- TAMPA, FL--NorthStar Bank announced the expansion of its Board of Directors to include Tampa business leader Martin Schaffel.
- John H. Sykes, chairman of the board of NorthStar Bank, commented, “I am delighted to add one of Tampa’s most widely recognized and knowledgeable business leaders to this important role in the corporate governance of our organization.” He continued, “Martin Schaffel is an exceptional entrepreneur whose vision has lead to the development of one of Tampa’s foremost technology businesses.”
- Schaffel added, “As the executive chairman of a local business, I am acutely attuned to the economic realities in which my peers currently operate and understand the importance of a vibrant, locally based banking alternative that serves the very specific needs of the business community in Tampa Bay.”
- Martin Schaffel founded legacy Audio Visual Innovations, Inc. (AVI) in 1979 and continues to serve as the executive chairman of the growing enterprise that specializes in creating and selling audio video products and services to corporate, education, healthcare, military and government markets worldwide. Through a merger in 2008 with its closest competitor, Signal Perfection Ltd., AVI-SPL was created doubling the company’s locations and more than doubling the size of its staff. AVI-SPL was named the 2008 Professional Service winner and the Overall Business of the Year by the Tampa Bay Business Journal. Schaffel has been honored with the Life Time Achievement Award in Entrepreneurship by the University of Florida in 2009.
Schaffel is on the Board of the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, the Florida Orchestra, Berkeley Preparatory School, and the Executive Committee of the Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Florida - College of Business. He also guest lectures at the University of Florida and is on the Board of Directors of Prospect Smarter, a Tampa-headquartered technology firm. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Florida and a B.S. in Public Administration from the University of Florida.
