ESA welcomes two new board members

DALLAS—The Electronic Security Association (ESA) recently installed two new members on its Board of Directors - Rick Seymour, CEO, CSI Palm Beach, and Michael Barnes, Founding Partner, Barnes Associates, Inc.

Seymour and Barnes were installed onto the ESA Board of Directors during the ESA Annual Meeting at the Electronic Security Expo (ESX) and began their term on July 1.

The purpose of a director on the ESA Board is to work collectively as a team to provide good governance of ESA affairs and to set direction to optimize the growth and performance of the organization. Each board member has a responsibility for ensuring strategies and policies that are developed, discussed and implemented will enable the organization to achieve its mission and vision, and to monitor the organization’s implementation of those strategies and policies.

Seymour has been in the electronic security and life safety industry since 2005, where he acquired his first security business. As of 2021, he grew the RMR by over nine percent year after year.  Seymour was first attracted to the industry by the recurring revenue business model and became passionate about providing a service that partners with our first responders to keep our communities safe. In 2011, he acquired another security business to become the largest provider of electronic security services in Jupiter Island.

He currently serves as a Board Member of the Alarm Association of Florida and Chairman of the Workforce Development Committee, Chairman of the Youth Scholarship Committee, Member of the Business Advisory Council to Palm Beach State College, Founding Board Member and current Board Chairman of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Foundation, and is a current member of the Executives Association of the Palm Beaches.

“As a longtime member of ESA, a founding member and past president of the Florida ESA Charter Chapter, I am grateful and proud of the opportunity to serve our industry at a national level,” Seymour said. “I have been involved in workforce development for our industry locally for many years. I would like to share what I have learned and accomplished with other states and get involved with FAST.

“As we all struggle with the workforce challenges facing each one of our businesses, you will be hard pressed to find an ESA member security dealer with more effort and insight as to how to approach this challenge than what Rick Seymour does with his company throughout his community,” added John Loud, ESA Chairman and President of LOUD Security inc. “I am so glad he is a member of our ESA Board and can offer his knowledge to help our ESA members navigate this hurdle.”

Barnes founded Barnes Associates in 1986 and directs the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions activities. He is based in St. Louis. Since founding Barnes Associates, he has been involved in more than 280 security alarm acquisitions and financings, with an aggregate transaction value in excess of $29 billion. Barnes has lectured at numerous events within the security alarm industry on matters relating to acquisitions, the availability of capital and the operating dynamics and performance of alarm companies. He was the 13th person to be inducted into the Security Alarm Industry Hall of Fame, an honor he received in 2004. Barnes Associates co-sponsors the annual Barnes-Buchanan Conference.

Barnes hopes that his experience as a financially oriented executive will help ESA in good governance and fiscal discipline. He will also be a Board liaison for ESA’s Executive Management Professionals Group (EMP).

“I look forward to working with Scott Hightower, the group’s new Chairman.” Barnes said. “This industry has some unique accounting challenges, most notably around the costs of originating new customers and their associated recurring revenues. I am hoping to help develop more organization and engagement around these topics of shared interest.

“Overall, I feel honored to be invited to serve on ESA’s Board. The organization does such great work in supporting and advocating for the industry, and the Board has a large responsibility for setting direction. I feel the weight of that responsibility and hope I can rise to the occasion.”

“Michael Barnes has been a longtime industry leader with significant insights on the historical aspects of our security industry and deep knowledge of the acquisition space and financial services firms supporting our profession,” Loud noted. “He also has a clear vision, looking into the future direction we will all be navigating. He is a tremendous asset to our industry, and I am grateful he is part of our ESA Board.”

Seymour and Barnes join a distinct group of security professionals comprising the current ESA Board of Directors, including: 

Integrator Chairman John Loud 2022-2024 
Integrator Director Kevin Stone 2022-2024 
Integrator Director Rick Seymour 2022-2024 
Integrator Director Melissa Brinkman 2021-2023 
Integrator Director Jeremy Bates 2021-2023 
National Company Director Doug Bassett 2022-2024 
Associate Member Director Jason Lutz 2021-2023 
Competency Director Steve Firestone 2022-2023 
Competency Director Michael Barnes 2022-2023 
Immediate Past Chairman Director Jamie Vos 2022-2024