Darryl Hernandez and Arun Vemley of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will be honored at the 2024 SIA Governors Summit.
Silver Spring, Maryland – The Security Industry Association (SIA) has named two government security leaders, Darryl Hernandez and Arun Vemri, each the recipients of the 2024 SIA Outstanding Government Achievement Award.
The award, presented at SIA GovSummit, the nation's largest conference connecting government, security and technology, recognizes public servants who have demonstrated extensive leadership and steadfast commitment to support and advance the effective use of security and life safety products in ways that benefit society.
The 2024 SIA Excellence in Government Service Awards will be presented at a special awards ceremony during the SIA GovSummit on 21 May. Each year, SIA GovSummit brings together government security leaders and private industry technologists to share, network, and educate on security topics impacting federal, state, and local agencies.
Details of the 2024 Excellence in Government Award
Hernandez is the Director of the Interagency Security Committee (ISC) in the Infrastructure Protection Division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
In this role, he “works with the chief security officers and other senior leaders of the 60 federal agencies and departments that make up the federal government to improve the quality and effectiveness of security and protection of U.S. buildings and non-military federal facilities.” “ISC,'' according to an SIA statement.
Prior to working at CISA, Mr. Hernandez served as senior interagency advisor for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and prior to that led the Department of the Army's Protection Agency, with over 100 federal installations and 6,000 federal installations. It was responsible for protecting all employees. Separate and independent facility.
He has spoken on key issues in government security at SIA events, including this year's SIA GovSummit conference. Hernandez is an experienced protection and security professional with over 25 years of organizational leadership experience.
His formal education includes a master's degree in political science from Rutgers University and a master's degree in strategic studies from the Army War College.
“Darryl Hernandez's leadership has been essential in driving the development and adoption of ISC guidelines and recommendations across federal agencies regarding the implementation of standards such as those related to physical access control systems,” SIA CEO Don Erickson said in the association's announcement.
“We also deeply appreciate his wealth of experience, especially his support of SIA and our events through the years of ISC conferences, the annual SIA GovSummit, and other activities,” he says.
Vemury serves as senior advisor to the Center for Biometric and Identity Technologies within the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T). He oversees DHS S&T's portfolio of innovative projects and mission components for departments such as Customs and Border Protection and the Transportation Security Administration.
Under Vemury's leadership, DHS S&T launched a series of biometric technology gatherings to provide a collaborative and innovative framework for technology providers to test their products in DHS' operational environments. He has received multiple government awards for his contributions to the development of the department's biometric access system.
Prior to joining DHS, Vemury was a government contractor supporting biometric and identity management projects. He completed his undergraduate studies in electrical and computer engineering at the University of Maryland and received his graduate degree in computer engineering from the University of Washington.
He has spoken at SIA events and co-authored multiple technical articles on various aspects of biometric technology.
“We are extremely grateful to Arun Vemuri for his leadership in leveraging industry capabilities to support our Homeland Security work and world-leading research at the Biometric Identity Technology Center, and for his consistent support over the years of SIA events and programs that advance the effective use of advanced technologies through speaking engagements and other valuable engagements with our members,” Ericsson said in the SIA announcement.
“Consistently considers the opinions, suggestions, and concerns of industry stakeholders, providing insight into DHS’s most difficult problems and the solutions needed across complex policy, legal, and operational landscapes. We will always be grateful to him,” he says.
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