Judges

  The 2021 Judging Panel

  • Dana W. Adams MBA, CISSP, CPP – ASIS Foundation
  • Lynda Buel CPP CFE CSC – IAPSC
  • Doug Farber – ISMA
  • Linda F Florence Ph.D., CPP – IFPO
  • Mark P. Hahn CISSP CSM – ISSA
  • Bob Hayes – Security Executive Council (SEC)
  • Donna M. Kobzaruk – ASIS International
  • Eric (Ric) Pohland – NASCO
  • Andrea Saccomanno – BOMA
  • Paul Sarnese – IAHSS
  • J. Kelly Stewart – ASIS International
  • Ben Suurd – ASIS Foundation

An independent panel will judge each nomination based on the criteria set out for each award category. Judges, all of whom have experience in security and or business, are required to assess each entry on its merits and act impartially and ethically.

Dana W Adams MBA, CISSP, CPP

Presently a Senior IT Security Consultant working with Public Safety, “Smart City” initiatives and GTAC Chief Development Officer. Dana previously was Director of Security Services at TELUS, a leading International telecommunications company based in Canada. Dana oversaw multiple Canadian and overseas locations responsible for enterprise-wide physical and logical integrated access control systems, audit compliance, corporate investigations, event planning, business continuity, on-board screening programs, and law enforcement liaison work including Lawful Intercept, warrant and subpoena programs.

During his tenure with TELUS, Dana successfully developed and delivered the TELUS security plan for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, established effective partnerships with Law Enforcement and Public Safety, redesigned and implemented a new executive protection program, and developed and delivered asset protection programs for network infrastructure, retail operations, supply chain security and data protection. The Security Services directorate has successfully transitioned from command and control to a strategic consulting partner with internal stakeholders, clients and both provincial and national law enforcement organizations. Ultimately a “Business Enabler” program with focus on an ESRM Enterprise Security Risk Management strategy.

Lynda L. Buel 

Lynda L. Buel, CPP, CFE, CSC, CPTED Practitioner is the owner and CEO of Security Risk Management Consultants, an independent security consulting firm.  A graduate of the Ohio State University with a degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Lynda worked in the corporate security sector prior to beginning her consulting career.  She is an expert in threat/vulnerability assessment, master planning, security operations and programming, CPTED, law enforcement, policies and procedures development, asset protection, access control, visitor management, executive protection, emergency management/planning, and security training.  She is actively involved in and a member of ASIS International and IAPSC serving in numerous volunteer leadership positions.  Lynda is also a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), the International Association for Healthcare Security & Safety (IAHSS), the International CPTED Association (ICA), the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), and the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce (USWCC).

Linda F Florence Ph.D

Prior to working in higher education, Linda gained more than two decades of practical corporate security experience in leadership positions in diverse industries such as financial services, hospitality, communications and retail. She has served as a qualified expert witness, consultant trainer, and is a published author.

Linda has remained actively involved in volunteer leadership throughout her career; serving two terms on the Board of Directors and Professional Certification Board, as the President in 2001. She has twice been honored with the President’s Award of Merit in 2014 & 2007. In addition to the Foundation she is faculty for APC1 (Assets Protection Course) and a member of the ASIS PAC. She also served as the Certificate Program Manager, and has contributed to development of ASIS Standards and a contributing author to the Protection of Assets Manual.

Linda maintains the CPP designation and earned her Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology with a research focus in Workplace Violence Prevention.

Doug Farber

Doug Farber OSPAs judgeDoug Farber is the Global Head of Security for Millennium Management, a leading a global alternative investment management firm, which manages more than $40 billion in assets with offices in United States, Europe and Asia.

An accomplished professional and executive leader in integrated security, Doug has established properly purposed technology and programs for some of the nation’s most iconic High Value Assets, during his career with the United States Secret Service and The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He is recognized for his attentiveness and experience in the administration and organization of diverse, multi-project deliverables with significant knowledge and proficiency in the design, implementation, and management of security technologies encompassing high value asset protection, executive protection, and physical security systems to protect people, property and assets with emerging technology.

Prior to joining Millennium, Doug spent three years with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as the Director of Security for the World Trade Center, where he was responsible for developing the first formal post 9/11 World Trade Center Security Department. He successfully established and led the team that was responsible for transitioning the site from construction to operations, and developed and implemented some of the most advanced integrated threat detection and mitigation systems deployed in modern history.

Mark Hahn

Mark Hahn OSPAs JudgeMark Hahn is Ciber’s Director of DevOps. He has 25+ years of experience as a Principal Architect building large-scale systems, including Wall Street trading systems, multinational retail payments systems and supply chain systems. Mark is an exceptional technologist with experience directing products and projects from inception through completion, using Dev/Ops and Agile methodologies. Mark practices and coaches techniques that improve delivery timelines and increase system reliability, including lean software development and continuous improvement. A rare high-level professional who maintains excellent hands-on technical proficiency, Mark has been with Ciber for 5 years.

Bob Hayes

Bob is the Managing Director, Security Executive Council (SEC). The SEC is a research and advisory organization that serves security leaders and other risk management decision makers. Backed by a faculty of more than 100 successful current and former security executives, the SEC creates groundbreaking Collective Knowledge™ research, which is used as an essential foundation for its solutions it creates to assist successful organizations and leaders. The SEC is the eminent voice on organizational risk mitigation leadership.

Bob has more than 25 years of experience developing security program including seven years as the CSO at Georgia Pacific, and nine years as security operations manager at 3M. He was one of the first security executives to successfully implement unified management of corporate security, computer security, and business conduct and compliance programs in a Fortune 100 company. His security experience spans the manufacturing, distribution, research and development, and consumer products industries as well as national critical infrastructure organizations. Additionally, he has more than 10 years of law enforcement and training experience in Florida and Michigan.

Donna M. Kobzaruk

Donna is responsible for security and life safety of JPMorgan Chase assets for the North and Plains states. Based in Chicago, Donna oversees buildings, employees, and customers in 15 states. Her security team assists law enforcement with investigations of robberies, burglaries, and other crimes. Under Donna’s direction, the team provides leadership, education, and support on life safety and emergency preparedness, and also investigates workplace violence cases. Donna developed, and currently chairs, an internal diversity, equity, and inclusion group for all security employees. Donna serves as an ASIS Community Vice President, overseeing 4 ASIS Councils. She is a strong supporter of mentoring and is an active member of several women’s business resource groups. Donna is an alum of University of Illinois.

Eric (Ric) Pohland

Ric Pohland has served in Government (military) and private security since 1983, most recently as President, and Chief Operating Officer for American Security Programs (2015 – 2021), and as President of Coastal International Security. In those roles, he developed and led corporate strategic direction and operational initiatives to ensure high-quality security operations and generate business growth.  He served initially with Coastal Int’l Security as Center Operations Director at NASA Kennedy Space Center, FL, where he directed all emergency services—fire, security, and disaster prep/response, and was On-scene commander to all major incidents.  Following the NASA contract, Ric moved to the Washington D.C. Region, serving as Coastal’s Vice President of Operations, and then as President.

Prior to joining the Private Security Services Industry, he served for 25 years in the United States Air Force (USAF) as a career Security Forces Officer. He held multiple senior level positions culminating as Wing Commander of the Air Force’s largest base — Eglin AFB, FL.  He led in five ‘command tours’ (organization’s senior executive) in the USAF to include; Wing Command – 96ABW; Group Command – 820SFG, USAF’s unique Force Protection and Contingency Response Group; and 3 Squadron Command assignments: 89SFS – Air Force One responsibilities, AF’s largest training Academy, and a nuclear security unit.  Ric additionally served in executive staff assignments including; Director of Security for Air Combat Command, and Chief of Assignments for USAF Security Police.

Ric served as Vice Chair of the National Association of Security Companies (NASCO), and as an appointed Board Member on the Virginia, Dept. of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), Private Security Services Advisory Board (PSSAB)

Andrea Saccomanno

Andrea Saccomanno is a Regional Manager for GuardTexas, a private security company serving all major markets in Texas. She has over ten years of security experience, with specific expertise in commercial office and industrial property security.   She collaborates with law enforcement entities to build relationships within the private security sector. Andrea currently serves as Vice Chair of BOMA’s International Preparedness Committee, the Allied Director of Texas BOMA, and on various committees in local chapters.

Paul Sarnese

Paul M. Sarnese is the Assistant Vice President of Safety, Security and Emergency Preparedness for Virtua Health serving southern New Jersey.

Paul has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice form Rowan University, a Master’s Degree in Safety Engineering from Warren University and a Master’s in Administrative Science from Farleigh Dickinson University.

Paul has been published in Campus Safety Magazine, Annals of Emergency Medicine, Security Management Magazine, Journal of Emergency Nursing, Journal of Healthcare Protection Management, and Hospital Safety and Security Management.

Paul is a Certified Healthcare Protection Administrator and a Certified Associate Project Manager. He is currently the President of the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety.

J. Kelly Stewart

Managing Director & CEO of Newcastle Consulting, LLC – a premiere Security Risk Management Consultancy that provides security strategies ensuring your Piece of Mind through a proactive prevention strategy to reduce risk. Kelly draws upon more than 30 years of public and private sector experience as a Security Advisor, Subject Matter Expert, and former Chief Security Officer focused on assisting executives in directing their organizations on core competencies where they can achieve definable advantages and add value that facilitate and protect organizational objectives.

Kelly is the former Chief Security Officer of Intelsat Corporation. He has managed and led physical security operations for both CACI and Deloitte as well as being the key advisor to the Chief of Defense Nuclear Security on matters of security policy and special projects, concentrating on physical security systems design and operations, vulnerability assessments, technology applications and security management.

He further served a distinguished tenure with the United States Secret Service coordinating advance operations in the areas of technical security, threat identification and planning, and emergency evacuation operations.

He has managed teams in assessing, evaluating, and implementing anti- terrorism and force protection improvements for high asset targets within the Departments of Defense, Energy, Homeland Security, and Treasury while simultaneously assembling a team of top security experts from diverse backgrounds to advise leadership on implementation of Design Basis Threat.

All the Judges are picked by the OSPAs for their professional knowledge into the field of Security. We take this process seriously, knowing the judges will be representing the OSPAs brand.