Andrew D. Siebert, PE

President

Drew feels so blessed having the opportunity to lead one of the most capable acoustical consulting and audio-visual design teams in the country. He sincerely enjoys working with the other consultants at AVANT ACOUSTICS and strategizing on how to bring our “more complete” services to more owners, architects, and venues across the globe.

While the project at hand is of utmost importance, Drew is also focused on the long-term client relationship. He is excited to be leading AVANT into our next half-century.

A Professional Engineer licensed in the State of Kansas, Drew received his Electrical Engineering degree from Kansas State University. Several years later, he followed that up with a Masters of Business Administration focusing on business strategy and finance.

When not working, Drew prefers to spend time with his family.  He and his wife, Amy, have two children who keep them extremely busy. Camryn is seven and Cecil is five. You might find the Siebert family at a local park or pool enjoying the outdoors during the summer or perhaps doing science and engineering educational experiments at their Overland Park, Kansas home when the weather outside isn’t so friendly.

Robert G. Ledo

Senior Vice President

For 30 years, Bob’s creative audio-visual design and enthusiastic leadership have maintained AVANT ACOUSTICS’ leadership position in the market.

As Senior Vice President of AVANT ACOUSTICS, Bob is actively involved in the design, testing, and commissioning of audio-visual and sound reinforcement systems for all types of facilities throughout the United States and in Germany, Japan, and Korea.

When not designing, testing and commissioning systems – or at KU games – Bob might be off sailing, flying, or running a marathon (yes, he is fast!).

Bob attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, where he earned a double major in Telecommunications and Business. He also serves as a guest lecturer for university classes in digital audio.

Bob and his wife (the best cupcake baker ever) live in Olathe, Kansas, with their dog Piper, who makes sure that Bob gets up and out the door for their early morning run, no matter the weather.

Select projects:

Mayo Civic Center – Rochester, Minnesota

BOK Center – Tulsa, Oklahoma

Hy-Vee Conference Center – West Des Moines, Iowa

JE Dunn Headquarters – Kansas City, Missouri

Von Braun Center – Huntsville, Alabama

Edouard G. Charland

Vice President

Throughout his 27-year career with AVANT ACOUSTICS, Ed has always taken great care of clients. He is hands-on with design, testing, and commissioning of audio-visual and sound systems for all types of facilities.

Ed has extensive experience with airport paging system projects, large and small, throughout the United States and overseas. He puts in a lot of nights working on the testing and configuration of airport paging systems; check with him if you want to know when the coffee shop opens at your favorite airport.

Ed has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University.

Outside of the office, Ed loves to spend time with his wife and their two very busy adult children. You can often find him cheering for his favorite teams – Sporting Kansas City and the St. Louis Blues, or attending a concert or musical theatre production. Ed also enjoys playing the guitar, audio recording, and is a music aficionado.

Select projects:

21c Museum Hotel – Kansas City, Missouri

McCarran International Airport – Las Vegas, Nevada

Sacramento International Airport – Sacramento, California

Wichita Mid-Continent Airport – Wichita, Kansas

Washington Dulles & Reagan National International Airports – Washington, DC

John M. Hodgson, CTS-D

Technical Operations Manager

John performs a variety of services for clients. In addition to managing projects of all sizes, John performs the design and commissioning of audio-visual systems. He also provides architectural acoustics and noise control consultation.  John is responsible for maintaining AVANT ACOUSTICS high standards for our work product and managing all technical staff.  He has experience working with many types of facilities throughout the United States, including arenas, airports, performing arts centers, educational facilities, offices, and more.  John has over 9 years of experience with the company.

John initially served as an intern at AVANT ACOUSTICS and joined the company full-time after completing his Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Engineering at the University of Kansas in Lawrence in May of 2010. His education included an emphasis in architectural acoustics, noise control, and sound system design studying under the founder of AVANT ACOUSTICS, Bob Coffeen.

John is a member of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA), and is a Certified Technology Specialist – Design (CTS-D).

Select projects:

Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center – Overland Park, Kansas

Bon Secours Wellness Arena – Greenville, South Carolina

Wichita Southeast High School – Wichita, Kansas

KI Convention Center – Green Bay, Wisconsin

Sacramento International Airport – Sacramento, California

Elizabeth K. Humburg

Marketing & Business Operations Manager

Elizabeth joined AVANT ACOUSTICS as the Marketing Manager, but soon after, also took over management of many of the other non-technical aspects of the business. She also contributes to overall strategy creation and execution.

Elizabeth has an MBA in Strategic Management & Marketing and a BA in English – both from the University of Kansas.

Outside of work, Elizabeth and her husband are kept so busy by their 5-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son that they no longer have any hobbies of their own.

Jill C. Elmers

Senior Associate

Jill Elmers, Senior Associate of AVANT ACOUSTICS is actively involved in the design, testing, and commissioning of audio-visual and sound reinforcement systems for all types of facilities throughout the United States.  Jill has over 23 years of project management, technical supervision, and hands-on field experience.

Jill’s role encompasses oversight of project design and design personnel.  She is also involved in evaluating new audio-visual products, helping to provide our clients with the best value and newest technology in sound reinforcement and audio-visual system design.

Jill received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Valparaiso University in 1992.

Select projects:

Charles Evans Whittaker Federal Courthouse – Kansas City, Missouri

Fort Bragg Air Force Base SOF Headquarters Facility – Fort Bragg AFB, North Carolina

Johnson County Central Resource Library – Overland Park, Kansas

Johnson County Crime Lab – Olathe, Kansas

MacDill Air Force Base SOCOM Headquarters – MacDill AFB, Florida

Emily G. Jaumard

Senior Associate

Emily is actively involved in many aspects of acoustical design, including analysis and design of room acoustics, architectural and mechanical noise control, design of sound reinforcement systems, and acoustical computer modeling. She has experience with many types of facilities throughout the United States, including regional and international airports, educational facilities from elementary to university, offices, worship spaces and more. Emily has been with AVANT since 2008.

Prior to joining AVANT ACOUSTICS full-time, Emily was an intern with several architectural firms in the St. Louis metropolitan area, giving her valuable experience in understanding and communicating through architectural drawings and standards. She also has a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Kansas.

When not working, Emily likes to spend time with her husband and two daughters, hiking, quilting, and traveling. Whenever they go to a new place, Emily’s husband makes fun of her because she is always checking the room shape and finishes, and listening for reverberation and echoes.

Select projects:

Heber Springs High School – Heber Springs, Arkansas

Jindra Performing Arts Center – Peru, Nebraska

Orlando International Airport South Terminal Expansion – Orlando, Florida

Port Fonda Restaurant – Lawrence, Kansas

Sunnyside Baptist Church – Kingsport, Tennessee

Andrew J. VonFeldt

Senior Associate

Andrew is actively involved in room acoustic design and evaluation, mechanical noise control, sound reinforcement system design, audio-visual systems design, control interface design, and system commissioning. He has experience with a wide variety of facility types across the United States, including airports, educational facilities, corporate spaces, convention centers, and more. Andrew has been with AVANT since 2012.

Before interning at AVANT ACOUSTICS and eventually joining full-time, Andrew worked for an audio-visual integrator where he gained practical experience in the design and installation of sound reinforcement and audio-visual systems. This practical experience and a lifelong passion for acoustics provide Andrew with a strong foundation that allows him to help clients to realize their unique goals.

Andrew received a Bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering with an emphasis in acoustics from Kansas State University in 2013. He is also a member of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA).

Select projects:

Central Community College – Grand Island, Nebraska

Hillcrest Christian Church – Overland Park, Kansas

KI Convention Center – Green Bay, Wisconsin

Mayo Civic Center – Rochester, Minnesota

Spring Hill District Stadium – Spring Hill, Kansas

David J. Wetzel

Associate

An associate of AVANT ACOUSTICS since 2016, David has worked primarily in the areas of education, performing arts, and civic spaces. He enjoys being involved with each stage of our projects, from initial programming and schematic design to system commissioning and end-user training.

David is focused on designing reliable and user-friendly AV and sound reinforcement systems that enhance the experience of all users.  He believes that identifying and meeting the unique challenges of each project in the design phase is the key to a system’s ultimate effectiveness.

David is an alumnus of the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the University of Kansas, where he studied audio engineering and history. His longtime interests in photography and audio recording, as well as prior experience in event production and live music, have all been useful assets while working at AVANT ACOUSTICS.

Select projects:

Mayo Civic Center – Rochester, Minnesota

Excelsior Springs Community Center – Excelsior Springs, Missouri

Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center – Overland Park, Kansas

Johnson County Board of County Commissioners – Johnson County, Kansas

Wichita Southeast High School – Wichita, Kansas

Benjamin R. Snook

Associate

AVANT ACOUSTICS’ newest Associate, Ben Snook, provides support on a wide variety of projects. While his professional focus is acoustics, Ben is also AVANT’s resident BIM/CAD expert, and produces design documentation in coordination with project design teams.

Ben is an alumnus of the University of Kansas, where he studied Architectural Acoustics, under AVANT ACOUSTICS founder Bob Coffeen, as well as French. His project work focuses on topics including theater acoustics, mechanical noise control, and variable sound absorption.

When not on the job, Ben enjoys writing, recording, and mixing original music at his home studio in Lawrence, Kansas.