The Security Industry recognizes its finest at SIA’s Honor’s Night Gala
Last night, as part of SIA Honors Night at ISC East in New York City, the Security Industry Association formally presented John Nemerofsky as the 2024 recipient of the George R. Lippert Memorial Award, an honor presented annually to a distinguished individual for long-term, selfless service to the security industry.
Other industry luminaries honored last night during the SIA awards ceremony were Alice DiSanto of Rajant Corporation who was named as the 2024 recipient of the SIA Progress Award, an honor presented by SIA’s Women in Security Forum (WISF) community celebrating individuals who pave the way to success for women in the security industry and Scott M. Gross, facility security officer at Con Edison, who is the 2024 recipient of the SIA Insightful Practitioner Award, an honor recognizing excellence in promoting the implementation of innovative security solutions.
Nemerofsky Honored for Years of Leadership
John Nemerofsky is a recognized leader in the security industry, with over 25 years dedicated to advancing security technology and protecting enterprise clients nationwide. A pioneer in security integration, he is shaping the industry's future while inspiring the next generation of professionals.
Since 2019, Nemerofsky has served as chief operating officer at SAGE Integration, a national security integrator serving 62 major U.S. metro areas with a network of over 19,000 installer partner specialists. Under his strategic leadership, SAGE has become a prominent industry player. Previously, at Niscayah (now Stanley Security Systems), he played a key role in driving the organization’s growth to over $1 billion in revenue.
Beyond his role at SAGE, Nemerofsky is deeply engaged in the security industry on multiple fronts. He sits on the boards of PSA and contributes quarterly columns to Security Business Magazine, sharing his expertise to improve the industry.
Nemerofsky serves on the SIA Board of Directors and is chair of SIA’s Member Engagement and Experience Committee. As vice chair for the Foundation for Advancing Security Talent (FAST), he is committed to nurturing the next generation of security professionals. Nemerofsky’s volunteer leadership extends to his championing of SIA’s training, certification, and standards programs, including the SIA Open Supervised Device Protocol (OSDP), the Security Project Management (SPM) training, and the Certified Security Project Management (CSPM) certification program. He has ensured that all SAGE’s project managers are CSPM certified, supported SIA events, scholarships, and other offerings, and encouraged his team’s active involvement in programs like Securing New Ground (SNG) and the SIA Human Resources Working Group.
“SIA’s Lippert Award recipients represent the very best and most dedicated in our industry, with no better example than John Nemerofsky, and we are thrilled to recognize John as this year’s honoree,” said SIA CEO Don Erickson. “A truly kind person, John stands out in the security industry as a driving force in innovation, business excellence, and leadership and as a generous contributor of time, expertise, and goodwill through his active involvement in SIA, in other industry programs, activities, and initiatives, and the larger community.”
SIA’s Lippert Award is named in honor of George R. Lippert, who dedicated more than 20 years to SIA and the security industry. When evaluating candidates for this award, SIA’s committee considers nominees’ long-term service to SIA and the security industry, the impact of their efforts on behalf of SIA and the industry, and the integrity, leadership, and diplomacy displayed in their industry dealings.
Rajant Corporation’s Alice DiSanto is recognized as SIA’s Progress Award winner
Alice DiSanto, who chairs SIA’s Women in Security Forum, is Rajant Corporation’s vice president of global marketing and former assistant vice president. She leads Rajant’s marketing team, which is dedicated to expanding worldwide market presence, demand generation, brand awareness, growth strategy, and channel engagement for this leader in industrial wireless networking.
Before joining Rajant, DiSanto was with Sharp Electronics and positioned their first-ever outdoor robot to earn five industry awards within 18 months, a distinction unmatched by other early entries to the ground-based robotics security market. She conceived and curated Robolliance, the security industry’s original awareness forum founded by Sharp, to drive understanding and adoption of autonomous technology. She also serves as a member of the SIA Autonomous Solutions Working Group. Disanto has been actively involved with SIA since 2014 and is a founding member of the SIA Women in Security Forum Steering Committee and former chair of the forum’s charitable giving subcommittee. She assumed the role of WISF chair in 2023.
As chair of WISF, DiSanto has structured the community’s subcommittees into new categories to help WISF grow and build engagement with SIA members. She has worked tirelessly to promote progress in the security industry. She is responsible for the success of many key WISF programs, including the CAN DO Challenge to combat hunger each holiday season, the Essentials 4 Job Security Giveback supporting the efforts of Dress for Success, and other activities related to the WISF UpliftHER subcommittee. DiSanto oversaw the development of the PropelHER subcommittee, which is dedicated to streamlining the entrance of collegiate and professional women athletes into the security industry and leads the subcommittee’s efforts. She is a three-time honoree in WISF’s Power 100 program, recognizing exceptional women who lead, inspire, and innovate in the security industry.
SIA’s Progress Award recognizes SIA members who have shown excellence in advancing opportunities and success for women in the security industry. Each year’s recipient is determined based on their contributions to fostering women in the industry, promoting women’s professional growth through mentorship and/or sponsorship, recognition and awards for related activities, and demonstrating the highest levels of professionalism and integrity in the security industry.
Scott Gross was named 2024 winner of SIA’s Insightful Practitioner Award
Scott Gross brings over four decades of security and fire protection expertise, with a distinguished career that includes advancing security practices at Con Edison, one of the nation’s largest and most complex utility companies. Since joining the company in 2004, Gross has been instrumental in addressing the growing threat of drones over critical infrastructure by integrating advanced airspace security solutions for monitoring, detection, and real-time threat assessment. His forward-thinking approach and mastery of state-of-the-art security technologies have established him as a leader in the industry, enhancing Con Edison’s resilience against potential disruptions.
Beyond his operational achievements, Gross has been a vocal advocate for legislative reforms to empower critical infrastructure operators in managing drone threats, influencing security strategies at both state and national levels. By leveraging AI and machine learning, he has elevated Con Edison’s capabilities to autonomously and accurately detect, track, and identify drones. Gross’s leadership extends beyond Con Edison through his active involvement in industry organizations and advisory boards, where he shapes the future of security practices. He also holds the Security Industry Association’s Certified Security Project Manager (CSPM) credential.
Scott Gross is a respected security thought leader and active participant in numerous SIA events, conferences, and initiatives. His contributions include serving on the SIA Utilities Advisory Board, which provides guidance on utility security, responds to regulatory proposals, and develops industry content. He has shared his expertise as an ISC East and West speaker, engaged in critical infrastructure security projects, and supported SIA’s counter-drone efforts.
SIA’s Insightful Practitioner Award was created to honor security practitioners who demonstrate leadership and excellence in promoting innovative security solutions through education, advocacy, and teamwork with the security industry and other stakeholders.
