Winners of 2023 SIA Women in Biometrics Awards announced

SILVER SPRING, Md. – Five women outstanding in their field have been named as the winners of the Security Industry Association’s (SIA) 2023 SIA Women in Biometrics Awards.

This globally recognized program is sponsored by IDEMIA and the NEC Corporation of America with organizational and media sponsors AVISIAN, Biometric Update, FindBiometrics, Mobile ID World and SIA’s Identity & Biometric Technology Advisory Board and Women in Security Forum. The winners are as follows:

Larisa Boyko, Director, Quality Assurance, Advanced Recognition Systems, NEC Corporation of America

A seasoned IT professional with over two decades of experience in software development, Boyko spent more than eight years in biometrics focused on quality assurance, information security, and quality processes that have led to a variety of products, including implementation and certification of ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System and ISO 27001:2013 Information Security Management System (ISMS).

Alicia Harrison, chief, stakeholder engagement, Office of Biometric Identity Management (OBIM), U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS)

With more than 16 years in the field of biometrics, she currently leads her org’s Stakeholder Engagement Team to support OBIM’s role as the principal entity in the DHS for biometric identity services that enable mission partner operations. Harrison represents OBIM in numerous high-level departmental and interagency venues.

Casey Mayfield, senior vice president, Justice and Public Safety, IDEMIA

Mayfield leads IDEMIA’s Justice and Public Safety division, which delivers the company’s state and local hardware, software and Criminal Justice Information Services- (CJIS-)compliant solutions for criminal justice, law enforcement and enrollment services customers throughout the United States and Canada.

C. Maxine Most, principal, Acuity Market Intelligence

Described as a strategic innovator, market visionary, and forecasting guru, Most is the founding principal of Acuity Market Intelligence, a strategic research and analysis consultancy recognized as the definitive authority on global biometrics market development. In her 35-year career, Most has evangelized emerging technologies on five continents, authored numerous research reports and contributed to several books.

Bethany Retton, management and program analyst, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

In her work at the FBI, Retton has been involved in research in development at the bureau's CJIS division for more than a decade. Her projects have included latent search best practices using FBI’s Next Generation Identification system, Universal Latent Workstation software and Latent Quality Metric software and the FBI’s iris pilot. Before her time at the FBI, Retton worked as a forensic entomology research aid, adjunct professor, police officer, detective, biometric examiner, and latent fingerprint examiner.          

“The SIA Women in Biometrics Awards program – now in its ninth year – recognizes the inspiring leaders who are driving change and innovation in biometric identity and security, and this year’s awardees have achieved tremendous success in biometric technology, quality assurance, stakeholder engagement, research and development across both government and industry,” said SIA CEO Don Erickson. “SIA applauds Larisa Boyko, Alicia Harrison, Casey Mayfield, C. Maxine Most and Bethany Retton for their outstanding commitment and contributions to this essential field and looks forward to honoring them at SIA GovSummit.”

The 2023 SIA Women in Biometrics Awards are scheduled to be awarded during the SIA GovSummit this year on May 16. For more information and full bios on award recipients please visit www.securityindustry.org.