CEDIA Chairman Baldwin Named CEO

By TWICE Staff -- TWICE, 11/17/2008

Indianapolis — CEDIA tapped its own board chairman, Utz Baldwin, to fill the newly created position of CEO, which is focused on fostering relationships with other associations and industries, speaking on behalf of CEDIA and industry, and guiding external communications.

The new position enables current executive director Don Gilpin to focus on operations and trade-show logistics.

Meantime, CEDIA’s board elevated Ken Erdmann, of Springville, Utah-based Erdmann Electric, from vice

Utz Baldwin

chairman to chairman and made other executive appointments.

CEDIA created the CEO position earlier this year when it voted to become a self-managed association after almost 15 years with the Raybourn Group, a for-profit company that managed about 20 trade associations and managed the non-profit CEDIA group since 1993, when CEDIA was still in its infancy. Self-management freed up the resources to create the CEO position, the association said at the time.

Baldwin, president and founder of installation company AD Systems in Houston, has resigned as board chairman and has begun transferring ownership of AD Systems. Baldwin has been a board member since 2003. The name of a new chairman wasn’t announced.

The selection was made by CEDIA’s board after a committee made up of CEDIA leadership, working in conjunction with executive search firm Career Consultants Group, presented two candidates for consideration out of 42 candidates who applied.

“After multiple in-depth interviews, Utz was the undeniable best candidate for the CEO position,” said CEDIA vice chairman Ken Erdmann. “He has an extensive knowledge of all CEDIA initiatives and over the past five years has worked tirelessly on establishing relationships with industry partners to better CEDIA members’ presence within the design-build community.”