The 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Presentation Luncheon was an exclusive event featuring two hundred representatives of law enforcement, public safety, and top industry leaders who came together to honor the selfless service of those who stand on the front lines, and those who stand beside them – providing the capabilities and technologies to create a safer world for generations to come. (Continued)

 

Naval Postgraduate School 

• Excellence in Homeland Security

  • • Center for Homeland Defense and Security

• The Center for Homeland Defense and Security offers programs developed in partnership with and are sponsored by the National Preparedness Directorate of FEMA, focused on assisting current and emerging leaders in Homeland Defense and Security to develop the policies, strategies, programs, and organizational elements needed to defeat terrorism and prepare for and respond to natural disasters and public safety threats across the United States.

• Through CHDS graduate and executive-level coursework, seminars, and research, homeland security leaders gain the analytic and critical thinking skills and substantive expertise they need to create innovative solutions that address the threats facing the nation and local communities.

(See how CHDS resources are utilized daily by hundreds of local, state, territorial, tribal, and federal agencies, the private sector, and academic institutions to accomplish their missions. The Center facilitates leaders in taking their ideas out of the classroom and into the real world where they become new policies and strategies that better protect our communities and country. Courtesy of CHDS and YouTube.)

 

Federal Protective Service in Collaboration with the Argonne National Laboratory

• Excellence in Homeland Security

  • • Modified Infrastructure Survey Tool (MIST)

• FPS uses the Modified Infrastructure Survey Tool (MIST) which was developed in partnership with the Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory.

• Using MIST, FPS can survey a facility’s current security posture and make countermeasure recommendations.

• This multi-component application includes a survey tool, artificial intelligence-powered threat determination, a security asset tracking system, and a stakeholders communication tool.

• The MIST Stakeholder Self-Service Tool (SST), is currently providing more than 300 Federal agencies with the documentation and data necessary to maintain ISC compliance at the national level, through a secure application gateway that allows security managers and agency leadership to view current and prior facility security assessments and countermeasure recommendations while documenting and ensuring their ISC compliance.

 

DHS/CISA/Infrastructure Security Division/Interagency Security Committee

• Excellence in Homeland Security

  • • Risk Management Process & Facility Security Committee Training

• The Interagency Security Committee’s (ISC) Risk Management Process and Facility Security Committee Training positively impacts federal facility security through a systemic and deliberate risk management approach, which is a level of protection commensurate with the level of risk.

• These virtual instructor-led courses cover the ISC Risk Management Process and the roles and responsibilities of the Facility Security Committee, and is offered at no cost to participants and is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

• The ISC Risk Management Process and Facility Security Committee Training is highly recommended for Facility Security Committee (FSC) Chairs, FSC Members, Executives, Managers, and any personnel involved in making facility funding, leasing, security, or other risk management decisions.

 

U.S. Fire Administration

• Excellence in Public Safety

  • • Fire Service Training & Professional Development

• The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) supports the fire and emergency services professional development community through the Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) initiative to standardize training, education, experience, and certification activities.

• USFA and National Fire Academy (NFA) work to advance the professional status and expand the knowledge and skills of fire and emergency services personnel, with free training and education programs to support fire departments and emergency services organizations in preparing for, preventing, and responding to fires and other hazards.

• This national, competency-based professional development system helps to eliminate duplication of efforts and enhance the overall professional development of the fire and emergency services.

(Tonya Hoover, Superintendent at United States Fire Administration describes how the USFA  supports the training, education, and professional development of fire departments so they are better prepared to respond to all hazards. Learn more about the staff behind their mission. Courtesy of the U.S. Fire Administration, FEMA, and YouTube.)

 

Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department

• Excellence in Public Safety

  • • Metropolitan Police Department (MPD)

• One of the 10 largest local police agencies in the United States, the Metropolitan Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency for the District of Columbia.

• Founded in 1861, the Metropolitan Police Department of today is on the forefront of technological crime fighting advances, from highly developed advances in evidence analysis to state-of the-art-information technology.
  

• Each and every member of the Metropolitan Police Department lives their motto: We are here to help, each and every day!

 

San Diego Harbor Police Foundation

• Excellence in Public Safety & Community Enrichment

  • • San Diego Harbor Police Foundation

• For police officers, the concept of devotion to duty is second nature. Every day, the men and women of uniformed law enforcement serve on the front lines, protecting the communities and individuals in their care.

• True to its heritage, the nonprofit San Diego Harbor Police Foundation represents a deep-rooted commitment to service and has made significant contributions toward improving the lives of children, families, and police officers.

• Envisioned by Mark Stainbrook, Chief of the Port of San Diego Harbor Police, and led by Chief Executive Officer Jeff Wohler, the San Diego Harbor Police Foundation supports three critical initiatives, each of which make the world a safer place: Community Outreach, Officer Wellness, and Countering Human Trafficking Awareness & Training programs. 

(The San Diego Harbor Police Foundation celebrates the holidays by helping others. And there’s no better way than to help fund the Shop with a Cop program. In 2020 COVID-19 got in our officers’ way, but barely. Courtesy of the San Diego Harbor Police Foundation and YouTube.)

 

Washington DC Police Foundation

• Excellence in Public Safety & Community Enrichment

  • • Washington DC Police Foundation

• The Washington DC Police Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) organization in our Nation’s Capital, serves over 15,000 youth annually through mentoring programs led by police officers, designed to enhance communication and build positive relationships between youths, families, and law enforcement. 

• “At a time when the relationships between police and some communities are strained, these programs are designed to build positive relationships, between officers and at-risk youth,” explains Patrick Burke, Executive Director at the Washington DC Police Foundation.

• The Washington DC Police Foundation expands public safety awareness and advances public safety initiatives helping make the Nation’s Capital a safer place for all to live, work and visit with world-class community engagement and support for the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department.

(Learn More about the Foundation and how you can help to become part of the solution in our children’s lives. Courtesy of the Washington DC Police Foundation and YouTube.)

 

PWPORG

• Excellence in Public Safety & Community Enrichment

  • • PWPORG.org Preparedness Education

• PWPORG (Preparedness Without Paranoia) is a 501(c)(3) built by law enforcement and security industry practitioners and educators to provide educational resources to kids, families, and communities on safety and emergency preparedness.

• PWPORG is proactively taking action to introduce the children and families in our communities, to skills and educational resources on safety and emergency preparedness, that when learned and practiced, will last for a lifetime.

• Guided by Dr. Kathleen Kiernan, a 29-year veteran of Federal Law Enforcement and President of NEC National Security Systems, the nonprofit PWPORG was created to educate, engage and empower families and kids on issues of preparedness and resiliency to create a safer world, free of active threats and human traffickers.

(Learn about how YOU can Make a Difference in the lives of our Nation’s Children and Families. Be a Superhero, Make a Donation and Make a Difference by helping to support Preparedness Without Paranoia and Parents with Preparedness Magazine. Courtesy of Kiernan Group Holdings and YouTube.)

 

InfraGard National Alliance

• Excellence in Homeland Security

  • • InfraGard National Alliance – Protecting America for 25 Years

• InfraGard is the largest public-private partnership in the world with 80,000 members, founded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which was recognized in the 2020 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program, dedicated to the protection of U.S. critical infrastructure.

• Through seamless collaboration, InfraGard connects owners and operators within critical infrastructure to the FBI, to provide education, information sharing, networking, and workshops on emerging technologies and threats.

• InfraGard’s vetted membership includes business executives, entrepreneurs, lawyers, security personnel, military, and government officials, IT professionals, academia, and state and local law enforcement—all dedicated to contributing industry-specific insight and advancing national security.

• The InfraGard National Members Alliance is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, is comprised of 77 chapters across the country.

 

Naval Criminal Investigative Service

• Excellence in Homeland Security

  • • NCIS Transnational Crime Unit

• The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Transnational Crime Unit (TCU), is combatting illegal narcotics by deploying special agents aboard multinational Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150) warships during maritime security operations.

• This team of highly skilled special agents patrols the high seas aboard ships from the United States, France, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, to provide law enforcement expertise and collect intelligence during interdictions of illicit narcotics aboard suspicious vessels found in areas known for drug trafficking operations.

• These interdictions deny funding for terrorism, significantly contribute to the National Defense Strategy, and also strengthen military readiness by keeping illicit narcotics from reaching service members and their families throughout Europe, Africa, and the United States.

(Learn about the NCIS mission to investigate and defeat criminal, terrorist, and foreign intelligence threats to the United States Navy and Marine Corps—ashore, afloat, and in cyberspace. Courtesy of NCIS and YouTube.)

 

Sandia National Laboratories

• Excellence in Homeland Security

  • • Neutron E-Field Imaging

• This neutron electric-field (E-field) imaging technology developed by Yuan-Yu Jau and funded by Neutron E-Field Imaging, will determine whether a concealed, electric detonator is charged for nuclear reactions in weapons and power plants.

• E-field imaging technology can solve the problems of determining various electric properties inside a physically isolated space and the electronic charge/voltage state inside a metal box, the kind of metrology that was thought to be impossible.

• When finished, it will enable the safe examination of sealed metal boxes when opening them could be dangerous, whether it’s because inside is an explosive weapon or a malfunctioning, high-voltage fire set at a missile range.

• This important breakthrough in imaging technology will provide new diagnostic powers of great value across widespread security applications.

 

TENEO

• Excellence in Homeland Security

  • • TENEO Risk Advisory

• In today’s complex operating environment, organizations are charged with mitigating an array of interdisciplinary and intersecting risks across the enterprise, whether terrorism, reputational risk, geopolitical risk, or cyber threat, and the complexity of this risk landscape demands new mitigation strategies and tactics that transcend traditional security processes.

• Led by former NYPD, BPD, and LAPD Police Commissioner, and Vice Chairman of the Secretary of Homeland Security’s Advisory Council, Bill Bratton, who was recognized as the ‘2019 ‘ASTORS’ Person of the Year’ for his Lifetime of Dedication and Extraordinary Leadership in Homeland Security and Public Safety, TENEO Risk Advisory is made up of leading security and political risk consultants with backgrounds from the world’s most respected corporate, intelligence, public-safety, public-health and technology organizations. 

• TENEO Risk Advisory offers CEOs a holistic approach to identify, manage, and mitigate operational risks to their businesses by providing comprehensive strategic guidance to build risk awareness, resiliency, and mitigation.

(See an ‘American Security Today Exclusive Interview’ with Commissioner Bill Bratton facilitated by Dr. Kathleen Kiernan, President of NEC National Security Systems at the 2020 “ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Luncheon in New York City on November 17, 2021.  Courtesy of My Pristine Images, and Vimeo.)

 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

• Excellence in Homeland Security

  • • Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)

• HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move, with a mission to investigate, disrupt and dismantle terrorist, transnational and other criminal organizations that threaten or seek to exploit the customs and immigration laws of the United States.

• HSI has broad, legal authority to conduct federal criminal investigations into the illegal cross-border movement of people, goods, money, technology, and other contraband throughout the United States, and utilizes these authorities to investigate a wide array of transnational crime, including terrorism; national security threats; narcotics smuggling; transnational gang activity; child exploitation; human smuggling and trafficking; illegal exports of controlled technology and weapons; money laundering; financial fraud and scams; worksite and employment crimes; cybercrime; intellectual property theft and trade fraud; identity and benefit fraud; and human rights violations and war crimes.

(See how law enforcement can more effectively collaborate to form a force multiplier of resources and capabilities in the ever-expanding global world of crime. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) bridges the gap. HSI has the ability to follow the “pipeline” and to proactively pursue the larger networks of illicit activities. HSI can serve as a force multiplier from anywhere domestic; from Minot, ND to New York City – to almost anywhere around the world with our international partners, either through the Transnational Criminal Investigative Units (TCIU’s) – which expand HSI’s footprint and enhance cooperation between partner nations and the United States – or through our 63 HSI International Attaché offices. State and Local law enforcement have the ability to leverage HSI’s unique legal authorities and global footprint to help combat crimes in their community; such as the growth and proliferation of transnational crimes and the rampant and far-reaching cyber crimes – most notably, the darknet. Courtesy of WebsEdgeSociety and YouTube.)

• In collaboration with its strategic partners in the U.S. and abroad, HSI special agents gather evidence to identify and build criminal cases against Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs), terrorist networks and facilitators, and other criminal elements that threaten the United States, and their efforts protect U.S. national, border, and economic security, and ensure the safety of the public and our communities.

• *ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), was also recognized in the 2020 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program, and the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Unit (HRVWCU) was recognized in the 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program.

 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

• Excellence in Homeland Security

  • • Office of Field Operations

• The Office of Field Operations (OFO) is a federal law enforcement agency within the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) responsible for managing United States customs operations at 20 Field Operations offices, 328 ports of entry, and 16 pre-clearance stations in Canada, Ireland, the UAE, and the Caribbean.

• Headed by a CBP Assistant Executive Commissioner, OFO directs the activities of more than 27,000 employees, including more than 22,000 CBP Officers and Agriculture Specialists.

• CBP Office of Field Operations is the largest component in CBP, has the largest working Law Enforcement Canine Program in the world, in addition to the Office of Air and Marine (AMO), and the U.S. Border Patrol, which was recognized in the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program.

• The vast majority of CBP’s resources are located along the Southwest border, from Brownsville, Texas to San Diego, California, and CBP canine teams are also strategically assigned to other ports of entry around the country, and located at pre-clearance stations abroad.

(Everyday we strive to make an impact, no matter how great, or how small. CBP Officers employ state-of-the-art tools and technology to make an impact on their community. Courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and YouTube.)

• The CBP was also recognized in the 2018, and 2017 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Programs, respectively. 

 

NEC Corporation of America

• • Excellence in Innovation for Airport/Aviation Safety

    • • NeoFace Thermal Express

• NEC Thermal Express combines NEC’s world-class artificial intelligence (AI)-driven advanced video and thermal analytics, and industry-leading face recognition technologies with trusted infrared (IR) thermal imaging sensors to deliver a solution that simultaneously verifies identities and detects body temperatures without contact. 

• This innovative NeoFace Thermal Express technology was successfully deployed by the State of Hawaii at all five Hawaiian airports in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, to automatically screen the body temperature of every arriving passenger entering the airport terminal, to ensure they would not become hotspots of virus contraction as people cross paths from across the globe.

• As a global technology leader for 120 years, NEC has proven its ability to anticipate and meet market needs, to demonstrate technical excellence, and to build a dependable and enduring business model based on NEC’s primary mission, to help orchestrate a brighter world.

(The Hawaii Department of Transportation (DoT) partners with NEC to install a hygienic, contactless, thermal body temperature screening solution at Hawaii’s 5 major airports. The purpose of this project is to protect the health and safety of the traveling community, the visitors, and the residents and to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Courtesy of NEC Corporation of America and YouTube.)

 

NEC Corporation of America

• • Excellence in National Security for Traveler Security Mgmt

    • • NEC I:Delight

• The NEC I:Delight digital identity management platform provides a unified experience for a variety of aviation services using a unique Digital ID to transform the passenger curb-to-gate journey.  

• NEC I:Delight enables a hygienic and seamless travel experience that benefits everyone, from travelers to airport staff by giving travelers a single Digital ID that they can use within the airport and beyond.”

(The world’s largest global airline alliance, Star Alliance, launched its new #biometrics service, Star Alliance Biometrics in November 2020. Watch this video to see how Star Alliance members can enjoy and experience various airport touchpoints using a single #DigitalID. Touchpoints include check-in, baggage drop, VIP lounge, duty-free shopping, and many more. Powered by NEC I:Delight, this technology is now available at Frankfurt and Munich airports, for Lufthansa flights. Courtesy of NEC Corporation of America and YouTube.)

 

Gordon (Scott) Armstrong

• Excellence in National Security for Traveler Security Management

  • • • Aviation Program Branch
        Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS)

• In recognition of the outstanding training and support the ‘Crew Member Self Defense Training Program‘ provided our industry partners.

• Through this training, TSA enhanced the safety and security of the traveling public and the flight crew members who serve them.

(Run. Hide. Fight. Everyone is familiar with how to deal with certain threats on the ground. But the rules are different at 35,000 feet. Take an inside look at how the TSA’s Federal Air Marshals Service is teaching airline crew members how to defend themselves – and the aircraft – from terrorists. Courtesy of the TSA and YouTube.)

 

Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

• Excellence in National Security for Traveler Security Management

  • • • TSA Team Newark at
        Newark Liberty International Airport

• In recognition and with sincere appreciation of your exceptional contributions at Newark International Airport, in promoting the transportation security mission and outstanding dedication to the agency, stakeholders, and the traveling public. 

(On this the 20th Anniversary of the TSA, please join us in celebrating the fabulous work of this comprehensive and innovative agency in securing public transportation across our Nation, and keeping our citizens safe, one plane, train, bus, highway, and mass transit hub at a time. See selected highlights from the TSA’s 20th Anniversary event held at Ronald Reagan Airport on November 19, 2021. Courtesy of the TSA and YouTube.)

 

Introducing the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Extraordinary Leadership & Innovation Award Recipients

 

AMAROK

2021 ‘ASTORS’ Extraordinary Leadership & Innovation Award

• AMAROK provides Security Solutions for industrial and commercial properties throughout the United States and Canada.

• When touched, the company’s 10-foot-high, solar-powered Electric Guard Dog fence shocks would-be thieves with 7,000 medically safe volts. Any attempt to cut or scale the fence triggers alarms and bright LED lights.

• After over 40 years, the leadership of Electric Guard Dog decided it was time to give the brand a fiercer and more modern name, and Electric Guard Dog was transformed into AMAROK, named after the wolf-like creature of legend that was said to guard villages against intruders, to reflect their commitment to relentlessly protect their customers. 

• Today, AMAROK specializes in providing Multiple Layers of Security to stop criminals before they get in with the world‘s first integration of electric security fencing, video surveillance, and video monitoring to create the ultimate crime prevention solution for your commercial business or industrial site.

(See an ‘American Security Today Exclusive Interview’ with Michael Dorrington, Senior VP of Sales and Marketing at AMAROK, a full-perimeter security company based in Columbia, South Carolina, that provides service throughout the United States and Canada. Specializing in electric fencing on commercial properties, AMAROK also provides supplemental surveillance solutions, including cameras, lights, and alarms. Together, they form the ultimate crime prevention solution for any business. Courtesy of AST and YouTube.)

 

Acoustic Technology Inc. (ATI Systems)

2021 ‘ASTORS’ Extraordinary Leadership & Innovation Award

• ATI Systems continues to demonstrate an unfaltering commitment to the design, manufacture, integration, and installation of the industry most innovative, reliable, cost-effective, and compact emergency warning and natural and man-made disaster notification systems to colleges and universities, communities, ports, refineries, power plants, military bases all over the world.

• Incorporated in Massachusetts in 1981 as an acoustic consulting firm, ATI Systems developed a cutting-edge wireless system that provided audible and visual warnings via a reliable, compact hardware design, user-friendly software, and redundant communication methods, including radiofrequency, Ethernet, and satellite technology.

• Implementing advanced encryption and the latest security features ATI enables users to initiate advanced Emergency Alert Systems (EAS) coverage, that ensures ease of communication in the most critical moments. 

(See an ‘American Security Today Exclusive Interview’ with Robert McLaughlin, Sales Manager at Acoustic Technologies, Inc. (ATI Systems), a world-leading provider of reliable emergency warning & mass notification systems (MNS), that provide audible and visual warnings via reliable, compact hardware. Courtesy of My Pristine Images and Vimeo.)

 

Attivo Networks

2021 ‘ASTORS’ Extraordinary Leadership & Innovation Award

• Attivo Networks continues to build upon the field of advancing deception technology and developing advanced network security threat detection technologies for deployment both on-premise or as a cloud service, to the company’s ThreatDefend™ Deception & Response Platform.

• Additionally, Attivo now also includes Active Directory Protections, and has expanded upon their Identity Detection & Response (IDR) Portfolio with their new IDR Suite of Products, which includes Attivo’s new Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) solution, IDEntitleX, that delivers unprecedented visibility to identity risks across Endpoint, Active Directory Environments, and Cloud Infrastructures.

(Attacking Active Directory and obtaining domain admin-level access is one of the attackers’ primary objectives. Active Directory and Domain controllers are prime reconnaissance targets to hunt for privileged credentials and privileged access. Attivo Networks provides innovative solutions for assessing Active Directory cyber hygiene, identifying specific domain, computer, and user-level risks, and detecting live attacks. Courtesy of Attivo Networks and YouTube.)

 

Automatic Systems America

2021 ‘ASTORS’ Extraordinary Leadership & Innovation Award

• For over 50 years Automatic Systems has enabled innovative secure access management, for the fluidity of movement, security of people, and infrastructure through the design and manufacture of automated pedestrian, vehicle, and passenger access systems.

• Automatic Systems America continues to evolve its award-winning SlimLane swing optical barrier turnstiles to offer customized solutions able to meet customer requirements for even the most unique installations with a variety of speedgate cabinets range from the sleek standard unit and evolve to the SlimLane EP model or the rounder SlimLane EPR.

• Larger biometric peripherals such as facial recognition and frictionless fingerprinting offer a contactless alternative to proximity readers and can easily be integrated within the SlimLane EPW or NK cabinets.

• With the current social distancing and contactless requirements, the SlimLane can also offer a fully touchless solution while protecting its users.

• The hand “wave” and facial recognition readers were easily integrated and offer a fully contactless solution while the UL 2593 Certified SlimLane offers a highly reliable (10 Million MCBF) physical access control turnstile, and with its 5-year standard warranty and infinite customizations, the SlimLane continues to be a perfect solution for lobby entrances.

• Selected as the “standard” for multiple financial institutions, we are confident that the SlimLane will continue to answer any pedestrian access control requirements for your years to come.

(See the Latest Innovations from Automatic Systems America in this Exclusive AST Interview with Regional Sales Manager Robin Hakos at the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon at ISC East. Courtesy of My Pristine Images and Vimeo.)

 

Fortior Solutions

2021 ‘ASTORS’ Extraordinary Leadership & Innovation Award

• Fortior Solutions is a leader in world-class identity and access control solutions that specialize in National Crime Information Center Interstate Identification Index (NCIC III) checks and third-party commercial background screenings.

• The company which is headquartered in Hillsboro, Oregon, is a nationally recognized leader in high-assurance identity management solutions, that helps organizations reduce risk by quickly identifying who they can trust.

• Fortior Solutions through their RAPIDGate® and RAPID-RCx® programs, provide unparalleled perimeter control at some of the most security-conscious organizations in the world including, the U.S. Army, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and NASA among others, and is the largest commercial provider of recognized vendor credentials to the U.S. Department of Defense.

• The RAPIDGate program is a complete vendor management solution that includes verification of company sponsorship, company enrollment, multi-language kiosk-based registration, individual biographic and biometric collection, equipment, commercial background screenings, DOJ/FBI NCIC/III checks (subject to approval of the relevant government authorities).

(Learn More about Forior Solutions from the company’s President & CEO Jim Robell. Fortior Solutions is a nationally recognized leader in high-assurance identity management solutions, helping security-conscious organizations reduce risk by quickly identifying who they can trust. Courtesy of Fortior Solutions and Vimeo.)

 

SIMS Software

2021 ‘ASTORS’ Extraordinary Leadership & Innovation Award

• SIMS Software is the leading provider of industrial security information management software to the government and defense industries.

• The company’s flagship product Security Information Management System (SIMS), has protected classified and high-value information for security stakeholders since 1983, and has been assessed and certified as meeting the requirements of ISO 9001:2015 for providing development, support, and training for software used in auditing critical assets of the US government, defense contractors, and emergency responders.

• SIMS Dashboards is the newest and most powerful tool to maximize your investment in SIMS, providing real-time visibility, analysis, and reporting of your security domain – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

(See an ‘American Security Today Exclusive Interview’ with Michael Struttmann, CEO & President of SIMS Software, the leading provider of industrial security information management software to the government and defense industries. Courtesy of My Pristine Images and Vimeo.) 

 

Dr. Kathleen Kiernan

2021 ‘ASTORS’ Extraordinary Industry Leadership & Innovation Person of the Year

• Dr. Kathleen Kiernan is the Founder and CEO of national security, education, risk management, and training firm Kiernan Group Holdings (KGH), Chair Emeritus of InfraGard National Members Alliance, and adjunct faculty member at the Naval Postgraduate School.

• KGH serves customers across the US Government trade space, law enforcement, security, the risk management community.

• With a special focus on the ultimate soft-target, our Nation’s schools, Kiernan believes preparedness is a mindset that can be learned and when practiced, prevents ordinary days from turning into extraordinary ones due to an active threat in any form, including those posed by insiders.

(Hear directly about the ‘Preparedness Without Paranoia’ Education and Training Series from Dr. Kathleen Kiernan, CEO & Founder of Kiernan Group Holdings. Courtsy of KGH and YouTube.)

• A 29-year veteran of Federal Law Enforcement, Dr. Kiernan retired as Assistant Director for the Office of Strategic Intelligence and Information for ATF, serves as a subject matter expert for the defense, intelligence, and law enforcement communities, and works with organizations making a difference in the world including the Business Executives for National Security (BENS) Resilience Council, the AFCEA Intelligence Committee, and the Center for Advanced Red Teaming (CART), University of Albany, SUNY.

• Dr. Kiernan believes experience brings an obligation to foster professional development in others through mentoring and education which she does both inside and outside of formal classrooms.

• She developed an approach to citizen engagement and education to increase confidence and decrease victimization in active threat environments.

• Her dedication to public service includes her support to Veteran organizations and her 18-year participation in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk to raise awareness and funding for breast cancer research.

 

TSA Administrator David Pekoske

2021 ‘ASTORS’ Extraordinary Government Leadership & Innovation Person of the Year

• TSA Administrator David Pekoske was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the Transportation Security Administration’s seventh administrator in August 2017.

• He leads a workforce of approximately 60,000 employees, including the Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS), and is responsible for security operations at nearly 450 airports throughout the United States and shared security for highways, railroads, ports, mass transit systems, and pipelines.

• Under the Administrator’s leadership, TSA is working continuously to raise the security baseline for both aviation and surface transportation through close partnerships and alliances and a robust homeland security network.

• While continuing to serve as TSA Administrator, Pekoske also served at the Department of Homeland Security as Acting Secretary from January 20 to February 2, 2021, and as the Senior Official Performing the Duties of Deputy Secretary from April to November 2019 and again from February to June 2021.

• At the Department, Administrator Pekoske helped lead a unified national effort to ensure the continued security of the United States, coordinating components with missions ranging from prevention and protection to recovery and response.

(Hear more from Administrator Pekoske on his priorities for 2022, staying ahead of threats, supporting frontline employees, and protecting the traveling public. Courtesy of the TSA and YouTube.)

• Before joining TSA, Administrator Pekoske was an executive in the government services industry where he led teams that provided counterterrorism, security, and intelligence support services to government agencies.

• Most notably, Administrator Pekoske served as the 26th Vice Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, culminating a Coast Guard career that included extensive operational and command experience.

• As the Vice Commandant, Pekoske was second in command, also serving as Chief Operating Officer and Component Acquisition Executive of the Coast Guard. He is a recognized expert in crisis management, strategic planning, innovation, and port and maritime security.

• Administrator Pekoske holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Columbia University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in ocean engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

• His awards include the Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal, Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, Coast Guard Commendation, and Achievement Medals.

American Security Today would like to Congratulate each and every one of our Outstanding 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Winners!

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