Orb Optronix has hired Heidi Steward, formerly of the CALiPER program at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) as Director of Sales and Marketing.
 
Ms. Steward joins the Kirkland, WA based company after spending eight years working for PNNL most of which involved supporting the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solid State Lighting (SSL) Commercialization Support Program.  In her new role, she will help Orb Optronix expand its LED Test and Measurement Services, LED Test and Measurement Products, and LED, SSL, Optical, and Software Engineering Services.  Her career includes work in Software Engineering, Critical Account Customer Support, and Solid-State Lighting.
 
Ms. Steward brings a wealth of experience to Orb Optronix.  In her most recent position at PNNL, she was responsible for management of photometric labs, testing and reporting of products as part of her project assignments in the CALiPER program, development of technical information for LEDs related to general lighting applications and development of test procedures for rulemaking of energy efficiency codes for HID lamps.  During her tenure at the laboratory, she has been involved in the development of regional building codes, energy efficient technologies, website and database development, and research in the energy economics field.  She is also a published author focusing on building technologies related to lighting and solar energy.
 
Her extensive private sector work in software, firmware, and computer hardware, including software design, quality assurance, and management of an elite software escalations team are a natural fit for the company.  She also brings a long history of advocacy and research in programs to develop commercial SSL lighting in the U.S. market.  This combination of technical knowledge and market expertise are perfectly matched to the strengths of Orb Optronix.
 
Ms. Steward is Lighting Certified (LC) through the National Council on the Qualifications of the Lighting Professions, holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from University of California, Berkeley and a Graduate Certificate in Applied Energy Economics and Policy from Portland State University.
 
“Our company is known across the lighting industry for its A-Team technical staff, and we are excited to add Heidi to the team,” said David Bajorins, Vice-President of Orb Optronix.  “Heidi’s high level of technical expertise, her work with the U.S. Department of Energy’s CALiPER program, and experience overseeing the testing of thousands of commercial SSL products make her an ideal fit.  As Orb Optronix rolls out new value-added testing services and products, I have no doubt that Heidi will be an excellent resource for all our customers, both current and future.”