The Institute
The University of Light
For over 100 years, Current’s Institute has been the model for lighting education and training. Today, our instructors are members of IES and LC-certified, and they offer public and custom training courses to support our industry, our partners and our customers.
On the Road
The Institute can bring customized training directly to your staff with special on-site training options. Spanning everything from a few hours in length to several days, these conferences are the perfect way to educate partners and customers at your location.
On Campus — Cleveland
Join the 5,000+ people who attend various courses and workshops each year. The Institute at historic Nela Park in Cleveland was founded in 1933 as the first facility in the world devoted to the teaching of lighting.
On Campus — Hendersonville
Planned for August ‘21 is a new Institute in Hendersonville, NC. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, this state-of-the-art facility will include the latest in lighting and controls training and product demonstrations with on-site lab and production facility tours.
On Demand
From AIA courses to product trainings and everything in between, Current offers a robust schedule of webinars and trainings. Join a live session or request your own. We’re here to meet your educational needs.
Webinars
AIA Courses
Current is a registered AIA CES provider. We currently offer seven AIA courses: LED Lighting and Controls, Industrial Lighting and Controls, LED Disinfection, LED Life Spec Explained, Lighting for Retail Spaces, Lighting for Healthcare, and Light and Color. Explore the schedule and register for an in-person or virtual course to earn AIA learning units.
Meet the Staff
David E. Korow, LC
Trainer: Technical AIA/Industry Standards
David came to GE Lighting as a student co-op in Fluorescent Engineering in 1981; he took a full-time position in 1983 after graduating with an electrical engineering degree from Fenn College of Engineering, Cleveland State University. In his career with GE, Dave has served as a Design Engineer for Metal Halide Lamps and as a Project Leader in Compact Fluorescent Lamps. For ten years, David served as Product Service Engineer for every product line (except LFL). David joined The Institute staff in 2009. He is a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) and is Lighting Certified (LC) by NCQLP. He has been an FCC Licensed Amateur Radio operator since 1976, operates Lionel trains, and enjoys building furniture.
Don King, LC
Trainer: Applications & E-Learning
Don has been working in the lighting industry for over 25 years and has audited and recommended solutions at over a couple of hundred commercial, retail, healthcare, and industrial facilities. He specializes in creating interactive, hands-on lighting and controls training experiences to increase sales effectiveness whether in-person or on-demand. He is lighting certified (LC) and is an approved American Institute of Architects (AIA) trainer. He is the chairman of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) Hospitality committee and has written a portion of RP-9 and RP-2. Don graduated with a degree in nuclear and power engineering and earned his MBA. He has had various roles in sales and as a Six Sigma black belt prior to his current role.
Tony Martin
Sales Effectiveness Leader
With an extensive background in proven communication and management processes designed to drive revenue and build relationships, Tony has over 25 years of experience in sales, management and organizational training. He came to Current in 2015 to help lead the effort in training our Key Account Teams. He’s focused on personnel development, revenue generation and building fundamental selling skills across our internal teams and external partners. Tony has lead internal sales initiatives while collaborating with executives and teams to execute strategic plans and hit annual targets.
Melissa Sullivan
Event Coordinator
Melissa has over 8 years of experience in the hospitality industry and 3 years specifically in the dynamic world of events. She is an Event Coordinator at GE Current, a Daintree company where she specializes in planning and organizing trainings, webinars and tradeshows. Melissa graduated from Kent State University with a bachelor's degree in Recreation, Park & Tourism Management. She enjoys hiking, kayaking and exploring new places. Regardless of the activity, Melissa is determined to create experiences and memories that last a lifetime.
HISTORY OF THE INSTITUTE
On April 18, 1913, in Cleveland, Ohio, 400 employees of the National Quality Lamp Division of the General Electric Company packed equipment and other business materials for a move by horse-drawn vans and motorcade to one of the world’s most unique industrial parks ever conceived and created—Nela Park.
Many of the world’s most significant lighting inventions and innovative research and development have taken place within the historic buildings of this campus. It was these world-changing lighting products that led to the founding of Current, a startup within the walls of GE, in October 2015. In the years since, Current continues to provide commercial LED lighting, controls and energy management systems to some of the world’s biggest and most recognizable brands.
The Institute at historic Nela Park in Cleveland was founded in 1933 as the first facility in the world devoted to the teaching of lighting. Today, it remains a core pillar of Current and thrives as a hub of lighting innovation, research and training.
In 2021, the Institute at Nela Park will be joined by the Institute at Hendersonville, a new training center located at Current’s facility in Hendersonville, North Carolina.