Jeff Bristol Leaves NEMRA Lighting Division After 18 Months of Growth

Jeff Bristol has resigned as Vice President of the NEMRA Lighting Division. He cited a desire to return to executive operating leadership. Jeff shared the news on LinkedIn.

“After thoughtful consideration, I have decided to resign as leader of the NEMRA Lighting Division and begin my next chapter,” he wrote.

Jeff was named VP of the newly formed NEMRA Lighting Division in December 2024.  When he began his position in DEC of 2024, he told your humble editor, “NEMRA Lighting’s creation addresses the lighting industry’s need for a collaborative association between Agent, Manufacturer, and NEMRA.”  Jeff further explained,  “Our mission is to provide targeted support, education, industry advocacy, and networking that will help drive growth and stronger partnerships across all our membership.”

Additionally, he brought more than 30 years of experience in sales, marketing, and executive leadership to the role. His resume includes senior positions at MaxLite, Panasonic/Universal Lighting Technologies, Philips Lighting, Osram Sylvania, and Westinghouse Lighting.

A Division Built from Scratch

The NEMRA Lighting Division grew out of the integration of AAiLA (the American Association of Independent Lighting Agents) into NEMRA. Under Jeff’s leadership, the division grew from concept to more than 150 member companies. That growth happened in under 18 months.  In addition, the NEMRA Lighting Division grew to 3000+ followers on Linked In.

Jeff credited the team around him. “Together with an exceptional Advisory Council, outstanding alliance partners, and the dedicated NEMRA staff, we built a thriving industry initiative,” he wrote.

The division established three core pillars under his watch: advocacy through the Small Business Legislative Council, an educational curriculum developed with IES, and a preferred service provider network.

The IES Stepped Educational Curriculum (SEC) is a nationally recognized platform designed to provide lighting industry education at every experience level in lighting, serving NEMRA Lighting manufacturers and agents.

Building on the success of the SEC, the NEMRA Lighting Division also just developed the Controls Educational Curriculum (CEC), in partnership with IES & Lutron. This is scheduled to launch in early Q4. The CEC was created to address the industry’s growing need for comprehensive controls education and further strengthen professional development opportunities across the lighting community.

The division made its presence felt at major trade shows throughout the year.  At LightFair 2025, the division hosted a well-attended BAA/BABA event for members. At LEDucation, it went a step further with a member-only event titled “AI Solutions: Friend or Foe.” The division also launched the Just One Campaign, a member referral initiative encouraging each member to bring in one new member.

Industry Reaction

Spencer Bolgard is the former President & CEO of MaxLite, where Jeff previously served as SVP of Sales & Marketing. Spencer offered a warm sendoff on LinkedIn. “You built something from scratch that most people only talked about building,” he wrote. “Looking forward to watching your next team wonder how they got so lucky.”

He also added a light-hearted warning: “Just don’t get too comfortable, because I’ll still expect big things. Cheers my friend!”

What’s Next for Jeff

Jeff is returning to executive operating leadership. He will also be available for consulting work. “As I pursue my next executive leadership opportunity, I will also be selectively partnering with organizations on consulting engagements focused on strategic growth, organizational alignment, and disciplined execution,” he wrote.

He was equally clear that his industry ties remain strong. “My commitment to the lighting industry and the relationships I’ve built remains as strong as ever,” Jeff added.

NEMRA has not yet announced a successor. But we know Jeff well. Whoever NEMRA hires will have big steps to fill.  And I can’t wait to see where Jeff lands as we know he will continue to be a leader in our industry.