Billy has spent a career in lighting, holding many roles including design, engineering, sales, management, lighting education, and organizational leadership. He founded the AAILA in 2021, and the Philadelphia lighting agency Digital Filaments in 2012. He was previously VP of specification sales for Illuminations, Inc. and Lighting Designer for the Swarthmore Ballet Theater. Billy has a BSAE in Architectural Engineering-Illumination form Penn State University.