Foundation for Advancing Security Talent Welcomes Eight New Members to the FAST Board of Directors

  • Jan 05, 2026

The Foundation for Advancing Security Talent (FAST) has named eight new members to the FAST Board of Directors—an expert-led group drawn from the membership of the Security Industry Association (SIA), the Electronic Security Association (ESA) and PSA and that defines and refines FAST’s strategic plan, as well as the foundation’s annual goals.

The newly appointed members, named by SIA, ESA and PSA, are:

  • Matt Barnette has been president and CEO of PSA since 2021 and is a seasoned veteran in the physical security industry with more than 30 years of experience in management and executive roles, including previously serving as president of Mercury Security and of AMAG Technology.
  • Taylor Carr is president of Allied Universal Technology Services, one of the largest security systems integrators in the United States, and has more than 25 years of executive leadership and operational expertise in the security and technology services industry, including previously serving as executive vice president of Allied Universal Technology Services.
  • Shaun Castillo is president of Preferred Technologies (Pref-Tech), where he leads a team of professionals dedicated to delivering integrated security, communications and life safety solutions. He joined Pref-Tech in 2005 after serving as an officer in the United States Army, where he completed a year of combat operations in Iraq.
  • Angelo Faenza serves as general manager and head of digital access solutions at ASSA ABLOY. He has been with ASSA ABLOY since 2002 and leads efforts to provide expertise and knowledge on electronic access control technologies to help customers find the right solution and products for the specific needs of their facilities.
  • Hilary Gallagher is chief operating and marketing officer at The Access Control Collective. She brings vast experience and a versatile amount of marketing skills, having previously held product, field and analyst marketing positions at Appirio, UniKey Technologies, Brivo and Copado. Wayne Smith is president of Tech Systems, where he leads the team in providing service-centric and converged security solutions to end users and Fortune 500 companies. He has over 23 years of experience in the IT and security industry, including previously serving in leadership roles at Synovus Financial Corporation and TSYS.
  • Heather Torrey is general manager of commercial security, Americas, at Honeywell. Prior to her current role, she was the general manager of safety and productivity solutions, Pacific region.
  • Tony Wilson, as one of the original founders of CMS, has played a central role in building the organization into one of the nation’s leading wholesale monitoring providers. Wilson has worked across all areas of the business throughout his tenure, assuming the role of president in 1991.

“FAST is proud to welcome Matt Barnette, Taylor Carr, Shaun Castillo, Angelo Faenza, Hilary Gallagher, Wayne Smith, Heather Torrey and Tony Wilson to the FAST Board of Directors,” said John Nemerofsky, chair of the FAST Board of Directors and chief operating officer at SAGE Integration. “This outstanding group of leaders brings deep leadership experience, impressive industry knowledge and a history of high-impact accomplishments, and we look forward to collaborating with them to strengthen our industry’s workforce development and drive forward FAST’s mission to connect individuals with meaningful careers in physical security and life safety.”

FAST is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization promoting careers in the physical security technology and life safety industry. Created in 2020 through a partnership of SIA and ESA— the industry’s leading associations—FAST connects passionate, innovative professionals with new opportunities in electronic security and life safety. The foundation brings awareness to the career advancement opportunities within the fast-paced technology industry that serves to keep people, places and property safe. Each year, FAST leads National Security Technician Day, held Jan. 23 annually and acknowledging and celebrating the invaluable contributions of security technicians.

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