Robert Shaffer – Owner/Project Manager

Robert originally hails from the DC area; after discovering the world of lighting through high school theater he went on to work for Showtime Sound in Maryland and was the lighting designer on North American and European legs of Kevin Hart’s ‘Let Me Explain’ tour. Robert relocated to Asheville ten years ago where he continued his freelance career. He appreciates the beauty of a perfect truck pack and can magically source any piece of equipment in less than three phone calls. Robert is Pisgah’s resident foodie and when not speccing shows he’s hunting down WNC’s best culinary offerings. 

Ryan Hargis – Owner/Installation Manager

A self confessed audio nerd, Ryan graduated WCU’s music program way back before social media was a thing. After an extended stint as a production manager Ryan was tapped to join German audio system’s manufacturer d&b Audiotechnik’s USA office in application support. Now, Ryan heads up Pisgah’s installation department helping our customers get the best out of their installed audio, video and lighting systems. In his spare time Ryan races autocross and has compiled an encyclopedic knowledge of Tex-Mex eateries between here and Lake Charles.  

Dave Champagne – Owner/Project Manager

After completing a degree in Recording Arts at The New England Institute of Art in Boston,  Dave relocated to North Carolina to take up the position as Lighting Director for Asheville’s iconic Orange Peel. Dave served the next 11 years as Production Manager at the Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Event Center. Legend has it that Dave started Pisgah AVL providing lighting out of the back of his old Subaru Outback. These days, Dave is mostly working on event design and wishing his hair would grow back.

Aaron Sparks – Installation Coordinator

Aaron began his PisgahAVL journey as our logistics and transportation Manager. Recently Aaron has transitioned to our installation department where he coordinates project purchasing and scheduling, putting his previous experience as an industrial manufacturing manager to good use. Having known Ryan for over 35 years he would like to state publicly that he is in no way complicit in keeping Ryan’s expansive Funko Pop™ collection secret from his wife – which if you’re reading this is no longer a secret.

Neal Morgan – Account Executive

Neal is a seasoned expert in AV integration and live entertainment. With over 20 years of experience across various sectors, including AV integration, live music, and casino entertainment, Neal shines at building robust client relationships and facilitating effective communication between clients and technical teams. His career includes significant roles such as overseeing entertainment operations at a casino resort, managing high-profile events, and handling intricate AV and digital signage systems. Since joining Pisgah, leverages his extensive industry knowledge to drive successful project outcomes, while working on client relations and technical coordination.

Rylan Brown – Project Manager

Rylan was born and raised in the mystical land of Northeast Tennessee and currently resides in Erwin, TN. He has over 13 years of experience in audio, video, and lighting. He spent many years as the production director of Celebration Church, in Blountville, TN. During that time, he was able to build a notable resume as a free-lance television broadcast engineer with clients ranging from ESPN to the PGA tour. Rylan is now working alongside Jamie to grow the business in the Appalachian Highlands. He can also be found managing events in the Asheville area and beyond.

Jamie Ivey – Business Development

Jamie brings over 25 years production experience to the Pisgah AVL team. Originally from Tampa, FL, where he worked for ESI Production Services as a Systems Tech, A1, and Production Manager supporting national acts and Florida’s theme parks. He most recently wrapped up ten years serving as the Technical Director for an East TN mega-church. Based in Johnson City, Jamie supports our clients in the Appalachian Highlands with their live events and AVL installations.

Lennon McAslan – Asset Administrator

Lennon is an Audio Engineer and the Asset Administrator for Pisgah AVL. She fell in love with live music as a teenager in Phoenix, Arizona and never looked back. After graduating with her Audio Production Degree, she started her career working at independent recording studios and labels. Lennon spent 4 years working remotely with a Karaoke company mixing and mastering tracks while traveling around the world with no home address visiting 38 states and 8 countries. After settling in Asheville, Lennon has worked in live production for years at a variety of events and venues in WNC and beyond.

Calvin Erickson – Installation & Maintenance Technician

Calvin wears multiple hats at Pisgah. His primary job consists of working with our installation team to execute on-site system deployment. Calvin also has an uncanny ability to fix anything he touches. Seriously, you name it, he can fix it. That ability has landed him the prized position of Pisgah’s equipment maintenance technician as well. He has been a freelance audio engineer since 2017, working in small clubs and honing his craft. In his free time, Calvin enjoys kayak fishing, mountain biking, and backpacking through our beautiful backcountry.

Tim Fahey – Warehouse & Audio Technician 

Tim is a wandering soul who began his long strange trip in the flatlands of Illinois, near Chicago.  It was there the humble beginnings of his love for audio and music began. After studying Recording Arts at Flashpoint Academy, he made his way out west to the Rocky Mountains. Over time he would find himself immersed in a myriad of work and adventures,  all the while a true love for music in tow.  He spent as much time adventuring the backcountry as he did at concerts or playing music with friends.  He has since  relocated to the Asheville area and he has brought with him a drive to be a part of the magic that is event production through audio engineering.

Owen Myers – Warehouse Technician 

Owen was born and raised in Greensboro, NC but now resides in Asheville, NC. After picking up the guitar at a young age, his life has been surrounded by music ever since. Owen is a seasoned live performer playing with a plethora of bands for over 10 years all over the southeast. His first three years in Asheville were spent as a product validation specialist for Moog Music but now he is proud to be working for Pisgah AVL supplying people with whatever means necessary to make their events happen.

Rhonan Cort- Warehouse Technician

Rhonan Cort was born and raised in Asheville, and has been drawn to music and theater as long as he can remember. His music journey started when he was 8 learning how to play percussion, eventually joining the Asheville Youth Symphonic Orchestra in his teen years. While the theater journey started in middle school with our local Shakespeare group, Montford Moppets, as an actor but early into high school he quickly found he had more interest in the technical aspects of stage work; running sound, building sets, and stage managing. His journey brought him to Pisgah’s warehouse as a technician, helping provide people with their event needs.

Liz Warren- Office Manager / Social Media Manager

Liz joined Pisgah Audio Video Lighting in 2025, bringing strong organizational skills and a creative eye to both the office and online presence. With over three years of experience in office and social media management, she keeps operations running smoothly while shaping the company’s voice and visuals. Though new to the AV industry, Liz thrives in fast-paced, creative environments and brings a solid background in team support and content creation. Originally from Raleigh, NC, and raised partly in Oakland, MD, she’s called Asheville home for over 15 years, with brief creative stints in Chicago and California. Outside of work, Liz is a passionate creative — a singer, artist, model, and bridal makeup artist. Her favorite role, though, is being a proud mom and spending time with her son and animals.

Evan Thieme – Installation & Maintenance Technician

Evan is the newest member of our installation team here at Pisgah. He started his Audio Engineering career in his hometown of Cincinnati, eventually providing production all over the state of Ohio. After moving to Asheville and joining the Pisgah installation team, he now spends most of his time looking for excuses to buy new tools and moving as little as is humanly possible during his time off.

Taylor Freydburg- Audio Technician

Taylor is an audio engineer and musician originally from Southwest Florida. Music has always played a huge part in his life from constructing his first isolation booth in high school, to playing music festivals and concert venues all over Florida in his 20s. After completing a degree in Music Production and Technology at Florida Southwestern State College he was hired as the Assistant Audio Engineer at Artis Naples. During his time there he mixed shows for internationally acclaimed artists and honed his craft on state of the art equipment. In 2024 he relocated to Asheville to continue his growth in the live music industry in a scene he’s always adored. A perfect day for Taylor is hiking to a waterfall, eating a well deserved treat and then catching a show.