2011 ESA Leadership Summit Honors Industry Leaders
Following a new format featuring a hosted guest segment, the annual ESA Leadership Summit was enthusiastically supported by Electronic Security Association (ESA) members from across the United States. Held at the Omni Mandalay Hotel in Las Colinas, Texas, members enjoyed three days of meetings, seminars, networking receptions and a special Summit Extravaganza held at Cowboys Stadium just three weeks before it hosts the Super Bowl.
“This year’s ESA Leadership Summit was the best yet,” said Dom D’Ascoli, president of ESA. "The awards program at the Summit Extravaganza allowed us to applaud ESA volunteers and member companies and the educational seminars were unsurpassed. Everything about this ESA Leadership Summit exceeded expectations.”
Committee meetings, the Board of Directors meeting and the Young Security Professionals meeting were also features of the summit. Educational seminars targeting employee relations, systems integration, the profitability of a service and maintenance business, and marketing in the information age provided lively conversation throughout the event.
A highlight of the 2011 ESA Leadership Summit was the awards dinner during the Summit Extravaganza. Awards presented during the dinner included Best Practices awards and Leadership Awards.
Best Practices awards are a new category of awards recognizing companies implementing business processes that have made a difference for the company or have set an example for the industry. Winners of the Best Practices awards were: Financial, Legal and Human Capital Management -- ADS Security; New Technology Implementation -- Safety Technologies, Inc.; Profit-Generating Strategies -- H&S Protection Systems; Production Management in the category of Design and Installation -- Safety Technologies, Inc.; and Sales and Marketing Management -- ASG Security.
Winners of the 2011 ESA Leadership Awards included: Chapter of the Year -- California Alarm Association; Chapter Executive Director of the Year -- Jean Novy of the Wisconsin Electronic Security Association; Chapter President of the Year -- Kristi Harris of the Alabama Alarm Association; Newsletter of the Year -- Monthly Report produced by the New Jersey Burglar & Fire Alarm Association; Website of the Year -- Electronic Security Association of Washington; and ESA/NTS Training Coordinator of the Year -- Gary Talma.
Additionally, at the Extravaganza, the ESA/NTS Instructor of the Year award was dedicated to Paul F. Baran, a long-time co-chairman of the education committee who died suddenly this past November. The ESA/NTS Instructor of the Year Award in Honor of Paul F. Baran was presented to Tom Morris of Morris Electronic Sales.
“It is only fitting that the award be named after our friend Paul Baran,” said LJ Lynes, co-chairman of the Education Committee. “He was a phenomenal instructor who inspired others and worked diligently to improve the training programs at the Electronic Security Association. Not only did the security and life safety industry benefit from his presence, but the people he came in contact with are better for having known him. I’m blessed to have been able to call him a friend.”