An experienced residential lighting professional, Thomas Vivirito has served as the owner and president of Light Brothers in Illinois since 1983. Recognized as a Top Amazon Seller, Thomas Vivirito stays current on lighting industry trends by attending the annual Lightovation conferences and maintaining membership in the American Lighting Association (ALA).

Open to residential lighting professionals, the American Lighting Association not only provides information about changes in industry products, services, and regulations, it also offers four levels of professional certification for its members. The two most basic certifications, Lighting Associate and Lighting Specialist, cover the foundational topics of the industry and may be completed online at the participant’s own pace. The latter certification has an option to be completed during a four-day in-person Residential Lighting Training Course.

The highest designation and most substantial certification offered by ALA is that of Certified Lighting Consultant (CLC). In order to be awarded the certification, members must first be certified as Lighting Specialists and have completed set training hours in ALA-approved courses. The number of training hours depends on the number of years of relevant work experience the member possesses, and those with 10 years of experience or more are not required to complete any training hours. Before being awarded CLC certification, members must pass a final blueprint exam. Another certification, that of Certified Lighting Manufacturers Representative, is for those who provide lighting materials and requires three letters of representation from industry members in good standing. Additionally, the trade organization has a number of opportunities for free training, live training, and sales training throughout the year.