Security—change is in the air!

The 2013 Leadership Summit in Orlando was a stunning example of how the industry is changing. The discussions centered on interactive services, automation, energy management and customer experiences. And this sentiment of embracing change is definitely shared across channel lines as I met with alarm dealers, systems integrators, central station companies and third-party monitoring firms as well as manufacturers and distributors at the show.

One of the highlights for me was the Diamond Celebration—hosted by Interlogix—as we trekked to Universal Studios to award those true worker bees in our industry who go above and beyond their day-to-day jobs to give back, or pay forward!

Presentation of Weinstock Award

In a bit of a surprise change, one of the industry’s highest honors, the Morris Weinstock Person of the Year Award, was presented during the Diamond Celebration, months ahead of the usually presented accolade at the ESX Show in Nashville. This year’s recipient is David Koenig, a partner at Capital Fire & Security Inc., Madison, Wis. Koenig is one of those quiet, but take-charge individuals who definitely knows how to get things accomplished. He was deeply moved—and surprised—with the announcement, but it’s certainly well-deserved.

And let’s not forget the ESA Chapters who make so much happen in their respective states or on the national level. Other awards presented included:

• Chapter Newsletter of the Year: The Monitor, Tennessee Electronic Security Association,
• Chapter Website of the Year:  Arizona Alarm Association,
• Chapter Executive Director of the Year: Michelle Best, Electronic Security Association of Utah,
• Chapter President of the Year: Lynn Comer, president, Electronic Security Association of Virginia,
• NTS Instructor of the Year: Dale Eller, ITZ Solutions, and
• Chapter of the Year: New Jersey Electronic Security Association

The camaraderie of the ESA organization was ever-apparent at the event, as all competitive 'battle lines’ were dropped and everyone reveled in the success of those who put so much time and effort into their endeavors—in addition to their full time jobs and families!

Let’s not forget the staff and personnel that put together the Leadership Summit: AE Ventures and ESA. It’s a long process that starts literally years before the event and is an ongoing endeavor. Congrats to everyone who works together so well in the industry and many successes to everyone as we race, quite literally, into this new era of communications and interactive services.