Our Favorite Projects of 2025
Hello and happy holidays! This year has truly flown by, with all the exciting work our team has been involved in. As always at Shanahan, we like to take a moment every December to reflect on our favorite projects of the year. It's such fun to look back and see what made them so memorable. 2025 saw a wide range of client projects, and our team members' reasons behind their selection ranged from technical complexity to personal affiliations. In the year ahead, we look forward to seeing AI and AV over IP continue to emerge.
Cheers to a great 2025 and even more in 2026!
Catherine and the Shanahan Team
Josh Chapman
Nashua Bingo, Nashua NH
My favorite project this year differs from my usual favorites, which involve heavy coordination and planning. This year, I chose a project that wasn't overly complicated. It's not the most technologically advanced system, but the organization it is for means a lot to me. This year, we received a call from the Spartans Drum & Bugle Corps from Nashua, NH, requesting some help with their Bingo Hall audio system. A non-profit, competitive music group, the Spartans rehearse all Winter and Spring to then travel the country over the summer competing against other drum corps. Their membership consists of young performers aged 15 to 22. Most of their funding comes from their Bingo Hall, so improving it for them was critical. Shanahan's technicians installed several pendant speakers, along with amplifiers and a new mixer, to improve their audio coverage.
For much of my life, I have been involved in music. Drum & Bugle Corps fueled that fire early on in my life and shaped me into who I am today. As a kid, I used to compete against the Spartans. Then, as an adult, I spent a couple of years on their instructional staff along with my wife. I hold them responsible for bringing her and I together, so needless to say, that group and those people mean the world to me and my family. An opportunity for Shanahan to help them really brought things full circle for me. Mainly on a personal level, but without a doubt, this was my favorite project of 2025.
For much of my life, I have been involved in music. Drum & Bugle Corps fueled that fire early on in my life and shaped me into who I am today. As a kid, I used to compete against the Spartans. Then, as an adult, I spent a couple of years on their instructional staff along with my wife. I hold them responsible for bringing her and I together, so needless to say, that group and those people mean the world to me and my family. An opportunity for Shanahan to help them really brought things full circle for me. Mainly on a personal level, but without a doubt, this was my favorite project of 2025.
Tom Chapman
Jewish Community Center Auditorium (JCC), Newton, MA
The project that stands out most to me this year was the AV addition in the auditorium at the Jewish Community Center in Newton, MA. The JCC has been a long-standing client of ours, and throughout my years at Shanahan, I have never been part of any projects with them. That changed when the call came in for an addition to their auditorium that was receiving a cosmetic upgrade. I visited the site and discussed the vision for the new space and how we could integrate technology to suit their needs best. The final design was a straight-ahead presentation system with aesthetics being a priority for them. The new system would showcase a soffit-mounted 98" LG display flanked by JBL surface-mounted speakers, all housed on a new wood-veneered wall. With all the design and coordination in place, the installation came together quickly and smoothly. I was able to visit the site on the last day of installation and assisted in getting this HUGE display hung on the wall. This was one of those projects where everything just came together, and I found it very rewarding to be on-site to see the finished product.
Jim Berlo
Lasell Village Great Room, Newton, MA
My favorite projects are the ones that are highly complex. It's my job to make these systems accessible to users with varying levels of technical skill. This year, the project that stands out to me for this exact reason is the Great Room at Lasell Village. The system involves multi-room divisions and combinations, plus a multi-camera video conferencing platform, all of which need to be controlled via an Extron touch panel. The interface has a simple layout for general users, along with a hidden menu that puts all configuration settings at the Lasell staff's fingertips. I found the extensive programming in this project to be very challenging but very satisfying to work on, and for that reason, it is my favorite project of 2025.
Edy DaSilva
Strauman Auditorium, Andover, MA
Whenever I have the opportunity to work at Straumann, I know I will enjoy it. Their facilities team is always great to work with, and this latest project was no exception. The goal for this project was to give their auditorium a much-needed upgrade. We were able to repurpose their existing cameras and add new camera locations to enhance the streaming experience. Part of this project also included revamping the video control room. This upgrade created a much better end-user experience for those running Straumann's events. I look forward to my next project at Straumann.
Joe Sinkovits
Temple Israel, Sharon, MA
A favorite project of mine this year was the audiovisual system upgrade at Temple Israel in Sharon, MA. For me, there is always an exciting energy when an installation has both an audio and video component, especially on the first day. To add to that excitement, we installed two identical systems for use in their primary function areas: the sanctuary and social hall. The dual audio mixers, paired with independent recording/livestreaming solutions, offer endless ways to run live events and post-produce them into meaningful content for congregants. It was a pleasure to work with their team on-site throughout the project, and I look forward to installing similar solutions in 2026.
Shaun Crossen
Middlesex Community College, Bedford, MA
When Middlesex Community College was looking for an expert AV design, installation, and support partner for their Lowell and Bedford Campuses, I was very happy to meet with them and provide the service and commitment Shanahan has been known for since 1951. Early in 2025, collaborating with the college IT team, I started working on designs for classroom presentation systems with the goal of each being robust, highly functional, and user-friendly. Utilizing Epson, Extron, and JBL components, that goal was realized, and the classroom presentation systems were deployed across the Suburban Bedford Campus and the Urban Lowell Campus. I look forward to continuing our relationship in 2026!
Colin Poole
Thompson Senior Center, Woodstock, VT
My favorite project was a hearing loop installation for The Thompson. Of all the cool technologies Shanahan provides, I am continually amazed by the simple yet very elegant solution a hearing loop provides for the end user. When the staff at The Thompson approached me for a hearing assist system, I knew a loop would be the perfect fit for them. The loop affords no visual impact in the facility and easily integrates with end-users' hearing aids. In addition to the hearing loop, we also designed and integrated a sound reinforcement system into the same room. As this project is in one of my favorite historical New England towns, this hearing loop system of 2025 was definitely my pick of the year!