Each year the Electronic Security Association (ESA) recognizes and honors an ESA member who has served on one of its committees, task forces, or boards, and has consistently demonstrated extraordinary leadership, service, and dedication to the electronic security and life safety industry. This honor comes in the form of the Sara E. Jackson Award, which is named after this former ESA president who exemplified unwavering dedication to the industry.  

This year’s very deserving recipient of the Sara E. Jackson Award is industry veteran and advocate Michael Barnes. As Founding Partner of Barnes Associates, an investment banking and consulting firm that specializes in the security alarm industry, he is a longtime trusted advisor on acquisitions, raising capital, strategic planning, and performance assessment.  

Barnes started his career out of college in banking and insurance, where he had small glimpses of the security alarm industry. In 1984 he worked briefly with Potter Electric Signal Company then went on to launch Barnes Associates in 1986. Since then, the company has been involved in more than 285 transactions with an aggregate transaction value in excess of $30 billion. In 1990, Barnes Associates started the first of several performance benchmarking programs that allowed security alarm companies to contribute their financial and operating data on a standardized basis and have their performance benchmarked against their peers. These programs continue and provide valuable insight into how the industry is doing overall. He launched another industry initiative in 1995, along with the law firm of Buchanan Ingersoll, when they co-founded the annual Barnes-Buchanan Conference. This annual event was designed to bring capital providers and security alarm companies together to discuss issues related to industry growth, performance, and the creation of value. 

Michael Barnes’ journey with ESA actually began in 1984, when he briefly worked with Potter and was elected to the Board of Directors of SIA (Security Industry Association). At that time, SIA provided a representative that served on the Board of the NBFAA (National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association, which is now known as the Electronic Security Association – ESA) and Barnes served in that role.  

“I was new to the industry, and it was through this involvement that I learned about how the industry was structured and its common challenges. It also was a great platform for meeting and interacting with industry leaders,” Barnes says. “In 1986, when I started Barnes Associates, Inc., I continued to focus our attention on involvement with the NBFAA and subsequently ESA. This was the trade association speaking on behalf of our security alarm company clients and tackling the myriads of issues faced by the industry. I served on a number of committees, typically those working on issues related to industry sizing, growth and performance, and/or of a financial nature.”

Fast forward to 2022. John Loud and Merlin Guilbeau asked if I would be willing to serve on the Board of Directors of ESA as a Competency Director, a role I have wholeheartedly enjoyed and embraced.” 

Barnes states humbly that he is deeply honored to receive the Sara E. Jackson Award. “ESA is such a great organization and voice for the industry, and I am pleased to have contributed to its success. To receive this important award means the world to me.”  

ESA’s Chief Executive Officer Merlin Guilbeau states, “Michael Barnes exemplifies the spirit of ESA and the legacy of Sara Jackson. His unwavering commitment to service, leadership, and advancing our industry has made a lasting impact on both ESA and the professionals we represent. Michael’s passion for giving back and elevating others sets a standard we can all aspire to, and we are proud to recognize him as our 2026 honoree.” 

And as Kevin Stone, ESA’s Outgoing Chairman echoes, “I am thrilled that Michael Barnes has been named the recipient of the 2026 Sara E. Jackson Award. Michael’s deep industry knowledge and unwavering leadership on the ESA Board and Finance Committee have been vital to our mission and success. His dedication perfectly mirrors the legacy of resilience and service established by Sara E. Jackson herself.”