Do you know Dave?

They say variety is the spice of life. That's what keeps Dave Puette, Manager of Engineering and Production, such a busy, happy guy.

"To keep my interest for more than 10 minutes is difficult," he admits. "To keep my interest for more than 20 years is very impressive. That's exactly why I've stayed here and love what I do. Through the years, the challenges have always changed, the bar has always been raised."

In true Renaissance-man style, Dave produces programs, directs on-air live broadcasts, handles the high-end on-line editing sessions, trains new personnel, and directs shoots. He also project-manages live event activities, including trade shows and large-scale meetings. As if all this isn't enough, he is also the Chief engineer for the facility.

Because his bailiwick is online editing, Dave spends some of his vacation time freelancing for Sony Corp. as a field trainer for their large, digital, online editing systems. Dave even handles electrical and architectural matters at AVID.

"The move from the conference center to a standalone building was a huge effort," he says. Some of the most fun I've ever had here was taking this building, erasing the insides, and redesigning the layout, video system, and wiring. It's given us an absolute state-of-the-art production facility."

Dave is even more excited about his latest media challenge: video-to-desktop technology. AVID's concept is to have an internal TV station that's available at desktops. The station will offer a TV guide, pre-taped programming, live broadcasts, and access to libraries of other programs. It's a new endeavor that Dave welcomes whole-heartedly.

"At no time in the 20 years did I ever feel like I was stuck in a job," he says. "The challenges have always been there. That's a great thing to have."

If you haven't already, make sure to read Dave's article, "Demystifying DVD", found in this issue.