About Our Company
AVEX was founded in 2015 by Ted Collier and Jake Ortiz. Our experienced team of AV professionals has been providing quality partnerships with clients for many years. We have compiled a strong team with over 150 years of combined experience and rarely come across a situation we haven’t experienced. We welcome even the most challenging and complex installations. Read about some of our team below:
Meet Our Team
Ted Collier
M.S.E.E. - President
Ted Collier holds a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Texas. After a stint with General Electric he started in the AV industry in 1974 founding his first company Audio Communications Corporation in Houston, TX. Ted has worked with thousands of customers over the years and has built a loyal following of repeat business. Notable clients include Wortham Center, George R. Convention Center, Second Baptist Church, Minute Maid Park, Harris County Jail, Chase Bank, and numerous more. He founded AVEX in 2015 after the sale of his former company.
Jake Ortiz
Vice President
Jake Ortiz attended Delmar College and got his start in the AV industry with CBS affiliate KZTV in Corpus Christi. In 1987 he moved to Houston to work with AVW as a sales engineer and project coordinator. He would eventually join Ted Collier at Audio Communications and they would go on to form AVSI as partners in 2002. After the successful sale of AVSI, Jake and Ted continued on and formed the current company AVEX in 2015. Jake has a diverse and strong technical background in both sales and engineering, and has completed thousands of successful projects from a variety of markets. Some of his clients have included Rice University – Baker Institute, Jones School of Business, Duncan Hall, and Cohen House; University of St. Thomas (various projects), Moody Gardens Galveston, Flour Daniels, Wells Fargo, Texas Children’s Hospital, and many more.
Madeline Collier
Founding Member and Owner
Madeline Collier has a diverse background in business and community service in Houston. Madeline has been co-owner and board member in the audio visual industry for years. Her unique background equips her to participate in policy, staffing and other administrative duties in her role as a Manager of AVEX.
She has served the community including board positions with Houston Christian University (former Houston Baptist University) and Arrow Child and Family Ministries. She attended San Antonio College and The University of Texas at Austin.
Jason Penn
Purchasing Manager
Jason served 6 years in the United States Navy in an F/A 18 fighter squadron as an Aviation Electrician and returned to Texas in 2001. He earned an Associates of Applied Sciences degree for ITT Technical Institute in 2003. Jason spent 20 years in the Oil and Gas industry as a Procurement/Purchasing Specialist and dealt with many of the top companies like Valero and Exxon with their day-to-day activities within refineries. This experience has led him to change career paths and join the AVEX team in May of 2023.
David Broussard
CTS, ACE, ECP – Lead System Programmer
David Broussard began his career as an IT professional at Lone Star College in 2004. He joined the AV industry in 2005 as a systems programmer and quickly moved up as he continued to grow his education. David now holds most AV technical certifications including Extron, Crestron, AMX, Cisco, Symetrix, BSS, and Audinate; this education coupled with his networking background provides customers with unique integration possibilities and outstanding problem-solving solutions. David has completed many successful AV partnerships across multiple industries including Rice University, Texas Children’s Hospital, US Oncology, Fluor Daniels, and many more.
Rick Lopez RSO
Operations Manager & CAD design
Rick began his AV career as a project manager and systems designer. Along with producing quality CAD drawings and one lines as a project manager, he holds Responsible Safety Officer certification, ensuring on the job safety and workplace hazards are properly managed. Rick has over 10 years’ AV experience running job sites in various industries.
Josh Collier
Vice President of Sales
Josh began his AV career in 2006. He holds a BBA in Business Administration from the University of Houston. Josh has completed hundreds of successful projects in many different industry applications, including medical, educational, and corporate industries. Past clients include Texas Children’s Hospital, University of Houston, U.S. Oncology, Dresser Rand, and many others.
Than Pham
Lead Technician
Than started his AV career working with Ted in 2004 with AVSI. He holds responsible safety certifications, along with OSHA job safety qualifications, and manufacturer certifications to stay up to date on training. Than has worked on thousands of job sites over his career, many of them with members of the current AVEX team. He is well versed in problem solving and technical service and system maintenance. His scope of work includes medical, K-12 and Higher Ed, along with many corporate video and audio applications.