Planar, the Hillsboro, Ore.-based, visualization technology provider, has announced a strategic expansion of its dedicated U.S. Government division. The company is adding four experienced industry professionals who specialize in federal, state and local government sectors. This expansion strengthens Planar’s capacity to design, deploy and support advanced display technologies where mission-critical performance is essential.
The strategic hires include a new sales director, two business development managers and a government sales operations specialist. Together, these seasoned professionals bring nearly 60 years of combined experience working within government organizations and mission-critical environments.
Elevating Support for Mission-Critical Operations
Success in the public sector requires an intricate understanding of complex procurement processes and high-performance audiovisual requirements. Government command-and-control centers, emergency operation facilities and public sector meeting spaces cannot afford downtime. Planar’s newly expanded team possesses the deep expertise necessary to align innovative hardware and software solutions with these rigorous operational parameters.
“Last year was a strong year for our government business, and we’re looking forward to carrying this momentum into 2026 with continued investment in Planar’s established reputation for best-in-class display technologies,” said Tani Klein, vice president of North America sales at Planar. “From aligning the right display solutions for complex, high-performance environments to optimizing sales processes and scaling successful programs, these results-driven, customer-centric government professionals exhibit the skill set we need to create more impactful projects in federal, state and local governments.”
Meet the Planar U.S. Government Team
Planar’s new team members bring extensive backgrounds in public sector procurement, strategic partnership development and long-term customer engagement.
Greg Frechner, Sales Director, State & Local Government
Greg Fechner joins Planar as the new sales director for state and local government. He will oversee revenue growth across the market, bringing more than 25 years of experience in government sales and business development. Fechner has a proven track record of building national sales strategies and collaborating with end users, consultants and integrators on complex public sector initiatives. Prior to joining Planar, he served as vice president of business development for BEINCOURT and spent 13 years at Crestron directing U.S. government sales.
Jonathan Kim, Business Development Manager
Jonathan Kim further supports this market as the new business development manager for state and local government. Stationed on the West Coast, Kim brings more than a decade of experience driving high-value solutions for enterprise and government clients. He excels at articulating competitive advantages and building trust with senior decision-makers to foster long-term revenue growth. His background includes serving as business development manager for federal government at FORTE, as well as managing over 1,200 accounts during his tenure at Crestron.
Sonny Lastrella, Business Development Manager
Sonny Lastrella joins the division as the business development manager for the federal government. Lastrella holds more than two decades of experience supporting U.S. Department of Defense and federal customers across the Indo-Pacific and continental U.S. regions. His deep expertise centers on command-and-control environments, mission-critical AV systems and complex technology ecosystems. Lastrella is exceptionally skilled at supporting defense integrators and emerging technology partners to meet strict operational mission needs.
Chad Tangchittsumran, Government Sales Operations Specialist
To ensure seamless execution across all projects, Chad Tangchittsumran steps into the role of government sales operations specialist. He brings over 10 years of experience in the public sector. Tangchittsumran will support business development, manage deal registration, ensure compliance and facilitate cross-functional collaboration. Previously, he served as a sales operations manager for a distributor working with multiple manufacturers, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of the supply chain and procurement lifecycle.
Building on a Foundation of Expertise
The new additions will collaborate closely with the existing U.S. Government team, ensuring a seamless integration of their deep industry knowledge. They join applications engineer Corey Emmons, who joined the team in 2024, and Ellen McNutt, the business development manager for state and local government.
The division is led by Alberto Reyes, the U.S. Government division general manager. Reyes has been a cornerstone of Planar since 2013 and assumed the role of director of U.S. Government sales when the specialized department officially formed in 2018.
“We’re proud to add four proven industry experts who bring nearly 60 years of combined experience working with government organizations and mission-critical environments,” says Reyes. “Planar’s dedicated focus on federal, state and local government is unique, and this expanded team further strengthens our ability to help agencies and partners navigate complex requirements and deliver reliable, high-performance visualization solutions.”
