© 2006 Door & Access Systems
Publish Date: Winter 2006
Author: Tom Wadsworth
Page 60

Meet Rick Sedivy
DASMA President

On Jan. 25, DASMA President Randall Renne of Raynor passed the gavel to Rick Sedivy of DoorKing, who then began a two-year term at the helm of DASMA. Here’s a glimpse of DASMA’s new president, his background, and his priorities.

You’re the first person from the gate operator world to serve as DASMA president. What does this mean for DASMA?

Rick: Being employed by a gate operator and access systems manufacturer really does not change anything. Having worked in the industry since 1975, I am acquainted with all industry products and the key issues for doors and gates. DASMA has an excellent management staff and we have a great board of directors that will “have my back,” so I really have no apprehension about serving in this position.

In recognition of DASMA’s total sphere of influence, we need to look to other organizations where our members also have common interests. One of my goals will be to broaden our outreach and look to new strategic partnerships that will serve additional segments of the DASMA membership.

For example, I plan to establish a liaison committee with the leadership of the American Fence Association (AFA), much like what we currently have with the IDA. Many issues affect gate operator installers as much as they affect door operator installers. I have already spoken to Phillip Doyle (AFA president-elect), and we hope to meet in the very near future to pursue this further.

In your mind, what are the top two or three priorities for DASMA for the next two years?

Rick: We will certainly continue to build on our relationship with the IDA. The energy in the DASMA/IDA committee is exciting, and the resulting ideas coming from this committee are only going to get better. The new safety program being developed jointly by the two organizations is just a small sampling of what we can do together to address our common goals.

DASMA has made tremendous strides the last several years to establish itself as the industry voice before government, code, and regulatory bodies. We must continue to respond to these issues.

Right now, several issues can potentially affect both garage door and gate operator manufacturers and installers. There are ongoing issues with UL 325, UL 294 standard, which addresses access control systems, and NFPA 731, which addresses the installation of access control systems, among other things.

It’s important for our membership that the organization takes a leadership role to deal with these different issues. To do this, we need to continue to recruit new members—I’m a firm believer in strength in numbers. If we allow these issues to go unchecked, they can adversely affect all of us. A strong, responsive, and recognizable DASMA strengthens our position in the industries we serve.

THE SEDIVY FILE

Company: DoorKing, Inglewood, Calif.
Products: Gate operators and access control products
Position: Director of Marketing and Regulatory Affairs
Education: B.A., Business Administration, California State University
Military: U.S. Air Force, Aircraft Communications Repair Technician, 1971-75

CAREER PATH

1975-79 Service Manager & Gate Operator Production Manager for Telectron, maker of garage door openers
1979-80 Service Manager – West Coast Repair Center for Advanced Industries, a division of Overhead Door
1980-81 Electronic Systems Test Technician for Douglas Aircraft
1981-91 General Sales Manager for McKinney Electronics, a division of Overhead Door
1991-present Director of Marketing for DKS DoorKing

INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP

IDEA Board of Directors, 1996-1998
Chair, Accreditation Committee, 1996-1998
Proctor, First IDEA Accreditation Test, 1997
UL 325 Standards Technical Panel, 2002-present
ASTM F2200 Standard for Automated Vehicular Gate Construction
Ad Hoc Committee, 1998-present
DASMA Board of Directors, 1999-present
Board President, 2006
Chair, Gate Operator Committee, 2000-2004
Chair, Operator and Electronics Division, 2000-2002
Chair, Access Systems Committee, 2005-present

On the Side: Licensed Soccer Referee for United States Soccer Federation and American Youth Soccer Organization