NALMCO Fall 2024 Convention Update

All eyes were on the sky as Hurricane Milton threatened travel to the Omni Orlando Resort at Champions Gate for the NALMCO Fall 2024 Convention held October 13-16. Fortunately, the Convention and meetings took place as scheduled and were very well attended. Here are some highlights:

NALMCO Board Meeting

Strategist Randy Reed joined the Board for a session focused on setting direction and keeping NALMCO fresh and relevant for the next 5-10 years. Diversification through EV charging, specialty UV-C lighting, controls and reLED are considered new avenues now and into the future. The Board discussed ensuring certifications in these areas to cover current gaps in training offerings.

I was re-elected for a vice president role on the Board for a one-year period, with an option of having it renewed for an additional year.

Convention Certification Training

In-person Certified Lighting Management Consultant^® (CLMC^®) and Germicidal Ultraviolet (GUV) certification classes were offered at the Fall Convention. While not the first time we’ve offered GUV training at the Convention, EMC’s Mark Thompson was invited to be one of the subject matter experts and instructors. The team of instructors also included a member of the CDC and ASHRAE.

GUV offers three levels of certification: Certified Apprentice GUV Technician (CA-GUVT), Certified Senior GUV Technician (CS-GUVT) and Certified GUV Management Professional (C-GUVMP). The Apprentice certification, which is sponsored by the Balvi Foundation in conjunction with the University of Maryland Public Health School, is expected to be available online by the end of the year.  CS-GUVT and C-GUVMP will continue to have live instructor-led training and hands-on practical training and testing as part of the exam. 

Two people passed the CLMC and there are no updates on new GUV certifications yet because they are manually graded.  Stay tuned to upcoming issues of the LM&M Magazine for the latest in certification news and newly certified members.

Refreshed Certifications

A refresh of both the Certified Apprentice Lighting Technician™ (CALT™) and Certified Senior Lighting Technician™ (CSLT™) is complete and these new courses will be available exclusively online by the end of the year.

Module additions for the Certified Lighting Controls Professional™ (CLCP™) are expected for early 2025. The Certified Lighting Auditor (CLA) exam is in its final stages and is expected to be available online by the end of the year.

Watch upcoming issues of LM&M Magazine and the NALMCO website for updates.

Let me know if you have questions regarding any of the certifications or have interest in NALMCO committees.

Convention Speakers

Mark Jewel of Selling Energy provided deep expertise in energy efficiency and sales effectiveness. His presentation offered valuable strategies to boost sales, identify funding sources and improve communication in the evolving energy landscape. Randy Reed covered the session for the Edison Report here.

Golf

An EMC foursome including Randy Hawkes (Maxlite), Bernard Hodge, John Loheit and Travis Kratcha took third place in the annual golf tournament.

Spring Seminar 2025

Acuity is hosting the NALMCO Spring Seminar March 4-6 at their Des Plaines, IL, facility just north of Chicago. Hotel block information will be available soon. I hope to see you there!

Brian Baker, CLMC, CLCP, CLEP is principal project manager at EMC and serves as vice president on the 2023 NALMCO Board of Directors. He may be reached at bbaker@emcllc.com.