DSF Announces Board of Directors Candidates
Please meet your candidates for the 2025 board of directors seats. Elections open 11 AM EST on Wednesday, November 6.
CANDIDATE LIST AND INFORMATION
Click on a name below to learn more about this year's slate of nominees. Please read through all nominee biographies before casting your vote. The ballot will be located on the bottom of the page starting at 11 AM EST.
The number of ballots which may be submitted by a member company are listed below. If your membership level is Silver, Gold, Platinum or Sponsor level, then your company has multiple votes.
- End User and Individual Members- 1 ballot
- Silver, Gold, and Platinum Member Companies- 2 ballots
- Sponsor Companies- 5 ballots
The names below are listed alphabetically. Each ballot may have up to 4 people selected per ballot. The earliest ballots received, up to the allowable limit, will be counted for your company. Excess ballots will be dismissed.
Jason Ault is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Coffman Media, a leading provider of digital signage solutions. With over 17 years of experience in the industry, Jason is a visionary leader responsible for overseeing the company's day-to-day operations, strategy, execution, and key relationships. His hands-on approach and deep understanding of digital signage have played a pivotal role in positioning Coffman Media as a trusted partner for businesses seeking to enhance their brand visibility and customer engagement through innovative signage solutions.
Jason co-founded Coffman Media with a passion for helping businesses leverage digital signage to drive growth, enhance experiences and creating labor efficiencies. Under his leadership, the company has built a reputation for delivering custom digital signage solutions across various industries, including retail, healthcare, QSR, education, corporate, public venues, cannabis and manufacturing environments.
He excels in building strong, long-lasting relationships with both clients and partners. His commitment to exceptional service and staying ahead of industry trends has helped Coffman Media continuously evolve and offer solutions that meet the dynamic needs of the market. Within the industry, Jason is active within AVIXA, D=SIGN, Digital Signage Federation and LAVNCH organizations, serving on various committees, speaking on panels and sharing his insight and expertise. Outside the industry, Jason was most recently recognized as a recipient of the Columbus, OH Smart 50 Award which recognizes the top executives of the 50 smartest companies in the Central Ohio region for their ability to effectively build and lead successful organizations.
When not wearing his Coffman Media "hat", Jason enjoys staying active, traveling, and spending time with his high school sweetheart and two daughters.
Frank Barnes, Sales Director at i5LED, brings over 25 years of experience in the digital display industry, starting his journey building Times Square Spectaculars in 1999. Throughout his career, Frank has developed a deep expertise in business development, finance, project management and legal across diverse sectors including Retail, Defense, Manufacturing, Finance, and Law. Frank’s commitment to innovation and customer success has allowed him to consistently drive growth and deliver cutting-edge technology to enterprises around the world.
In addition to being a member of DSF for several years Frank has been a strong advocate of the digital signage ecosystem with many other groups. Frank encouraged his company, i5LED, to become an active AC member this past year which has been a very positive experience.
Frank has been based in the New York area for all his career. In the past he has worked for other LED display manufacturers. He started his career in this industry with Clear Channel/Spectacolor. Frank is the father of five children and soon to be a grandfather. He enjoys many outdoor activities with his family and friends including biking, hiking, and camping.
IV Dickson has more than 20 years of experience in digital engagement hardware, software, integration, and solutions, to bring with him a deep understanding of how to harness physical-digital convergence to create business objective-driven customer engagement platforms.
As CIVO, Dickson is responsible for driving innovation and fostering a culture of forward thinking and creativity that anticipates and solves customer challenges. He focuses on helping both SageNet and its customers recognize emerging trends and identify opportunities for improved productivity and growth.
Dickson also collaborates with the broader SageNet organization – including R&D, engineering, operations, product, sales, and marketing – to ensure SageNet’s innovation initiatives are aligned with the company’s overarching business strategies. This includes investigating new product and service offerings, evaluating new business methodologies, and exploring ways to improve existing processes.
Lex Evans is a dynamic force in the audiovisual industry, currently serving as the Digital Signage Manager at the Digital Signage Manager at the University of Southern California. With a knack for transforming ordinary (or subpar) experiences into exceptional ones, Lex is pioneering USC's first unified digital signage solution. Her dedication to championing the user’s experience has earned her AV Nation’s AV Pro of the Year and along with her team, earned AV Magazine’s End-User Team of the Year.
Beyond her day job, Lex is a passionate advocate for diversity in tech. As a founding member and podcast host for Women in AV IT (WAVIT), she amplifies women's voices in the industry. Her involvement extends to the Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance (HETMA) as Creative Director showcasing her commitment to advancing the field.
When not revolutionizing digital signage or championing industry causes, Lex embraces new challenges with gusto. You might find her on the tennis court, honing her skills with the same determination she brings to AV projects. An avid reader and baker, Lex proves that in the world of tech, a well-rounded perspective is the secret ingredient to success.
Based in the northern Atlanta Metro, Jay leads Strategic Alliances and Business Development initiatives for Videri, Inc. Much like his prior role at Sony Electronics, his focus is in identifying and on-boarding strategic partners that enhance Videri’s core Hardware and Software products incorporating 3rd party solutions to accelerate global market growth. Prior to joining Videri and Sony, Jay worked for Systems Integrators and Managed Service Providers to Digital Signage networks, building deep expertise in Hardware, Software and Service offerings critical to the industry. Jay has deep expertise in Retail operations, having worked directly with and on behalf of global retailers throughout much of his career.
After graduating from the University of Georgia, Jay began his career in the retail sector directing merchandising execution and store planning initiatives for companies such as Macy’s, IKEA and The Home Depot. He later leveraged his experience in the retail industry to drive client acquisition for companies such as Diversified, Convergent Media Systems, Intelligent Loss Prevention, Siffron and Boston Group. Through his background in developing Point-of-Purchase merchandising displays, Jay built numerous solutions focused on meeting branding, experiential and operational needs for retailers through connected digital experiences. Jay’s approach to driving top of funnel growth continues to be partner-centric, focused on building strategic alliances to broaden compatibility and elevate the value-proposition of Videri’s range of product.
In his personal time, Jay enjoys travel, culinary experiences, live music, golf, gardening, Braves Baseball, UGA Football and outdoor activities with his wife Melissa, 21-year-old son Mason and Labrador Retriever Craig, who often says hello during video calls!
Stephen Stavar, affectionately known as "Chewie," has been a dedicated professional at West Virginia University for 18 years. His nickname, inspired by his resemblance to and admiration for the loyal "Chewbacca" from Star Wars, embodies his steadfast commitment to friendship, teamwork, and loyalty. He is known for his digital communications expertise, personality, and unyielding passion. He strives to enhance the digital signage industry across all verticals through education and community.
Chewie transitioned from post-production to leveraging digital signage full-time in 2012. He has presented at many digital signage events and has served on the education committee for the Digital Signage Expo. Additionally, he has been on multiple webinars and has had articles published in many trade magazines. His dedication to continuous learning ensures he remains on the cutting edge of emerging trends and technologies through education opportunities and poking his head behind any digital signage installation he can find.
Chewie has become an invaluable mentor to many across the digital signage and live sports coverage industries. He is always willing to share his insights and knowledge. His sense of humor and down-to-earth approach make him approachable and well-loved, while his integrity and work ethic set a high standard for others to follow.
Beyond his professional life, Chewie is deeply invested in his community through Scouting America. He is a Cubmaster for his son’s Pack and a Scoutmaster for his daughter’s Troop. Being an Eagle Scout, Chewie encourages all the youth he meets to experience scouting for the lifelong lessons provided no matter how far down the path to becoming an Eagle Scout a scout travels. His presence is magnetic, effortlessly drawing people in, making him not just a colleague but a lifelong friend to many.