Security Industry Association Names Jeff Huggins as 2025 Committee Chair of the Year

The Security Industry Association (SIA) has named Jeff Huggins of ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions as the 2025 recipient of the SIA Committee Chair of the Year Award, which recognizes individuals for excellence in leading SIA committees and advancing member objectives. SIA will present Huggins with the award at The Advance, SIA’s annual membership meeting, which will be held April 1 during ISC West.

Jeff Huggins is the vice president for government programs and national accounts at ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions. He served in and ultimately retired from the U.S. Marine Corps after 22 years, working in the intelligence/reconnaissance field throughout his career, with over 15 years of that service stationed at overseas locations or on deployments to the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Caribbean, South America, North Africa and Arctic regions of the globe. Upon retirement from the Corps. Huggins started his civilian carer working in the security industry supplying access control, intrusion and video solutions to the financial/banking industry. He has subsequently spent his time in the security industry in leadership roles throughout his career running installation, service, sales and business development programs. Huggins has been with ASSA ABLOY since 2014, where he currently leads the government and national accounts programs. He was instrumental in the establishment of the ASSA ABLOY Veterans Network, which has established veterans groups at the company’s various locations across the country and conducts various “give back” activities in support of its veteran employees and local community veterans groups. Since 2024, Huggins has served as the first-ever chair of SIA’s Veterans in Security community, which focuses on the issues and concerns of veterans and active military members who are in – or are interested in joining – the security industry.

“I would first like to acknowledge all of the hard work that all of the committees throughout SIA do to support the security industry,” said Huggins. “Each are volunteers and have very important roles in their own organizations and our collective mission to keep America safe! I am certainly honored to receive this award but would like to do so on behalf of all of those veterans that this committee has been established to serve. For those currently serving, SIA’s Veterans in Security community wants them to know we recognize how important their mission is, and as they choose to transition to the civilian sector, we want them to know they are a natural fit for our industry and SIA and their member companies welcome them with open arms. The honor, courage, commitment and loyalty traits exhibited by the veterans community is a model for future generations of leaders!”

The SIA Veterans in Security community is the newest SIA community and provides resources, programs and events for both veterans – as well as Guard and Reserve members – who work in the sector and actively serving military members who are planning their transition to the civilian world. Membership in the community is open to veterans, members of the Armed Forces and supporters both with and without direct military affiliations. As chair, Huggins leads the SIA Veterans in Security Advisory Board, which includes eight industry leaders and veterans and brings immense value to the community’s efforts to support veterans and active military as they join and work in the security industry.

Under Huggins’ leadership, the Veterans in Security community has held events, including a networking reception featuring insights from James Rodriguez, assistant secretary for veterans’ employment and training service at the U.S. Department of Labor, and a special event in honor of Veterans Day at President Lincoln’s cottage. In December 2024, Huggins was influential in guiding the community’s launch of the SIA Veterans Employment Exchange, which specializes in matching veterans and separating military members with open positions in the security industry. The unique online tool is free to all SIA members and job seekers.

“SIA is pleased to recognize Jeff Huggins for his extraordinary initiative, contributions and leadership on the SIA Veterans in Security Advisory Board and with our industry’s veteran community,” said Scott Dunn, chair of the SIA Board of Directors and senior director of business development at Axis Communications. “It is challenging to start a new initiative, and Jeff didn’t hesitate to take on this challenge. He dedicated valuable time to help recruit and onboard members of the Veterans in Security Advisory Board and played an instrumental in the development and launch of the SIA Veterans Employment Exchange, a key element of SIA’s efforts to strengthen veteran employment outreach. Jeff’s enthusiasm and dedicated leadership drove strong engagement among advisory board and community members that has only grown since the launch of this community, and we look forward to recognizing him at The Advance this year and to continuing to collaborate with him as SIA builds on its programs for veterans and military members.”

On April 2, SIA will host RISE to Service, a special dinner event at ISC West presented with support from SIA Veterans in Security. This event of charitable giving, cocktails and an elegant dinner will allow SIA’s young leaders and veterans communities to jointly raise funds benefiting the National Medal of Honor Center for Leadership

Featured

  • Security Today Announces The Govies Government Security Award Winners for 2025

    Security Today is pleased to announce the 2025 winners in The Govies Government Security Awards. The awards honor outstanding government security products in a variety of categories. Read Now

  • Survey: 60 Percent of Organizations Using AI in IT Infrastructure

    Netwrix, a cybersecurity provider focused on data and identity threats, today announced the release of its annual global 2025 Cybersecurity Trends Report based on a global survey of 2,150 IT and security professionals from 121 countries. It reveals that 60% of organizations are already using artificial intelligence (AI) in their IT infrastructure and 30% are considering implementing AI. Read Now

  • New Research Reveals Global Video Surveillance Industry Perspectives on AI

    Axis Communications, the global industry leader in video surveillance, has released its latest research report, ‘The State of AI in Video Surveillance,’ which explores global industry perspectives on the use of AI in the security industry and beyond. The report reveals current attitudes on AI technologies thanks to in-depth interviews with AI experts from Axis’ global network and a comprehensive survey of more than 5,800 respondents, including distributors, channel partners, and end customers across 68 countries. The resulting insights cover AI integration and the opportunities and challenges that exist with regard to security, safety, business intelligence, and operational efficiency. Read Now

  • SIA Urges Tariff Relief for Security Industry Products

    Today, the Security Industry Association has sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick requesting relief from tariffs for security industry products and asking that the Trump administration formulate a process that allows companies to apply for product-specific exemptions. The security industry is an important segment of the U.S. economy, contributing over $430 billion in total economic impact and supporting over 2.1 million jobs. Read Now

  • Report Shows Cybercriminals Continue Pivot to Stealthier Tactics

    IBM recently released the 2025 X-Force Threat Intelligence Index highlighting that cybercriminals continued to pivot to stealthier tactics, with lower-profile credential theft spiking, while ransomware attacks on enterprises declined. IBM X-Force observed an 84% increase in emails delivering infostealers in 2024 compared to the prior year, a method threat actors relied heavily on to scale identity attacks. Read Now

New Products

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.