SIA to Honor Volunteers of the Year Frank De Fina of SightLogix, Jim Crumbley of Risk Response Team, Frank Gasztonyi of Mercury Security, Rodger Schmidt of ASSA ABLOY
Silver Spring, Md. (PRWEB) February 10, 2015 -- The Security Industry Association (SIA) will recognize the outstanding contributions of four of its members to the security industry with the Sandy Jones Volunteer of the Year Award in an awards ceremony at ISC West on Tuesday, April 14, announced SIA Chairman of the Board V. John Stroia today.
The honorees will be recognized in an awards ceremony at The Advance, SIA’s annual membership meeting, scheduled to take place on-site at ISC West, produced by ISC Events. The four recipients of the 2014 Sandy Jones Volunteer of the Year Award include:
• Frank De Fina, executive vice president at SightLogix, for spearheading development of a two-year Associates Degree program in security in partnership with Mercer County Community College (New Jersey)
• Jim Crumbley, owner of Risk Response Team Inc., for shaping K-12 security best practices as vice chair of the SIA Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) coalition
• Frank Gasztonyi, chief technology officer of Mercury Security Corp., for leadership in technical standards development, particularly the Open Supervised Device Protocol (OSDPTM)
• Rodger Schmidt, product trainer, ASSA ABLOY, for development of online and instructor-led security project management courses and curriculum
De Fina said, “There is a great need to recruit a diverse group of bright students into the physical and cyber security space. We are an underground industry in that most high school students are unaware of the significant career opportunities with integrators, manufacturers and end users. We need to be perceived as a ‘cool’ industry and attract these students at the pre-college level. The SIA affiliation with the Mercer Community College Program will serve as a template for nationwide implementation.”
Crumbley said, “Working with the Security Industry Association in building the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) has been one of the highlights of my career. PASS has worked tirelessly to develop guidelines that provide school systems with options for safeguarding students. PASS is a team and the award is accepted on behalf of the team. I want to thank the SIA and all of my co-volunteers in PASS for the opportunity to work with some of the most dedicated professionals I have ever met.”
Gasztonyi said, “I thank the SIA leadership for the distinction and honor. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to continue to contribute to the project I started more than 10 years ago—a project that has gained such wide support since SIA’s sponsorship in 2012. The enthusiastic participation from some of the best talent from our industry makes the work truly enjoyable. With that said, we are not losing sight of our goal to create a SIA Standard that will advance the way our industry serves its customers. Seeing the willingness of so many companies to contribute their top talent to the project is the best proof we can have that we are moving in the right direction.”
Schmidt said, “I am honored to be recognized by the Security Industry Association. Education is a passion for me and a key priority for ASSA ABLOY. Volunteering with SIA has been a great experience in working with professionals from the security industry to develop training materials, to share our knowledge and experiences with those who wish to grow in the industry.”
Stroia will present recipients with the Sandy Jones Volunteer of the Year Award, along with the SIA Chairman’s Award and SIA Committee Chair of the Year Award (previously announced), at The Advance, SIA’s annual membership meeting, held during ISC West at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev., on Tuesday, April 14. (Find out more and register at http://www.securityindustry.org/advance.)
Honorees and all SIA Members are welcome to gather for the program from 10:30-11:30 a.m., followed by a free buffet lunch, where members and honorees can network with each other and the SIA Board.
The Advance is co-located with ISC West, and individuals can register to attend the ISC West exhibit hall, which opens April 15-17, at no cost courtesy of SIA at http://iscwest.com/sia.
The Sandy Jones Volunteer of the Year Award is named in honor of Sandra Jones, principal of Sandra Jones and Company, a prolific SIA volunteer and co-founder of the executive conference Securing New Ground®.
About the Security Industry Association
The Security Industry Association (SIA) (http://www.securityindustry.org) is the leading trade association for electronic and physical security solution providers, with more than 500 innovative member companies representing more than 300,000 security leaders and experts who shape the future of the security industry. SIA protects and advances its members' interests by advocating pro-industry policies and legislation at the federal and state levels; creating open industry standards that enable integration; advancing industry professionalism through education and training; opening global market opportunities; and collaboration with other like-minded organizations. As a proud sponsor of ISC Events expos and conferences, and owner of the Securing New Ground® conference, SIA ensures its members have access to top-level buyers and influencers, as well as unparalleled learning and network opportunities.
Mickey McCarter, Security Industry Association, http://www.securityindustry.org, +1 (301) 804-4704, [email protected]
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