In this August installment of HETMA Presents… Chair to Chair, Board Chair Erin Maher-Moran sits down with Membership Chair Tim Neviska of Kenyon College for an honest and uplifting conversation about professional growth, connection, and finding your place in higher ed AV. What starts as a chat about committee work quickly turns into a deeply relatable story about career pivots, introversion, and the quiet power of being seen.

Tim shares how he stumbled into AV from a DJ career, built a reputation as the go-to person at Kenyon College, and found his professional tribe in HETMA. The conversation is full of useful advice for anyone wondering how to get more involved—whether you’re shy, new to the industry, or just feeling unsure of where to start. From smart onboarding strategies to tales of budget-savvy ingenuity, Tim models what it looks like to lead with humility and impact.

Whether you’re one of HETMA’s 3,000+ members or still on the fence about joining, this episode will remind you that real growth doesn’t happen in isolation—and that sometimes, all it takes is reaching out to someone who “gets it.”

Topics Discussed

• How Tim first discovered HETMA through AVNation’s Rave Launch
• Serving as the go-to AV lead at a small liberal arts college
• Becoming a recognizable campus presence through live event support
• HETMA’s unique free-to-join model and its impact on inclusion
• What the Membership Chair actually does (beyond counting heads)
• The importance of onboarding and lowering barriers for new members
• Why professional relationships are built one small ask at a time
• How to grow your network even if you’re introverted
• The value of smaller events like roadshows before InfoComm
• Tips for getting involved, staying connected, and paying it forward

Tim Neviska
Membership Chair, HETMA
Senior Audiovisual Solutions Manager, Kenyon College
📧 Email: membership@hetma.org
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-neviska


Join the Conversation
We want to hear from you! Share your reflections, questions, or connection stories in the HETMA community at community.hetma.org. Whether you’re new to the space or a long-time member, your voice matters—and this is the month to merge lanes and grow together.