Technical Update: Technical Director Transition

Through joining LonMark 15 years ago, in 1998, as the first Principal Engineer on staff, I got to participate in many vertical industries all suited beautifully for automation by LonWorks networking: lighting, refrigeration, railway transit, home automation, manufacturing, building automation, and a host of others.  I've gotten to work with some of the brightest and most-dedicated minds in the controls industry -- both in my roles as Principal Engineer and later as Technical Director.  I had the honor of helping LonMark member companies bring the EN 14908-series of standards through the nation-driven international-standards process to emerge as the ISO/IEC 14908-series -- a feat not easily accomplished but one befitting the companies that comprise the LonMark community.

 

I've had the pleasure of working with some highly-creative and delightful individuals from some great and innovative companies and I certainly cannot say enough about the great friendships created over the years with LonMark members and LonMark staff.  I'll cherish the events, the talks, the toasts, and the camaraderie shared as I close this chapter in my career and move on to new endeavors.  I want to take this moment to thank you all for some fantastic years.  They've been great.

 

As for the future technical direction of LonMark: it's in good hands.  Our Certification Director (and my good friend) Ernst Eder is still on-board and still driving the team forward in Europe.  My role as the Technical Director goes to another good friend, and no stranger to LonWorks technology: Mike Gibson.  Mike comes to LonMark from his own consulting practice, Pi Squared, Inc.  Before that, Mike worked for over 20 years in the field for Echelon Corporation, coming to Echelon from SquareD.  He's got the knowledge and ambition to take LonMark into the next phase and so it is with great confidence that I pass the torch. - Jeremy J. Roberts

I’d like to personally take a moment to thank Jeremy Roberts for his service over the last two decades.  As Technical Director, Jeremy has overseen the successful establishment of LonMark’s interoperability framework including the ISO/IEC efforts.  Jeremy’s legacy is the LonMark interoperability standards that changed the market landscape.

Moving forward, I’m excited about the opportunity to serve LonMark and its members in the role of Technical Director.   I’ll be reaching out to all LonMark task group leaders to assist in assuring we move forward with technical proposals that are in process.  I also look forward to working closely with our Executive Director Barry Haaser, Marketing Director Shannon Mayette, Chief Ambassador Ron Bernstein, Certification Director Ernst Eder, Heather Deal, Henny van de Bovenkamp, Sharon Calcagno, the board, and all the LonMark staff.

Speaking of looking forward, we have the AHR Expo in coming up in New York January 21-23, 2014. We are now in the process of planning our presence at this show.  We reach out to you, our membership for assistance in this planning including a call for presentations for both the LonMark AHR sessions and the AHR Expo presentation series.   Please contact us if you are interested in participating in the LonMark sessions or if you have ideas on session topics as well.

I can be reached at (224) 286-7903, or email me at mike@lonmark.org.

-Mike Gibson