As Commercial Integrator’s #AVLivingLegends series rolls on, we induct Allan Rea of A-TEK, Inc., as honoree #64. Rea has enjoyed a decades-long career that has seen him learn from, rub shoulders with and work alongside some of the greatest minds and technical professionals in the history of professional AV. Thus, Allan Rea is a natural fit to join the AV Living Legends family.
In the in-depth interview presented below, Rea traces his eclectic and winding path to an audiovisual career. That journey includes everything from sound system operation at a church, to vocational school training, to a heartwarming story about being part of an outdoor live nativity and meeting his future wife. All the while, Rea gives credit to his mentors and describes how, through a series of “offers he couldn’t refuse,” he navigated himself to an accomplishment-filled AV career and his current home.
Later in the conversation, Rea shares a couple of pearls of wisdom that are firmly seated in his mind. Moreover, he reflects on the regrets that sometimes can come from having a busy, bustling career while also raising a family.
Enjoy this in-depth conversation with Allan Rea of A-TEK, Inc., who is Commercial Integrator’s newest #AVLivingLegends honoree!
And if you’d like to read even more coverage relating to our #AVLivingLegends, check out our hub page. It includes direct links to every living legend!
Commercial Integrator: What motivated you to join the commercial AV industry?
Allan Rea: The story of how I entered the commercial AV industry is a bit eclectic, but it’s the direct result of a diverse exposure early in life that shaped my path toward my long and successful audiovisual career.
Early interests in music and live performance led me to develop skills in sound engineering and electronics, which ultimately influenced my education path.
Operating a sound system and recording at a local church as a teenager in southern New Jersey gave me valuable hands-on experience in setting up and running live audio equipment. Combining that with an interest in electronics made sense, as understanding the technical aspects of sound equipment is crucial for effective operation. If you are curious, the first audio mixer that I operated was an Altec Mixer Power Amp Control Console Model 1214. This was followed by a Bose PM-2, with a pair of Bose 802s on stands.
Allan Rea on Developing More Advanced Skills
Enrolling in an electronics technology program at the local vocational school was a great next step, allowing me to formalize knowledge and develop more advanced skills. Vocational school provided hands-on training, which has been beneficial for me throughout my career.
It is not my norm to name drop. However, there have been so many awesome people along the way who have influenced me. Thus, it is difficult to not mention them as part of the story.
Early musical mentors/music industry professionals included Barbara Jean Houser Morton (Lackey) (Chapel Records), Ed King (in the period when he stopped touring with Skynyrd and moved to New Jersey) and Julia Lindsay (local D.C. artist who is now a music educator). These three people were active in our local church music programs over the years and/or taught music at a local private school.
Unfortunately, my interest in music essentially collided with my comfort level for public performance. I felt much more comfortable mixing or fixing things than playing the piano or singing in front of an audience. It did give me a better perspective and technical skill set for live sound and maintaining music composition and/or music arrangement.
Allan Rea on Early Technology Mentors
Early technology mentors included Michael Ranalli Sr. (RCA engineer and broadcast pioneer) and his son, Edward, who was my electronics instructor in vocational school. Ranalli Sr. would often visit class and explain how specific circuits functioned and why they were important to the proper operation of the device. One of his favorite stories was from the early development of the television, where the TV image would flip vertically every time the stop light would change on the street in Philadelphia. Then, he described in detail the circuit they designed to keep the image from flipping vertically because of electromagnetic interference (EMI) caused by the traffic light switching.
My passion for technology was sparked by my desire to fix things. That provided a great foundation for a lifelong interest in tech. Being able to take something broken and make it work again is rewarding. It requires problem-solving skills, creativity and a willingness to learn.
From working with old tube TVs to farm machinery, the breadth of experience from my youth helped me to develop a broad understanding of how different technologies work together and how to troubleshoot issues. I am forever grateful to all my mentors, who encouraged my life interests in technology and problem-solving. These skills have evolved over time from physical device support to logical and computer-based design.
Allan Rea on Meeting His Wife
I moved to the Washington D.C. area in 1983 for year-round employment, continued my education and became more involved with not only church-based live sound/performance events but also radio and television production. I found myself performing as an actor in an outdoor live nativity. (Note that this was totally out of character for me at the time. I do not remember how I got involved with it, but at least there were no speaking parts.) I met Sharon — the better-looking one in the photo — as part of that live nativity. We quickly became friends and were married a couple of years later. She is a contributing factor to our success, and, after 38 years, she still loves me.
Going back to that live nativity, I played a Roman soldier, and the weather was very cold. Let’s say the uniform that Sharon issued was not befitting the ambient temperature. The warmest palace to thaw was inside with the sound guy. Over the nights of performances, we learned we were kindred spirits. That’s how Bill Judd and I developed a lifetime friendship. And Bill, now with RCI Custom, facilitated an opportunity to interview with what was then Recoding Consultants Inc. (RCI).
My volunteering as an actor facilitated getting an interview with Jay Kingery (an AV industry visionary) for a part-time position re-coning speakers. That is how my decades-long journey from a farmer’s son in a tourist town to the commercial AV industry began. That part-time job with RCI turned into a full-time job and resulted in more than 15 years with RCI, as well as a decades-long AV career with personal and technical advancements.
Commercial Integrator: What has kept you motivated and engaged in the decades that followed?
Allan Rea: Always being willing to learn new things and conquer new challenges and having the somewhat-cocky attitude that I always tried to be smarter than the machine or device that was being repaired or configured. Training is, for me, a motivating factor to keeping engaged with newer technologies that drive the audiovisual industry. The analog-to-digital transition was also a motivational technical challenge for me as part of my integrator and consultant roles.
Realizing that the correct application of technology is intended to make users’ lives better and provide tools to make them more efficient also provides an additional challenge for both design and implementation.
Commercial Integrator: Reflect on your role as both a mentee early in your career and as a mentor later in your career. Who helped shape the trajectory of your professional life? How have you tried to help shape others’ careers?
Allan Rea: I believe that I would not be where I am now if it were not for the kind and supportive mentors who helped along the way. Overall, I learned that the audiovisual industry is all about friendships, relationships and mutual experiences (both good and bad). Over the decades of my commercial AV career, the list of people who I consider to be mentors is quite lengthy. If you’re reading this and your name is not listed, it does not mean that I do not and/or did not appreciate your help. It means that there are far too many to mention or that my memory may be failing.
Notable AV/broadcast mentors include Jay Kingery with RCI; George Saur with RCI; Ralph Fick, then with Soldiers Radio and Television (SRTV); Charles Emerson, then with The U.S. Army Band (TUSAB); Fred Shen, founder of Shen Milsom & Wilke (SM&W); Richard Derbyshire, then with SM&W; and Greg Moquin, then with SM&W.
With more training and experiences came new opportunities, some of which I considered to be “offers I could not refuse.”
Being a mentor is an excellent way to give thanks to the people who helped you along the way and to encourage others to never stop learning. The goal as a mentor is to encourage people to do what they love to do, making the learning process fun and personally rewarding.
Commercial Integrator: What’s the most memorable story/anecdote of your career in commercial AV?
Allan Rea: While still working for RCI Systems, I finished up a successful consultant performance inspection and user training on a new AV system at a D.C. law firm. After packing my gear, Richard, Greg and I left together. While riding down the elevator, I was offered “a position I could not refuse” to join the team at SM&W in Arlington, Va. That was the beginning of the transition from AV field engineer to consultant.
My career has been an uncanny series of “offers I could not refuse” as part of changing positions, companies and overall responsibilities.
Commercial Integrator: What has been your greatest professional accomplishment to date?
Allan Rea: My decades-long career has been a series of great accomplishments, so picking the greatest one is a bit of a challenge. Perhaps it might be being a part of the technical design team representing AV, acoustics and IT cabling for the historic National Academies of Science renovation project. Historic renovations are always a unique and rewarding challenge, as you can’t always predict what is behind or in walls or what has been hidden and not documented. It is also enjoyable to explore behind the scenes and document historical spaces, as well as to interject technology into rooms that were never envisioned to have it.
Commercial Integrator: What has been your biggest professional regret to date?
Allan Rea: Regrets are opportunities not taken…goals not envisioned.
I wish I’d had more time at home when our kids were younger, as they are now grown adults with their own professional careers. However, I’m enjoying the time with my grandson, Benjamin, who is my newest and most inquisitive mentee. Benjamin is fascinated with 3D architectural model (REVIT) renderings and “fixing” things.
Commercial Integrator: What’s the best advice or pearl of wisdom you either received during your career or came to realize on your own?
Allan Rea: There are two quotes from prior mentors that stay nested in my mind:
- “There is always enough time and money to do it right the second time.”
- “Leading edge is always the goal; bleeding edge rarely ends well.”
Would you like to nominate a peer or colleague — or perhaps yourself! — to be featured in this #AVLivingLegends series like Allan Rea of A-TEK, Inc., was? If so, just email Dan Ferrisi, group editor, commercial and security, Emerald, at [email protected].
