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Lisa Lavender holds a BS in Accounting from Penn State and is an IICRC Master Fire, Water and Textile Restorer. As chief operating officer and co-owner of both Restoration Technical Institute and Berks ∙ Fire ∙ Water Restorations, Inc., founded in 2000, Lavender has over 20 years of experience in the restoration and reconstruction industry with a passion for training and working with other service providers. In 2012, she opened the Restoration Technical Institute in pursuit of helping others find joy and success in the industry. In 2018, she expanded her passion for serving other contractors by partnering and becoming VP of Operations Design for iRestore software. In addition to contributing to the running of the operations of her organizations, she authors a monthly column for R&R, Restoring Success, writes, instructs and develops courses and materials in the pursuit of her passion to give knowledge, passion, and inspiration to others for success in the industry. You can reach her at lisa@RTILearning.com.
“I love my job because it is inspiring to be part of the learning process. It is so rewarding to not just share knowledge with colleagues from all over the country but also learn and grow from them. I love being surrounded by the expertise and knowledge that our instructors bring. It is all energizing, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have my job.”
Ted exemplifies the true entrepreneurial spirit. Growing up in Indiana, he spent time under the close tutelage of his father, Dennis, helping to build the family home. He continued to expand his interests in construction by pursuing a degree in Engineering from Ball State University. Ted began his career in the Insurance Industry in 1990 as a Claims Adjuster responsible for adjusting auto, property and liability claims for Prudential Financial. He quickly furthered his claims career as the Claims Team Leader for Cigna Investment Management. During a 10 year career in claims, he gained experience managing several claims departments, including property, casualty, CFIS accounts and Inamar boat and yacht division. He was also involved in the training process of claim professionals from all over the country while also managing and interacting with the Insurance departments in each state. These experiences helped Ted identify the need for a full-service restoration company that handles all insurance-related loss from beginning to end in Berks County. He and his wife, Lisa, brought his vision to life in the Summer of 2000. As President and CEO of Berks • Fire • Water Restorations, Inc.℠ Ted was recognized nationally by the US Chamber of Commerce with the 2013 Dream Big Small Business of the Year Award. Ted’s passion for serving his community shines through in his work with the Olivet Boys’ & Girls’ Club and the Vision Research Center, where he serves as an Advisory Board Member. He is generous with his time and talents by supporting organizations, people and causes that make our communities strong.
After selling the successful Air Quest Systems, a well-known manufacturer of custom desiccant dehumidifiers, large refrigerant dehumidifiers and portable air conditioners, Chuck turned his attention to training others how to utilize “big” equipment for “big” jobs. Chuck is a down-to-earth type fellow with vast knowledge and education. He is a hands-on instructor. If you have a question about drying anything, ask Chuck! Chuck has been a speaker at the Dri-Eaz Restorative Drying Symposiums, the Water Loss Institute, ASCR National, Connections East and West since 2011, SCRIA 2012 thru 2015 and DRC Canada. He has dried over 4 million square feet of structure, hundreds of thousands of books and documents and designed permanent systems for various manufacturing and storage projects over his 20 year career as an Application Engineer. Chuck has an associate’s degree in Electrical Engineering. His career spanned many years with large well-known companies before building Air Quest Systems from the ground up. In addition, Chuck is a contributing author to the new S500.
What does Chuck like most about the Industry? “I like to see the light bulbs going on. When you can take a complex subject like ‘Psychrometrics and how it manipulates Desorption in Wet Materials’ and make it as easy as waiting in line for the Tram at Disney! You see the lights go on and you know they’ve got it now. It’s a great privilege to be able to pass along information on how to be a better dryer.”
