Andrew Antares can’t put his finger on his first memory working in the lighting field, but he remembers the strangest one…walking into a conference room in China after a 48-hour trip to give a presentation on a new type of lighting controls coming to market. A two-day trip to China aside, Andrew’s journey to the lighting industry in general is worthy of note. Now the DLC’s Project Manager of Technical Development, Andrew says he came to the world of energy efficiency by way of the kitchen – following a 15-year restaurant career that “nurtured an interest in using the planet’s finite resources responsibly and sparked a decision to pursue an MBA to balance ideals with economics.”

After earning his Master’s in International Business, Andrew worked in the field of energy storage, as well as in various roles pertaining to commercial LED lighting, from product development through project management.

“I come from the sales side of the industry,” Andrew says, “and was tired of convincing people to choose the products my company happened to offer. I felt that, at the DLC, I would be able to help push the industry as a whole to offer the best products possible in terms of quality and efficiency.”

Since joining the DLC in 2022, Andrew has provided the technical team with organization and communication as they undertake the complex task of articulating policies affecting the lighting industry. His favorite aspect of the job is working alongside warm, encouraging people who are “at the top of their fields.”

When he’s not doing that, Andrew relaxes with his wife, Penny, and two cats, or he might be putting time into expanding his collection of obscure, low-budget horror movies. He has an affinity for the silver screen, and once played a psychic sleuth on the TV series Psychic Investigators…. Season Two, Episode 13.