CEDIA announced today that CEDIA President Tabatha O’Connor would depart the organization at the end of her contract in January after an 18-year tenure, during which the industry and CEDIA itself went through much transformation. In 2016, the association integrated its North American and worldwide operations to form a single integrated global organization. In 2017, CEDIA sold its North American tradeshow to Emerald Expositions while retaining ownership of the education program, reflecting an association-wide commitment to serving its members year-round through education, training and certification.

In 2020, the pivot from expositions to industry support and education proved prescient as CEDIA launched a series of global virtual events in response to COVID-19. The CEDIASTRONG series of webinars, roundtables and event has engaged thousands of CEDIA members since April 2020 and resulted in a wealth of new resources for the residential custom integration community, including the new CEDIASTRONG Scholarship Fund. O’Connor’s leadership during this tumultuous period has helped CEDIA to stay connected to its member community and provide timely resources to address the crisis.

“The CEDIA board is grateful for Tabatha’s leadership in executing a number of critical strategic initiatives over the last three years,” says CEDIA Board Chair Robert Sutherland. “She has helped CEDIA transition from a trade show organization to an industry association focused squarely on meeting its members most critical needs. She leaves us well positioned to continue as the global leader in custom integration education, training, certification, and workforce development.”

CEDIA will launch a global search for a new President and CEO over the next several months. In the interim, O’Connor will transition her duties to the CEDIA board of directors.