111: What Would Frank Do? with Frank Alaimo

Ryan Gray interviews Frank Alaimo, Manager of Classroom Technology Services at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Frank shares his journey from crashing on a friend’s couch to leading one of the most respected AV teams in higher education. They discuss what it takes to build a culture of trust, how to lead without losing your hands-on instincts, and the balance between autonomy, accountability, and just getting things done.

The conversation covers leadership transitions, designing teams like projects, and how UNLV’s Rebel Flex program was developed, scaled, and even simplified—sometimes without telling anyone. Frank brings his trademark honesty and humor, talking openly about burnout, control, collaboration, and what it means to build something you don’t want to walk away from.

• Falling into higher ed AV and staying for over 20 years
• Working at a small Catholic college and pivoting to casinos
• Moving to UNLV and building a full-service internal AV team
• Transitioning from technician to manager during COVID
• Designing teams the same way he designs systems
• Creating new roles to retain high-performing student workers
• Launching and scaling Rebel Flex classrooms
• Simplifying tech for faculty without telling them
• Balancing strong opinions with true collaboration
• Thinking about legacy, succession, and what might be next

Connect with Frank:
https://www.unlv.edu
[e-mail]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankalaimo/

Connect with Ryan:
https://twitter.com/Ryan_A_Gray 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/
[e-mail] 

Follow the Show:
https://twitter.com/AVITAmplifier
https://higheredav.com/ryangray

Voiceovers by Chris Dechter: https://twitter.com/cdechter
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cdechter/

Please rate and review the show wherever you get your podcasts, feedback is very welcome and we look forward to hearing from you!