LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Kiosk pioneer Greg Swistak will become executive director of Kiosks.org Association (KOA), effective May 3.
Swistak replaces interim executive director Alan Fryrear, the chairman of NetWorld Alliance, parent company of the industry organization.
KOA, which has has 172 members in 17 countries, serves the needs and promotes the interests of companies engaged in the electronic self-service kiosk industry.
"I'm excited to have the opportunity to work with the great team at Kiosks.org Association and to have the ability to influence the future of this industry," Swistak said. "KOA has been a cause that has always been important to me. I was actively involved in its formation and enjoyed participating in the growth and development of this vibrant resource."
"I am honored to have been chosen to build on the efforts of my predecessors, Craig Keefner and Alan Fryrear," Swistak added, "and will strive to deliver a great product to KOA members."
He brings a wealth of knowledge to the position, said Dick Good, chairman of KOA.
"Greg has been working with many of the members of the association over the past 18 years and has an intimate knowledge of the systems, logistics and challenges our members encounter on a daily basis. With his experience, I believe the association can provide new levels of value to our membership."
Swistak has been actively involved in the kiosk industry since 1986. Most recently, he was the general manager of the kiosk division of Mercury Aircraft Inc. Other experience includes serving as president of Factura Corp. and general manager of the kiosk division of MicroTouch Systems Inc. He has helped deploy tens of thousands of kiosks for customers, including Kodak, NCR, Dell, HP, IBM, Wal-Mart, JC Penny and Target.
He developed the first viable outdoor kiosks, deployed in 1988 using near field sealed touch screens and environmental control systems, and helped develop the first kiosk specific touch monitors in conjunction with Elo. He worked with Magnetec to develop the first viable kiosk printers with presenters, and with Lexmark to develop the first kiosk laser printers with document presenters.
Swistak can be reached at 502-241-7545, or by e-mail at gregs@kiosks.org.
Fryrear will retain his duties of chairman at NetWorld Alliance and he will remain a member of the KOA executive committee. In addition, he will be the publisher of kiosks.org.
The executive director's role "was an interim job from the beginning," Fryrear said. "The association is poised for great growth, and there is a tremendous opportunity for it to have a great influence in the future of self-service technology."
