Steve Terry and Dennis Varian move into new roles at ETC

Steve Terry recently accepted a new role as director of standards and industry relations at ETC. Lighting technology has changed significantly in the past several years and the move to solid-state lighting systems has been rapid. In this new role, Terry will continue his work on codes and standards in order to accommodate these changes. Additionally, he will act as an active resource for ETC customers, specifiers, and consultants on system design, code, and technology issues.

Terry sums up, “After 16 years at ETC, and 13 years running the R&D department, I’m really looking forward to this new role that will keep me in touch with ETC’s customers and their needs, as well as actively participating in many standards efforts that are important to both ETC and the larger lighting industry.”

Steve Terry’s professional career began with the Dance Theater of Harlem, where he toured internationally as their production electrician. In 1976, Terry was responsible for the first computerized lighting-control system on Broadway, for A Chorus Line. That same year he also became the executive vice president and chief engineer for Production Arts Lighting.

Terry joined ETC’s ranks in 2001 as vice president of Professional Services after many years as a consultant. In 2004, he became the vice president of Research and Development, and now steps into the newly created position of director of standards and industry relations.

As Steve Terry vacates the role of vice president of Research and Development, Dennis Varian steps in. Varian joined ETC in 1995 as a product manager where he worked on a number of projects including ETC’s Unison® architectural products. He helped pioneer early park-wide control systems for the Disney properties and other ETC customers.

Dennis has been instrumental in development of ETC control products including ETC’s Eos® product line. Most recently Dennis has been leading the product strategy development process and managing a dedicated research team at ETC.

“It’s important that we keep a grounding in our entertainment roots as we move into new business and market opportunities.” Says Varian who is a third generation lighting professional. “Both my father and grandfather worked in television and film out in LA. I was sucked into the industry at an early age. My grandpa wanted me to be an engineer, but I wanted to work in lighting. At ETC I get to be involved in both.”

Despite growing up in a world of film, Varian, like many of us, found his love for live theater in high school. He went on to study Performing Arts Design and Technology at California Institute of the Arts and later worked with Lighting and Sound Design on productions including U2, Madonna, the MTV Video Music Awards, and Super Bowl halftime shows.

In his new role as vice president, Varian will oversee all global research and development operations of ETC, High End Systems, Penko, and Echoflex.