Matthew Burstein, a 20-year lighting veteran with extensive experience in entertainment, event, and architectural lighting as well as with theatrical lighting and controls, has been named director of sales for New York-based Acolyte LED.
“Matthew has a vast knowledge of the LED business and especially in the power LED area, which is the future of LED’s for general lighting,” says Salvatore “JR” Guerrieri, founder of Acolyte LED. “I am very excited to be working with an industry professional and innovator who has an intuitive mind set and the ability to make things happen.”
Burstein comes to Acolyte from Genlyte Controls, where he served since 2005 as Northeast regional sales manager and as a designer for the company’s Lightolier Controls division. His control system designs there included work on Liberty Science Center, Gettysburg Cyclorama, USS Monitor Museum, and National Infantry Museum. Prior to that, he was a manufacturer’s representative for various companies including Martin, NSI, Mobile Laser, Coemar and New Jersey-based Peter E. Schmitt Company. In addition, he was president/owner of Charles River Marketing & Technical Services and president/CEO of LIT Design Ltd., both in Medway, MA, and director of production for High Output, Inc., in Boston. After 10 years working in the lighting production market in Boston he kicked off his national career at Martin Professional, Inc. in Hollywood, FL, as a programmer and service technician. He has also taught lighting classes at University of Massachusetts, Ithaca State College, Roger Williams University, Emerson, and Boston University.
Over the years, Burstein’s technical accomplishments have included working as a lighting programmer and service technician for events such as Miss America, Hootie and the Blowfish, Michael Jackson, James Taylor, Country Music Awards, and Andre Agassi Grand Slam for Children; director of production for First Night Y2K Boston and the Mohegan Sun casino; and spearheading projects for the Saudi Aramco exhibit in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Salt Lake Olympic Square for the 2002 Winter Olympics, the Boston Ballet, the Miami Heat’s Scoreboard, and numerous others.