中文The International Sign Association (ISA) has unveiled the 2026-2027 cohort of its ISA Elite program, marking the tenth edition of a leadership initiative that has become a quiet but important engine for talent development across the sign, graphics, and print industries. This year, the association received more than 90 applications and selected 35 participants representing a broad cross-section of the industry, from first-generation founders to operations leaders at established national brands.
ISA Elite is structured as a year-long experience that combines targeted leadership training with high-impact networking. Members are paired with industry mentors, attend in-person gatherings at ISA headquarters and at the association’s annual International Sign Expo, and gain access to a vibrant alumni network that now includes hundreds of graduates. The 2026-2027 class will meet in person for the first time in October at ISA headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, and will reconvene at ISA International Sign Expo 2027 in Las Vegas.
What makes this year’s class notable is its diversity of roles and company stages. Participants include founders of permit technology startups, project managers at national sign firms, regional sales leaders, operations managers, estimating specialists, and executive assistants moving into broader commercial roles. The class also includes senior executives who are already running major business units but see value in the structured peer exchange the program provides. Together, the cohort reflects the reality that the sign and graphics industry draws leaders from many different entry points and career paths.
ISA leadership framed the milestone by emphasizing the long-term value the program has created. Lori Anderson, ISA president and CEO, noted that many Elite alumni now serve on ISA and affiliate boards, drive innovation inside their own companies, and mentor the next round of applicants. The tenth cohort, she said, is a continuation of an experiment that began as a hope and has matured into a measurable pipeline of industry leadership.
For the first time, ISA is opening ISA Elite to corporate sponsorship. The move is designed to expand the program’s reach and to give Elite members structured access to suppliers, distributors, and manufacturers who are investing in the next generation of customers and partners. Sponsorship, the association says, will help the program keep pace with growing interest while preserving the peer-driven, member-first character that has defined it so far.
The list of selected participants reads like a snapshot of the modern sign and graphics industry. Names range from Mustafa Abdelhamid, founder of permit technology startup PermitPal, to long-tenured operators at established names like FASTSIGNS, Pattison ID, Allen Industries, and Everbrite. Several members come from family-owned shops now scaling into multi-state operations, while others represent national sign and lighting service providers, architectural signage firms, and vehicle wrap specialists. The geographic spread covers small markets in the U.S. Midwest and South, large metro areas, and Canada.
Looking at the cohort more closely, the role mix is one of the most striking features. Estimating managers, project managers, operations managers, and sales leaders are all represented, alongside a smaller number of founders and C-suite executives. That balance suggests ISA Elite is succeeding at its stated goal of building leadership capacity across functions, not just at the very top of organizations. For the industry, that distributed leadership depth is arguably more valuable than a small handful of celebrity executives, because it is what allows companies to scale without breaking under the weight of growth.
Another noteworthy element is the inclusion of several participants from specialist niches: architectural signage, permit technology, vehicle wraps, neon, and large-format LED. As the sign and graphics market continues to fragment and specialize, leadership development that crosses those sub-segments is increasingly valuable. Participants can learn from peers who face very different customer profiles, regulatory environments, and production realities, and they can carry those lessons back into their own businesses.
For the wider industry, the program’s tenth edition is a useful reminder that the sign and graphics sector, like printing more broadly, depends on a steady pipeline of new leaders. Equipment is becoming more capable, customer demands are becoming more complex, and workforce challenges are real. Programs that develop operators, project managers, and owners into cross-functional leaders play a meaningful role in keeping the industry competitive and adaptable. ISA Elite is one of the more visible expressions of that effort, and the 2026-2027 class suggests that the pipeline, for now, remains healthy.
There is also a quiet but important message in the timing of this announcement. The sign and graphics industry, like much of print, is going through generational change at the ownership level. Many founder-led firms are facing succession questions, and a growing number of younger managers are stepping into leadership roles earlier in their careers. Programs that formalize that transition, and connect emerging leaders with peers in similar positions, are increasingly valuable. ISA Elite is, in that sense, not just a networking exercise; it is part of the infrastructure that helps family businesses, regional operators, and national brands hand the industry off to the next cohort of leaders without losing the continuity that made it strong in the first place.
The decision to open the program to corporate sponsorship is itself a sign of how the industry has matured. A decade ago, leadership programs in trade associations were largely funded by member dues and run on a shoestring. Today, the supplier ecosystem is willing to invest directly in the next generation of customers and channel partners, recognizing that the ROI of developing young leaders goes well beyond goodwill. For ISA, that means a more sustainable funding model. For sponsors, it means a structured way to build relationships with the cohort that will be specifying equipment, software, and materials for the next ten to twenty years.
Source: WhatTheyThink
