AOLP LightLines - Summer 2023

ILLUMINATE ’23 WRAP UP

Illuminate 2023 has come and gone; and it was one for the record books! Held February 23 – 24, 2023, in Clearwater Beach, Florida, Illuminate '23 was our largest conference and expo to date, with 176 paid attendees and 31 exhibitors.

Illuminate is the premier event of the industry. It features award-winning projects, networking with outdoor lighting professionals, great education, and seeing the latest and greatest industry products and services.

"This was my first Illuminate conference, and I'm hooked," said Shaun Omar from Outdoor Lighting Experts, Inc. "I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was blown away by the great speakers and their content. It was great seeing old friends, meeting other friends face-to-face for the first time and starting so many new relationships."

Maja Potocki from Carolina Outdoor Lighting shared that educational seminars were a highlight of the two days. "There was training and seminars for every aspect of your business, from business development to technology to design.” She continued, “we were able to network with other businesses and left feeling inspired, rejuvenated and motivated to take our business to the next level."

In addition, 25 people passed the CLVLT exam (Certified Low Voltage Lighting Technician), and we also had nine new COLD (Certified Outdoor Lighting Designer) graduates! Certification programs were held during the two days before the conference, adding networking time for certification participants.

"This was one for the record books, and I'm looking forward to next year's event," Omar added.

Save the date for Illuminate '24! Join us in San Antonio, Texas, from February 22 – 23, 2024.

More photos from the event are on the Illuminate page on our website and social media!

AOLP's Executive Director, Lisa Ruggiers, presented Nels Peterson, COLD with the 2023 Industry Achievement Award.

Congratulations to our CLVLTs who passed their exam.

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SPONSORS

President’s Message

By Andy Thomas, CLVLT, COLD

How Are You Using AI?

There’s a lot of buzz in the air about all the AI technology coming online now, most of it for free no less! It has me wondering how this burgeoning new technology will affect our industry and shape our lives.

The potential is amazing, but of course, there are some serious limitations in what artificial intelligence can do. As I see it, this is both good and bad for us. The obvious “AI can’t dig ditches” is good for job security in the service and construction industries, so we have that going for us. But there are some other areas where the prospect of implementing AI generated content is a slippery slope.

My 14-year-old son isn’t doing well academically at the moment. He is completely unmotivated to do any schoolwork. I think we can all relate. I know I certainly can. Like me, he would much rather find any kind of distraction to pull him away from the task at hand rather than just buckle down and do the work. Unlike me, he’s actually really smart. He prefers to spend his time finding and implementing loopholes around the restrictions and limitations we’ve placed on his devices than do the work to get his grades up that would allow those restrictions to be lifted.

Case in point: We restricted his internet use through our Wi-Fi network router. So, he figured out how to set up a VPN to get around all the restrictions put in place. If you don’t know what a VPN is, welcome to the club. I had to look it up myself to figure out his workaround.

The second instance involved his English class assignment, which was to compose a sonnet in the style of Shakespeare. He stared at his blank screen over several evenings, my wife prodding and prompting him just to start writing SOMETHING.

After several nights of this, she asked him, “what’s up with the sonnet?” “It’s done,” was his response. She looked, and on his bed was a printout of a sonnet, in perfect form and amazingly creative on his chosen topic: pineapple pizza.

She read through it. Though we don’t doubt his intelligence or capabilities, we were quite impressed with this composition.

But…it seemed just a little “too good” to be real. The big tip-off was a few words that she was pretty sure was not in his vocabulary. Upon questioning, he admitted he didn’t know what one of the words meant and, with further interrogation, admitted that he used ChatGPT to write it for him.

I suppose it was only a matter of time.

While this unethical application of AI was certainly not in his best interest, it made me think about an upcoming assignment—this letter. I thought, what the heck? Let’s see if I can save some time and have ChatGPT write my letter from the President this time around.

I entered what I was looking for in the prompt line, asking for a letter from the president of the AOLP to the membership, in about 1000 words. What came back was a pretty remarkable work of fiction, with a loose tether to the reality of what was going on at the board and committee level in our association.

The potential is amazing, but of course, there are some serious limitations in what artificial intelligence can do. As I see it, this is both good and bad for us.

It reported on several initiatives we are working on, a new certification we created (the OLCP - Outdoor Lighting Certification Program) and our sustainability efforts to encourage manufacturers to produce energy-efficient products and promote sustainable energy sources. All of this sounded amazing—and right along the lines of what we, as an organization, strive for.

Unfortunately, it is all made up. There is no OLCP certification, and we don’t formally do anything to influence our member manufacturer’s product efficiencies.

This was the first of what will probably be many interactions I will have with AI-sourced material, both on the giving and consuming end. I already know that much of the clickbait we come across on the internet and social media is generated by AI “bots” and content creators as a shortcut to producing content to fill our screens and hold our attention long enough to sell ad space. How can I use these tools to my advantage to create helpful, educational and relevant material that will get potential clients to buy our services and products? And is that cheating?

I already have some ideas about the first question, but the second is the one that I’ll use as my excuse for not implementing them. It feels dishonest to portray any information I post as my own when it isn’t my fingers doing the typing. I know that makes me a dinosaur, but as a proud Gen Xer, I’ll say no thanks for now. I’ll do my own homework and do my part to delay the impending takeover of our lives by SkyNet.

If you’re curious to see the letter ChatGPT wrote in its entirety, I posted it on my website HERE.

Thank you for doing your own homework.

2023 Board of Directors

President

Andy Thomas, CLVLT, COLD Viewpoint Lighting

Sacramento, CA (916) 501-0495

andy@viewpointlighting.com

Vice President Nick Schriver, CLVLT Decorating Elves Clearwater, FL (800) 695 - 4837

nick@decoratingelves.com

Treasurer Matt Carli, COLD

Moonlighting Landscape Lighting Systems Charleston, SC 29405 (843) 853-3221

matt@moonlightinglls.com

Secretary

Anthony Bogdanovich, CLVLT

California Outdoor Lighting Harbor City, CA 90710 (310) 940 - 0731

anthony@californiaoutdoorlighting.com

Directors

Chris Apfelstadt, CLVLT Light Up Columbus Dublin, OH 43017 (614) 832-3139

chris@lightupcolumbus.com

Ryan Jaso Lighting BOSS

Pinellas Park, FL 33782 (727) 565 - 0900

ryanj@lighting-boss.com

Greg Matthews, CLVLT, COLD Luxury Illumination

West Palm Beach, FL 33409 (561) 644 -3860

greg@luxuryillumination.net

Andy Thomas, CLVLT, COLD

Upcoming Webinar

Pricing for Profits

How to Add at Least 25% to Your Bottom Line (Without Doing Any More Work)

Wednesday, August 9, 2023 at 2 p.m. Eastern

Presented by Ryan Lee, CLVLT, Landscape Lighting Secrets

If you find yourself saying things like…

….I can’t afford to pay more

….I don’t have the money to invest in X

….I can’t afford to buy Y

….I can’t charge those prices in my market

This training will be perfect for you!

During this webinar, Ryan Lee, CLVLT, will discuss what it actually costs you to run your company and share proven pricing strategies that will help you add BIG PROFITS to your lighting business.

Ryan Lee, CLVLT

Ryan Lee is an experienced landscape lighting designer and business owner with 16 years of experience in the industry. He started and grew a multi-million-dollar landscape lighting company

– Majestic Outdoor Lighting

– in Fort Worth, Texas.

In 2019, he sold his lighting business and is now focused full-time on coaching other landscape lighting businesses to help them go from business operator to business owner through his program, Landscape Lighting Secrets.

Ryan is also the host of the #1 landscape lighting podcast in the world, Lighting For Profits.

Ryan holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and an MBA from Utah State University. He has personally designed and sold millions of dollars of landscape lighting.

Thursday,

Tuesday,

2023 Outdoor Lighting Awards

The Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals announced its 2023 Lighting Awards, which recognized exceptional achievements in outdoor lighting. The annual awards program honors remarkable projects that showcase innovative, creative and excellent lighting design in various applications like residential landscapes, commercial installations, public spaces and stunning architectural facades.

Eight projects received the 2023 Award of Excellence. They include:

2023 Best of Show and Commercial Lighting:

Jimmy Kidd, CLVLT, from Tranquility Lighting Design for “The First Presbyterian Church”

Residential XL Lighting: Chris Apfelstadt, CLVLT, Nels Peterson, COLD, & Light Up Columbus for “Artistic Estate”

Residential Large Lighting: Greg Matthews, CLVLT, COLD/Luxury Illumination for “Palm Beach Home/Mockingbird”

Residential Small Lighting:

Feature-Focused Lighting:

Andy Shumate & Patrick Harders, Enlightened Lighting, LLC for “Deep Run Residence”

Adam Puhl & Night FX Outdoor Lighting for “HOA Waterfall”

Feature-Focused Lighting:

Andy Shumate & Patrick Harders, Enlightened Lighting, LLC for “Idyllic Bench in the Woods”

Outdoor Living Lighting:

Anthony Bogdanovich, CLVLT/California Outdoor Lighting for “Cozy Backyard Patio”

Holiday Lighting: Chris Apfelstadt, CLVLT, Light Up Columbus for “Winter Wonderland”

2023 Awards of Merit:

• Residential XL Lighting: Lighthouse Outdoor Lighting of NJ for “Morristown Estate”

• Residential Large Lighting: Northern Outdoor Lighting for “Newburyport Antique”

• Commercial Lighting: Steven Gogatz / Innovative Light Designs for “Daou Vineyards”

• Feature-Focused Lighting: Rob Griess, Texas Natural Concepts for “Cortlandt”

The 2023 Honorable Mention

• Residential XL Lighting: Greg Matthews, CLVLT, COLD/Luxury Illumination

“Jupiter Island Home.”

Entries for the 2024 Lighting Awards will open in late summer. Check out the Awards page on our website for details.

Congratulating our CLVLT graduates

We would like to congratulate our newest Certified Low Voltage Lighting Technicians (CLVLT). The following individuals proved their technical knowledge through rigorous testing including a written exam and hands-on labs prior to Illuminate '23:

Shawn Brewer, #2396

Timberline Landscaping, Colorado Springs, CO

Ted Cleary, #2395

Studio Cleary Landscape & Architectural Lighting (SCLA Lighting), Charlotte, NC

Philip Colarusso, #2397

Luminated Landscapes Inc., East Aurora, NY

Jeremy Curran, #2398

Beautification Through Illumination, Amesbury, MA

Cade Daniel, #2399

LifeSpark Outdoor Lighting, Chickamauga, GA

Brian Danque, #2300

The Lighting Lizards LLC, Cocoa, FL

Bob Gurkin, #2301

Rainfall Landscape Lighting, Kingston, MA

Richard Jenners, #2302

Designs by Sundown, Littleton, CO

Steve Knudsen, #2303

Mike's Landscape Lighting LLC, Kenosha, WI

Mike Kucharski, #2304

Illumination Solutions, Inc., Fort Wayne, IN

Aidan McMullan, #2305

Concept72, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC

Brock Miller, #2306

Designs by Sundown, Littleton, CO

Trever Oliver, #2307

LifeSpark Outdoor Lighting, Chickamauga, GA

Congratulating our COLD graduates

Shaun Omar, #2308

Outdoor Lighting Experts, Inc., Delray Beach, FL

Jake Rank, #2309

Decorating Elves, Inc., Clearwater, FL

Tyler Riley, #2310

Luminated Landscapes Inc., East Aurora, NY

Kyahna Roberts, #2311

Decorating Elves, Inc., Clearwater, FL

Jeremy Sanders, #2312

Outdoor Ambiance, Lone Tree, CO

Gabriel Sequeria, #2313

Rainfall Landscape Lighting, Kingston, MA

Danny Shaw, #2314

Lighting Exterior Design, Tampa, FL

Gowrishankar Badanal Sivalingappa, #2393

V&V Lighting LLC, Cumming, GA

Colin Smith, #2392

Toomey Outdoor Lighting, Woburn, MA

Giddel Toledo, #2315

Nightscape Illumination, Davenport, IA

Kelly Wooldridge, #2316

AT EASE! Lighting, Spring Hill, FL

Nicholas Zapata, #2394

Decorating Elves, Inc. Clearwater, FL

AOLP is proud to announce our newest Certified Outdoor Lighting Designers (COLD). These individuals completed an advanced level of specialized training in landscape lighting design and completed their certification prior to Illuminate '23 in Clearwater Beach, FL.

Mark Angersola, #2346

Kichler Landscape Lighting, Independence, OH

Jeff Bieniewicz, #2347

Oceanview Landscapes, Southampton, NY

Tom Espenschied, #2350

Kichler Landscape Lighting, Hinckley, OH

Greg Matthews, #2351

Luxury Illumination, West Palm Beach, FL

Stephen Mendonca, #2352

Northern Outdoor Lighting LLC, Billerica, MA

Eric Mitchell, #2353

Northeast Nursery, Peabody, MA

Bob Sams, #2354

Illuminations, Folsom, CA

Andrew Schwindler, #2355

Sandy Beach Lighting & Design Company, Monticello, IN

Darrin Selking, #2356

Landscape Illumination, Valpraiso, IN

Jesse Wisley, #2357

Mid South Night Lights LLC, Cordova, TN

New Board Member

Greg Matthews, CLVLT, COLD

Greg Matthews comes from a diverse background including being a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, professional photographer and A/V systems integration business owner. He’s taken his knowledge and love for horticulture and combined it with his past experiences to refocus on outdoor lighting, audio installations and design. Now the owner of Luxury Illumination, he strives to produce some of the best and most unique outdoor lighting installations available. Based out of West Palm Beach with additional locations in Denver and Nashville, Luxury Illumination has worked on projects across the nation. Greg holds a CLVLT and COLD certification with AOLP and is currently a teaching mentor and graduate of the International Landscape Lighting Institute (ILLI).

Q: Tell us about your background.

A: I come from a varied background. I previously owned an AV and an IT company. So, I have technical experience. I'm a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer. I have also been a professional photographer—I've been in multiple galleries, exhibits, and publications in conjunction with wildlife photography. Another fun fact is that I have been growing bonsai trees for about 20 years. That helps in the industry. So, I know a lot about trees and plants!

Q: How long have you worked in the outdoor lighting industry, and what do you do in your current position?

A: Luxury Illumination is about seven years old. My role is Business Owner/Lead Designer. Our headquarters is in West Palm Beach, Fla., but we also have branches in Denver, Colo. and Nashville, Tenn. We have worked in about 15 states so far doing installations.

Q: Why did you go into this industry?

A: I started through one of my contractor friends—an old friend. I hired him at my AV company when he left the Marine Corps many years ago. He was building a new $25 million home that needed landscape lighting. He needed a few landscape lights on a project for a spec home. It was a smaller project, but it took off from there.

Q: What has been a key to your success over the years?

A: Relationships, transparency, and continuing education.

I do a lot of talks about a wide range of lighting topics and one thing I preach is confidence. We don't sell lighting fixtures; we're designers. But we still need to know the best tool for the job or what we need to accomplish our vision.

Initially, I would hand a client a fixture and say, "this is a nice and heavy brass fixture," and so on. Now, we do a lot of projects where the client doesn't even want to see the fixture. Instead, they just see our imagery and know that we will use the right tool to accomplish that vision.

To me, continuing education means staying up to date with new, reliable products, and making sure you are using the right tools for the job. It also means that your installations are top-notch every time. That's what builds your credibility. You are not always going back and repairing things; you are just improving people's lives.

Q: What is a project you've done that you are especially proud of?

A: We just finished a house of a well-known person. That was an exciting project. We often deal with high-end clients, people who could hire anybody worldwide. He told us that it was the best lighting he had ever seen. We were happy with that because he comes from the movie industry. The project had a lot of different aspects to it. We did dock, landscape, architectural, underwater, and security lighting on the project. Getting all those aspects to tie together was a proud moment for us. It came out beautiful.

Q: Have you faced industry-related challenges recently, and what have you done to overcome them?

A: We had some inventory issues in the last couple of years. But dealing with a few better distributors and manufacturers, it wasn't bad. With some pre-planning and adjusting, we were able to traverse it. The industry has been booming for the last couple of years, especially in Florida; people moved from all over to come here and they want to be outside and utilize their yards.

Having a good relationship with the distributors and manufacturers and having a few of them—but not too many— allows you to navigate those waters. It is also essential to have a backup if a particular product fails or you cannot get it for three months. One thing that can sink a business is a lack of cash flow, so it is good to move through projects efficiently.

We are a small labor company with nine people in Florida. The labor shortage was bad for us, but it wasn't horrible. We don't have ongoing turnover; my first employee still works for me. He is my right-hand man now. We like to retain people, reward them and move them up the ranks as we go. That is the next step in our company—more delegation and expansion of the roles.

Q: What do you find is the biggest benefit of being a member of AOLP, and what do you hope to contribute as a member of the AOLP Board of Directors?

A: It goes back to relationships. We can build relationships on Facebook and online, but attaching people with faces and knowledge-share in person is most beneficial. We also have the chance to meet the manufacturers and talk to them. For example, I am big on lighting fixtures. So if somebody shows me a new lighting fixture, I'll give them feedback. It is crucial for a manufacturer to hear because they want to sell the product and listen to critiques.

I also like how some education sessions are about business, not just lighting. I think that's very important. Also, the last Illuminate Conference & Expo had over 30 vendors. So, you can see new products and talk to industry leaders in the same room.

I would like to see AOLP's Outdoor Lighting Awards program grow. Lighting people are very proud of their work. Recognizing achievements helps move the industry forward.

I would love to talk more about design work because I have a heavy design background. A lot of our installs are 200 to 600 fixtures. But relating that scale to a 50-fixture installation can help others with their design process. I believe many projects are undersold, even those 25- to 50-fixture projects should be 75 to 100. And it's not to sell more fixtures, but to produce a better product for the client.

New Board Member

Anthony Bogdanovich, CLVLT

Anthony Bogdanovich is the owner and general manager of California Outdoor Lighting, based out of Los Angeles, Calif. He graduated in 1999 from the University of California, Santa Barbara with degrees in Business Economics and Accounting and in 2004 started his first business installing holiday lighting for residences and commercial properties. Landscape lighting quickly became Anthony's passion, and he is now a 10-time AOLP award winner. Anthony is excited to be a member of the Board of Directors and looks forward to helping the organization grow.

Q: How long have you worked in the outdoor lighting industry, and what do you do in your current position?

A:I am the General Manager of both California Outdoor Lighting and Imagined Lighting Company. California Outdoor Lighting focuses on landscape and architectural lighting, while Imagined Lighting Company focuses mainly on holiday decor and event lighting. I started my business in 2004 with event lighting and holiday lighting. I progressed into landscape lighting the following year. I fell in love with it, and I've been working in lighting ever since.

Q: Why did you go into this industry?

A: Like many of us in this industry, I fell into it. I previously worked at a medical company and was very unsatisfied. It was interesting, but not for me; I have a creative side! So, a friend started an outdoor Christmas-light franchise. He was looking for new individuals to open his business and register people. The timing was perfect, so I decided to go for it. The cost of entry was reasonable. I had so much fun that first year and gained a lot of relationships. It all steamrolled from there.

Q: What has been a key to your success over the years?

A: More than anything else, determination.

I don't think anybody will outwork me! That's my attitude more than anything else. I'm willing to push my limits to get the job done that makes everybody happy.

I want customers to feel that they made the right choice. When somebody is working on your home or in your home, that's very personal. So, we want to do the best job possible to ensure the customer feels comfortable with the whole process.

Q: What is a project you've done that you are especially proud of?

A: That's easy; we did "Glow," a fantastic art exhibit for two years at South Coast Botanic Garden.

Lighting is about effect more than anything else. The event was open to the general public, and tens of thousands attended. I was a fly on the wall many nights and could see people's experiences and how the event made them feel. When you can see children and their expressions, parents dancing with their children, and couples embracing, that was a beautiful thing, and I'll never forget it.

Q: Have you faced industry-related challenges recently, and what have you done to overcome them?

A: Right now, the most challenging part of our industry is employee retention. Maintaining an adequate workforce and keeping people inspired and motivated to do good work is probably one of the biggest challenges we face every day.

We try to have a culture benefiting everybody. I'm very accepting, open and communicative. I think that's the most critical part. But obviously, pay and benefits are also important. We offer several days of paid time off, even more than the industry standard. But ultimately, we try to get people excited with the kind of work that we do. We create art. And I think it's much more exciting than boxing widgets in a factory. So, ultimately, there are a lot of perks to working in a business like ours. You are a part of creating something. And, I think that's special.

Learn Night Light: The Ultimate Course for Lighting Design

Elevate your lighting design skills with Learn Night Light. This comprehensive program taught by Janet Lennox Moyer offers 20 sessions that cover everything you need to know about landscape lighting design. Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to become a lighting design pro!

Q: What is the biggest benefit of being a member of AOLP, and what do you hope to contribute as a member of the AOLP Board of Directors?

A: They have done so much for me. I have gained friendships with leaders nationwide—including other lighting designers and installation technicians. The camaraderie that goes with AOLP is fantastic. We are a network of people who support each other. A lot of us have the same problems and issues. It is a robust support network. People who are members are excited about helping other members.

Some of my best friends do what I do all around the country. And we talk almost daily. One of my best friends is in Kentucky; I would never have met him without the AOLP. My colleagues and I help each other with designs, discuss projects we're working on, and try to find solutions to each other's problems.

We all want to see the outdoor lighting industry advance. I am excited to be a part of the Board because I have a lot of ideas to help AOLP grow its membership.

New Board Member

Chris Apfelstadt, CLVLT

Chris Apfelstadt is a husband, father and the owner of Light Up Columbus, located in Central Ohio. He graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in entrepreneurship from the Fisher College of Business and has been involved in holiday lighting for 18 years. Chris has completed his CLVLT certification and is very proud to have been awarded several AOLP design awards. He is obsessed with improving his lighting design skills and looks forward to pushing the landscape lighting to new heights in the future.

Q: How long have you worked in the outdoor lighting industry, and what do you do in your current position?

A: I've been involved in outdoor lighting for 18 years, mainly in the holiday lighting world. Then, four or five years ago, we started doing event and architectural lighting. Recently, we began the last piece of the puzzle, landscape lighting.

I wear many hats, but my primary role is Lighting Designer, selling our work and helping our clients bring joy to their lives through light. I meet with the clients and close the deals. I make sure the jobs run smoothly. I'm always trying to be better and better at being a leader.

Q: Why did you go into this industry?

A: Like many in the industry, I came here by accident. I started a house painting company in college. I am a wrestling coach, and I hired wrestlers. I met a guy in Florida who was doing Christmas lighting. And I thought, "I have ladders, I have employees, I have a customer base! Painting in Ohio in the winter is pretty slow!" So, I gave it a shot. We learned and got better as we went, and the business grew. We were doing more revenue in two months than the rest of the year painting. So, I sold the painting company and focused on lighting full-time.

Then, we started landscape lighting just to break even, but I fell in love with it. Now it's my favorite part. I'm most passionate about landscape lighting and design.

Q: What has been a key to your success over the years?

A: Having strong mentors has been key. Being part of AOLP has allowed me to meet people in the industry that I would not have met otherwise. Having access to experts has created a shortcut to where we want to go. It is great to know people who are where you want to be, to emulate and learn from has been very valuable to our company.

Q: What is a project you've done that you are especially proud of?

A: Our company's goal in 2022 was to win an AOLP award for design. We won two of them this year! We were awarded in the Holiday Category and the ExtraLarge Residential Category for the largest project of my life. We are working on phase one of the most beautiful canvas I will ever get to light, and it's been a cool project. I'm very proud of the work that we've done so far, and I am looking forward to the next couple of phases, hopefully later this year.

Q: Have you faced industry-related challenges recently, and what have you done to overcome them?

A: We were learning landscape lighting and design when COVID happened. Meeting with clients was a challenge. I am better in person. Presenting an emotional experience to a client via the computer was a challenge. Also related to COVID were supply chain challenges. I have certain suppliers that I love, trust and know their products well. Suddenly, they're out of product. I had to expand my suppliers. It helped me to appreciate having other options available.

Q: What is the biggest benefit of being a member of AOLP?

A: The conference is very valuable. I was in a silo in the holiday lighting world for many years. I knew other people did this, but I've never talked to any of them. I didn't have a vision of success to aspire to. Sitting down and grabbing lunch with successful people in the industry is a fantastic experience. I'm sure it's possible to network otherwise. But AOLP is a shortcut. It makes connecting a more accessible—and fun—process.

Q: What do you hope to contribute as a member of the AOLP Board of Directors?

A: If I get involved with an organization, I want to be involved in leadership. That's where you learn the most and can make the most impact. I want to help drive success and positivity in the organization. I look forward to helping grow AOLP. The number of people in the landscape lighting industry is small compared to where it will be in five years. There is going to be a lot of industry growth and excitement. And I want AOLP to be at the forefront of that growth.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to help lead the organization. And I can't wait to see where the industry goes. We're at the beginning of something that will get much bigger.

Thank You Outgoing Board Members!

AOLP extends our sincerest gratitude to outgoing Board members Pete Bryant, Bill Knowles and Nels Peterson.

Pete Bryant, CLVLT, COLD

Pete served on the Board for seven years, beginning in 2016. He served as Board Treasurer for several years and also dedicated many hours to the CLVLT committee, including serving as the committee’s Board liaison. Pete always offered constructive feedback and insight, especially regarding the Association's processes, programs and administration.

Bill Knowles, CLVLT

Bill served on the Board of Directors since 2020. The association has benefited from Bill’s thoughtful input that he has provided as a long-time AOLP member. In addition to his work on the Board, Bill was also very active with the Awards Committee and, for the last several years, Bill served as that committee’s Board liaison.

Nels Peterson, COLD

Most recently, Nels served on the Board since 2020, but this wasn’t his first time serving on the AOLP Board. Over the span of AOLP’s existence, Nels has volunteered his time in various leadership roles, most recently as the Board liaison to the conference committee. Nels is devoted to the association, its members and the industry. He is truly a brand champion for AOLP!

Welcome, New Members

Please welcome these new members who joined as of May 31.

AfterDark Landscape Lighting, Inc.

Tom Bevilacqua, Huntington Station, N.Y.

Amarillo Land Services

Remmington Holt, Canyon, Texas

Botanicallighting.com

Jeremy Sviben, Medford Lakes, N.J.

Expert Outdoor Lighting

Robert Strach, Spring, Texas

Get Lit Landscape Lighting

Rob Goodman, Tulsa, Okla.

Green Guru LLC

Glenn Moore, Rochester, Mich.

Healy Horticulture

David Poston, Florence, S.C.

Illumiday Lighting

Charles Mayse, Angier, N.C.

Inscape Lighting

Jonathan McAuley, Bryn Mawr, Pa.

LightingShrink.com

Jeremy Sviben, Medford Lakes, N.J.

LUX Lighting Services

Carlos Castellano, Humble, Texas

Luxe Lightscapes

Kyle Myers, St. Cloud, Fla.

Q-Loc Products

Heath Bedal, Sacramento, Calif.

S4 Lights Inc.

Jean-Marc Gagnon, Toano, Va.

STEP, LLC.

Brian Daly, Reston, Va.

The Source, Inc.

Cassie Krey, Ogden, Utah

Vesta Lights

Tim Teed, Newark, Del.

Vivid Outdoor Lighting

DJ Ooykaas, Manhattan, Ill.

Industry News

Becoming “Certified” is a Game Changer

A recent Total Landscape Care article features Jesse Wisley, COLD, owner of Mid South Night Lights in Memphis, Tennessee, who earned his Certified Outdoor Lighting Designer (COLD) designation. Congrats Jesse! Read about his experience HERE

Transformers: Electronic vs. Magnetic

Low voltage lighting applied correctly can transform any location into a great location. Recently, the EmeryAllen Blog looked at low-voltage electronic and magnetic transformers and how they can support our industry’s needs. Read the post HERE.

2023 OSHA Outlook

The pieces are in place for Congressional and Presidental action that moves priorities forward at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). THIS article from Electrical Contractor Magazine looks at funding, potential regulatory changes, record keeping requirements and Predictions for FY 2023.

Inclusive Recruiting in the Electrical Industry

Today’s schools and apprenticeship programs are serving a wider diversity of students, male and female, from differing upbringings, races and cultures, ready to learn the electrical trade. HERE, Electrical Contractor Magazine discusses the transition happening in training programs across the United States.

Smart Technology Use Rises on Construction Sites

THIS article from Electrical Contractor Magazine looks at advances in wearable devices that track activity and monitor bodily function to help people stay healthier. With over 5,000 occupational fatalities yearly, these wearables offer a welcome opportunity to reduce significantly jobrelated injuries and deaths.

Controlling Brightness is at the Heart of Good Lighting Design

Many manufacturers design sophisticated luminaire optics to control brightness, contending with the tradeoff between luminous efficiency and visual comfort. To properly control brightness in an application, it must be predictable, and for that we need standardized metrics. Read more HERE.

How to Properly Illuminate a Flag

Flags are meaningful to us. We fly our nation’s flag, our state or city’s flag. We also fly flags to represent branches of service, significant causes and faiths, and even sometimes to symbolize our companies.

If you’re flying the American flag—or the flag of countries worldwide—etiquette dictates proper nighttime illumination. And, no, fflying the flag near a streetlight is not sufficient. The American flag is required to have its own illumination source.

So, let’s talk about lighting a flag to show it its due respect.

All too often, we see flags illuminated with HID (high-intensity discharge) lighting and wide angle floods like 500 or more-watt metal halide lighting. This is overkill, and it contributes highly to sky glow light pollution.

Flying the flag at night should be done in a way that respects the flag and our environment. For example, a 3-foot by 5-foot flag on a 25-foot pole can be easily illuminated with two 1000 lumen +/- equivalent light output directional spot fixtures. For larger flags on taller poles, there may need to be three fixtures with more intensity to triangulate the flag.

It’s also important to realize that you don’t have to light the flagpole, just the flag. The beam of light can be narrow. Most people will use a large flood light for a flag when they simply need to use a spotlight instead. You don’t want to flood the entire area to illuminate the flag; you want to spotlight the flag. Move the light fixtures about 3 or 4 feet from the flagpole and use a narrow beam spread of about 15 degrees, then aim the light at the ball on top of the pole. This will ensure the flag is illuminated while not creating a distraction from lighting the pole itself.

What Emotional Connection Is and What It’s Not

By Jeff Tippett

Scott Edinger, founder of Edinger Consulting Group, said this about emotional connections:

“The ability to make an emotional connection is so often misunderstood because it’s not about being emotional or showing emotion. It’s about making a human connection –one person to another.”

We tend to think of emotional connections purely in the sense of familial or romantic relationships. But it’s important for a leader, in any setting, to be able to connect on a real, emotional level with those around them. For some people, connections come naturally; it’s at the core of who they are. But don’t fret if that doesn’t sound like you or your style. Like most of the traits we discuss, it can be learned.

Connecting with people is the very essence of effective leadership. It won’t be memos or emails that you send, or texts and phone calls about important projects. It’s the way you interact with people on a personal level that remains far after any of the ephemeral communications fade away.

Maya Angelou put it well: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

That’s every bit as true in the business world as it is in the political realm. Save for a few famous ones that stand the test of time, a speech given by a politician will be forgotten

soon after it’s delivered. But the emotional connection conveyed – that endures.

The same is true in your own leadership role, no matter the level. Your team members won’t remember much of what you said in yesterday’s meeting, but you can be certain they’ll remember how you said it. If you establish yourself as trustworthy, and really get to know those around you, it’s going to make a huge difference in the way your operation runs.

This connection isn’t just important in terms of how you interact with people within your business or organization. Gallup conducted research to determine how consumers engage with businesses based on their emotional connection. The data is unsurprising: Those who were both extremely satisfied and emotionally connected to their grocery store were far likelier to spend more and spend often at the establishment. It isn’t enough to give people a satisfactory experience; they also need to feel a connection.

This is particularly true today, in a world consumed by electronics, social media and technology in general. These tools make getting your message to people far easier, but they also eliminate a level of human, emotional connection. With automation and artificial intelligence being introduced into new sectors, it’s important to focus on maintaining that emotional connection with those around you.

Edinger cites the importance of emotional connections as you climb the ranks of your business or organization:

“Leadership has everything to do with how you relate to others and the quality and texture of those relationships. The higher up you go in an organization, the less important your technical skills become and the more your interpersonal skills matter.”

It’s important for everyone, no matter how new or inexperienced, to feel a connection in the workplace. When you move into a management position, your role shifts. You must learn how to deal with people in their context, and an emotional connection with them makes that possible.

One study found that nearly 90 percent of organizations claim that engagement is a top priority, yet only 15 percent of employees say they actually feel engaged. This must mean that people claim to support emotional connections but fail to put that into practice. Redouble your efforts, and you’ll see your workplace succeed.

About the Author: Jeff Tippett

Jeff Tippett is the international best-selling author of two books, Pixels Are the New Ink and Unleashing Your Superpower: Why Persuasive Communication is the Only Force You Will Ever Need. Speaking to international audiences through keynotes and

seminars, Jeff helps attendees increase their effectiveness, gives them powerful tools to reach their goals, and empowers attendees to positively impact and grow their organizations or businesses.

Introducing the most versatile step light on the market. A great retrofit solution for existing 120V and 12V step lights. Perfect for step lighting, wall mounts, retaining walls, dock posts, and pilings. Available color temperatures: 2700K, 3000K, 5000K, Amber, Blue, Royal Blue, Green, and Red.

Order now and experience the difference!

Social Media Icons

In 2014, Jeff founded Targeted Persuasion, an award-winning public affairs + communications firm. He has worked with renowned brands like Airbnb, The National Restaurant Association, The League of Women Voters, The League of Conservation Voters, plus others. Other industry experts have validated Jeff’s work with numerous awards including the prestigious The American Advertising Award.

Metro Style

Jeff is the host of Victory by Association with Jeff Tippett, a podcast that shares the victories of association executives with the world, highlighting the great work done across this country every day.

Social Media Icons

Social Media Icons

Metro Style

Metro Style

Jefftippett.com

VictoryByAssociation.com

Advertising Opportunities Available!

AOLP Can Help You Spotlight Your Products!

Looking for a way to target your advertising and show off new or existing products? Consider a Product Spotlight through AOLP.

The Product Spotlight provides a platform to highlight your outdoor lighting products, introduce new products and educate an audience of faithful readers on the benefits of using your products. This is a great way to make sure your products are top-of-mind with our members.

Two exclusive advertising options are available through AOLP:

• LightLines Article – one featured article

• Email blast – limited to one per month

Each Product Spotlight consists of the product name, a description and one to two images and your company logo. To better target your advertising, YOU decide exactly which LightLines issue or which month your Product Spotlight will be seen by AOLP members. (This may be combined with other manufacturer Spotlights.)

Click here to download the AOLP advertising information packet, which includes all of the details about the Product Spotlight.

If you have any questions, please call AOLP Headquarters at 717-238-2504 or email ads@aolponline.org

Attention, Manufacturer Member Companies: Are you taking advantage of your FREE ad in LightLines?

LightLines, AOLP’s quarterly e-publication, is received by more than 200 companies and distributor members and is always full of good information. We know our members love reading LightLines because they have told us so through surveys, through open and click rate tracking reports and by sending us direct emails complimenting the publication.

All manufacturer members of AOLP receive one quarter-page ad in each issue of LightLines for FREE as one of your member benefits – that’s a $400 value! If you are not currently taking advantage of this benefit and would like to, simply send your FREE quarter page ad (3.5” w X 4.5” h; full color; JPG, TIF or PDF) to ads@aolponline.org. The deadline for submitting ads for the next issue of LightLines is August 1.

One more additional advertising benefit for manufacturers only… If you would like to UPGRADE your advertising presence in LightLines, you can always submit a half- or full-page ad and just pay the difference in the price. To take advantage of this offer, please fill out and submit this advertising contract – just make sure to note UPGRADE and the new ad size in the Ad Size column on the contract.

Office

Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Eastern Time

Staff Contact:

Executive Director: Lisa Ruggiers info@aolponline.org

Director of Communications: Michelle Keyser communications@aolponline.org

AOLP’s staff wants you to get the most out of your experience with AOLP. We are available to serve you, so please do not hesitate to contact staff with any question or concern that you may have. For a full staff listing, please click here

Social Media

Our Mission

To promote and advance the landscape and architectural lighting industry for lighting designers and installers, distributors and business-to-business manufacturers.

Metro Style

LightLines is published four times annually, in the spring, summer, fall and winter.

or beliefs of the Board or staff.