Young professionals

The one common lament I hear from those in the security industry today—from dealers to integrators to end users to manufacturers—is how difficult it is to find good young professionals.

Many of our Class of 2016 “20 under 40” winners, both in the integrator and end user categories, are great examples of what this next wave of young security professionals are capable of, and many are involved in their local chapters of organizations such as ASIS International, SIA and ESA, which recently held its Rising Leaders Forum at Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, Wash., an event that was designed to gather rising leaders and industry veterans to participate in a leadership and team-building program.

Terry Peters, CEO and founder of Leader Solutions and Decision Support LLC, developed the team-building program. “Leadership is the art of influencing people in such a way as to gain their willing desire to accomplish the mission,” he said in the announcement. “Leaders are followed because their actions impact the environment in which they operate and people see them as a catalyst to achieve the desired outcome.”

This ESA event included multiple hands-on activities that turned strategy into action. It began with a fitness boot camp where attendees teamed up. Groups worked together to accomplish physical tasks such as carrying a makeshift gurney and 150-lb 'dummy' while exercising mental skills in communication and adaptation. Peters led a “lively” keynote presentation discussing leader development, team building, and change management from a Special Forces perspective, ESA said in its announcement.

Michele Monheim of Eastern States Sentinel Alarm Services said in the announcement, “The Rising Leadership Forum had a different spin than the usual trade show. It gave us a chance to get to know each other better in a more relaxed environment and look at leadership in a different perspective. Great job on the event and thank you for a great experience.”

The Leadership Development Discussion Panel featured Kirk MacDowell, vice president of platform sales at Alarm.Com, Bruce Mungiguerra, senior vice president of operations at Moni, and Greg Simmons, co-owner and vice president at Eagle Sentry. This team was joined by Robert Few, director at Charter Communications-IntelligentHome, as moderator for a group exchange of real-world experiences, implemented best practices, and industry-specific leadership strategies.

The YSP Rising Leaders Forum was center stage for the culmination of ESA's Class of 2016 Mentorship Program. There were group presentations highlighting workforce development, customer lifecycle and experience and corporate social responsibility.

“The YSP event in Stevenson, Washington was the culmination of a wonderful nine-month experience,” Mentor Don Childers said in the announcement. “Working with my mentee was an absolute joy. And now, I not only have business contact, but I have a friend for life that I would not have had if it were not for this program. A truly wonderful experience and I thank everyone involved.”