Washington, DC (Jan. 16, 2024) – The Sign Research Foundation will be aided in its mission of expanding academic research into on-premise signage with the addition of a new board trustee and a new chair.
Sarah Wexler, senior director of global store design for Foot Locker, will serve as board chair. “Sarah has been a foundational board member for six years, leading the organization through several transformative strategic changes,” said Sapna Budev, SRF’s executive director. “As chair, she is poised to guide SRF in our goal to engage and educate retail architects about signage. I deeply value her insight and visionary instincts.”
Liz Griswold, special projects director for the Society for Experiential Graphic Design (SEGD), joins the SRF board of trustees. Griswold joined the SEGD staff in 2022 but has been an active professional member since 2005. Prior to joining the SEGD staff, she held pivotal roles leading the experiential design markets for two different architectural/engineering firms where she earned a total of 28 design awards throughout her tenure.
“Liz has the intellect and curiosity of an academic when it comes to evidence-based signage practices,” Budev said. “She helped SRF build our research rubric and will be immensely helpful in determining the future of our research pipeline. The potential for new synergies with her organization, SEGD, is also very exciting.”
Griswold noted the “vital role” that SRF plays in the sign industry, “providing resources and evidence-based insights for specialized expertise. Serving on the SRF Board is an opportunity for me to actively contribute and positively impact the industry.”
Max Fulton, senior director at Alvarez & Marsal, continues as the board’s secretary/treasurer. Stacey Brown, owner of Signarama Silver Springs and Signarama DC North, Manish Jaisinghani, lead of design and sourcing for Principle Global, and Brenda Velázquez, CEO of Future Sign Company, continue on the board.
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About Sign Research Foundation (SRF)
The Sign Research Foundation empowers communities by supplying academic research on vibrant and effective sign strategies, systems and codes. We facilitate dialogue with architects, urban planners, developers, code officials, business owners and designers to create more navigable cities, thriving businesses and strong urban identities.
