout the year to write standards that increase safety, solve problems, and make life easier.

2017 Recipients

	Scott Blair Control Protocols Working Group Scott was cited as spending “countless hours and personal resources supporting the standards making process. He has authored and led the efforts on significant portions of several already-published standards and he continues to contribute to those currently in progress. Scott has always provided leadership, technical expertise, and materials in support of standards development.” (Presented by Michael Lay (l) and Milton Davis (r), CPWG Co-Chairs)
	Eddie Kramer Electrical Power Working Group Eddie was cited as having been a “tireless contributor to the Technical Standards Program serving on many different committees and Working Groups, including the Technical Standards Council. Eddie is not only involved with ESTA but also serves as a representative for the entertainment industry to the NFPA (NFPA 70E) and the IEEE.” (Presented by Mitch Hefter (l), EPWG Chair)
	Steve Walker Rigging Working Group Steve was cited as being “soft-spoken in meetings, but we all quiet down when he speaks because we all want to hear what he has to say. His contributions are immense and vital to our work. Steve graciously contributes in ways that help more of us to understand.” (Presented by Christine Kaiser, RWG Co-Chair)

2015 Recipients

E1.43 Flying Performer Task group
Rigging Working Group

Members Mark Ager, Dana Bartholomew, Joe Champelli, Bill Gorlin (Chair), Rod Haney, Dan Lisowski, Joe McGeough, and Orestes Mihaly. A standards project for flying performers was begun in 1997 and, after much hard work, abandoned in 2004. Realizing there was still a need for a standard Bill Gorlin and the E1.43 Task Group initiated a new project in 2013 dealing with the some of the same subject matter and, due to their hard work, commitment and dedication, were able to successfully complete this difficult and sometimes contentious project.

	Tyrone Mellon Electrical Power Working Group As a significant contributor to ANSI E1.24, Dimensional Requirements for Stage Pin Connectors and the task group leader for ANSI E1.19, Recommended Practice for the Use of Class A Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupters Tyrone was cited for "volunteering hundreds of hours in pursuit of important interoperability and safety standards that have made significant contributions to the safety and well-being of the people in our industry. Ty has done so much of the heavy lifting of actual standards writing, comment resolution and draft creation for the Electrical Power Working Group. He has significantly advanced and strengthened the Technical Standards Program."
Peter Scheu and Duane Wilson Stage Lifts Working Group Peter and Duane serve as principle and alternate voting members for ASTC and have been involved since the working group's inception." Together they have consistently coordinated their efforts and schedules to ensure attendance at meetings and to facilitate collaboration on homework assignments. We can always count on one or both of them to be there when we need them, and they each volunteer to take on assignments - sometimes taking on different assignments to help share the overall workload. They were both adamantly supportive of keeping the working group going at a time when its future was uncertain."

2014 Recipients

	Eric johnson Control Protocols Working Group Eric was nominated as “a rare treasure who can present the most complex subject in a manner that allows the novice to understand without any hint of condescension. Through his involvement in the CPWG’s events for manufacturers and developers to test entertainment control products for interoperability (“Plugfests”) we have all seen him offering valuable assistance to each and every attendee.”
	Jason Potterf Control Protocols Working Group Jason was cited for being instrumental in the development of the E1.33, Transport of ANSI E1.20 messages in an E1.31 Environment as well as assisting in the organization of web conferences for the Control Protocols Working Group and its task groups.
	Richard Nix Rigging Working Group Richard was nominated for his “tireless work for the Rigging Working Group, the E1.4-1 Manual Counterweight Rigging Task Group, and the Stage Lifts Working Group. His logical, methodical writing style have made our standards more concise and his depth of knowledge is welcomed by all involved.”
	Larry Schoeneman Technical Standards Council Larry was recognized for his tireless efforts to bring in financial support for the Technical Standards Program which is dependent on funding from the industry to carry out its important work.

2013 Recipients

	Bill Ellis Control Protocols Working Group Bill has, over the last several years, put in an extraordinary amount of work in the preparation, setup, programming, and presentation of the Protocols section of the PLASA booth at LDI culminating this year in the new "Standards on the Stage" area.
	Simon Newton Control Protocols Working Group Simon was recognized for his tireless commitment to furthering the progress of Control Protocols. He has made major contributions to numerous standards, authored articles, participated on panels, assisted with marketing activities, and developed the open source RDM test suite software dedicated to furthering protocol compliance.
	Steve Terry Electrical Power Working Group Steve worked closely with Underwriters Laboratories for more than three years to get the ANSI/PLASA E1.24 Pin Connector standard to be the first PLASA standard to be adopted by UL (as an integral part of the UL498 standard) a major milestone in the history of the TSP. Additionally, Steve’s heroic efforts on UL1691 succeeded in getting the bi-national CANENA committee to change the standard to accept current industry-standard single-pole connectors.
	Dan Culhane Rigging Working Group Dan was recognized for his exemplary dedication and commitment to creating quality standards. His nomination speaks volumes as it was made by a direct competitor who wanted to acknowledge the value of Dan’s contributions and participation on the Working Group.
	Christine Kaiser Rigging Working Group Chris has approached every project she's worked on with determination and tenacity and was instrumental in moving the E1.6 series of standards forward as well as E1.4. She's now pushing through with the Theatre Inspections document. Christine was particularly cited for her level of preparation for meetings, which allows her to make significant contributions to all discussions.