Jake Dunnum named ETC’s general manager of automated lighting

When ETC made the strategic decision in mid-2015 to enter the automated lighting market, the announcement was made in an unconventional way: by crowdsourcing talent on social media. "The response has been overwhelming," says Marketing Vice President David Lincecum. "We were able to see that we need a dedicated leader for that effort inside ETC." Now, with the promotion of Jake Dunnum to the newly-minted position of automated lighting general manager, the company is ready to take the next steps toward building its automated lighting development team.

"The entrepreneur in me is super excited to be part of building the program from the ground level," says Dunnum, whose background includes co-founding a magic theater, for which he served as the technical manager.

Dunnum's prior experience in software development, computer systems administration and theater served him well in a number of capacities at ETC over the years, from phone support to systems design to product steering and marketing. He joined the company 15 years ago as a technical support specialist, providing the first point of contact for customers and consulting with product development teams. He also worked as a technical support engineer before becoming the marketing product manager for dimming and power control in 2006. In this role, he has helped steer the development of products like the Unison Echo® Relay Panel and Sensor® IQ.

"Jake has distinguished himself as someone who is patient," says Lincecum. "He can take hold of long term projects and stick with them. That's what this effort needs."

In his new position, which officially begins mid-January, he will continue to work from ETC's Middleton headquarters, helping to create and implement strategy for automated lighting. Dunnum is enthusiastic about working with a new piece of the lighting industry. "When I go to shows, I tend to spend more time looking at the grid than the stage," he explains. "It drives my wife crazy, but I get completely mesmerized by moving lights. They have become such a versatile tool."

For information about careers at ETC, visit http://www.etcconnect.com/Careers/