SSI Industry Hall of Fame Introduces 2023 Inductees
Join us in welcoming a diverse lineup of remarkable individuals to our HoF roster.
Don Erickson | CEO, Security Industry Association (SIA)
Bio
- Born in Bellerose, N.Y., in 1972
- Youngest of six children, father was an attorney and mother a homemaker and staff member at St. John’s University Law School
- Married 22 years to wife Shari, with teenage twin boys and a daughter
- Earned B.A. from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., in 1994
- Selected among Most Influential People in Security in 2018; received 2010’s SIA Chair’s Award; named a Top Association CEO by CEO Magazine in 2013
- Says if career had taken another path, “becoming general manager of the Baltimore Orioles would have been nice!”
- Has run some 150 races through the years including nine marathons and 16 half-marathons
- Other interests include kayaking, major league baseball (attended games at every stadium), landscaping and reading biographies
Why He’s on the List
- Transformed SIA’s culture into being more responsive, professional, creative, knowledgeable and engaged with members and the industry
- Involved in pushing through several pieces of federal legislation, including President George W. Bush signing a bill that brought millions of dollars into the industry through GSA state and local cooperative purchasing, and President Obama signing a bill that saved some members energy efficiency compliance costs
- Implemented strategic goal to diversify SIA membership beyond traditional manufacturers to include more integrators, product specifiers, investment firms and students
- Under his watch, for the first time, SIA has experienced 10 straight years of 100 or more companies becoming members annually
- Collaborative approach includes projects like SecurityLeadHER conference with ASIS; Foundation for Advancing Security Talent (FAST) with ESA: Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) with NSCA; Security Industry Cybersecurity Certification (SICC) with PSA Security and SecuritySpecifiers.com
- Played role in creating SIA Women in Security Forum and RISE programs
Keys to Success 
“My success is due to the daily contributions of SIA’s professional staff team. These very talented individuals are incredibly dedicated to SIA’s mission to serve as a ‘catalyst for success.’ Secondly is the trust and confidence placed in me by the SIA Board and members overall. I appreciate the support our leadership and membership community provide me to serve as a temporary steward of this influential organization. Along the way I have also learned how to more gracefully accept any criticism lodged at myself or SIA, consider the source and reflect on that which is constructive as opposed to inflammatory or baseless.”
Tools of the Trade Association
“I love the opportunity to represent a broad community of competitors and partners who share such an inspiring mission of protecting people, property and assets. This is an industry that is very relevant and makes an impact every day. It is an honor to have a small role within it. I am motivated by the prospect of delivering positive experiences and transactions for an individual or team in terms of SIA members being recognized for their expertise, gaining visibility for their company, assuming a leadership role or making new connections that can influence sales opportunities. I am fulfilled in my role of helping SIA perform and succeed as an extension of the members and supporting their goals in any way possible through our team, programs and events.”
When SIA Got Cyber Into Sights
“I recall in 2008 recommending to one of our committees chairs that SIA should offer more thought leadership and recommended practices for cyber hygiene by solutions providers. At the time, executives such as Jorge Lozano were among the early advocates for SIA to become more of a cyber leader. We didn’t do enough over the years but noticed how hard Jorge, Andrew Lanning, Chris Peckham and Bill Bozeman pushed the industry repeatedly to act in this area. Today, we offer a SIA cybersecurity certification and nearly every industry conference has some content related to cybersecurity learning. Although investment in enhanced cyber practices by companies is ongoing, the industry overall has made important strides in elevating the cyber posture of its offerings.”
Remembering a Memorable Memo
“Prior to SIA, I was a legislative staff member to U.S. Senator Rod Grams of Minnesota, a strong proponent of lawful gun owner rights. In an ill-advised attempt to moderate his position, I drafted a memo with recommended talking points for him to use during a live media interview. While reading it on air, Grams shook his head several times, frowned just as often and then scribbled a note on the memo. After receiving it back following the interview, his comment read, ‘Who wrote this s**t?!’ Needless to say, going forward my memos were proofed before they reached his desk.”
Biggest Wish for Industry Change
“Each association within our industry — ASIS, IOBSE, TMA, ESA, DHI, NSCA, IAPSC, among others — provides exceptional value to its members. In many cases, our respective organizational offerings complement each other. I would like to see more individuals and companies become involved in industry associations, offer ideas and share expertise so together we can move our industry forward, faster.”
Continue to the next page for a profile of Jamie Haegnni…
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About the Author
Scott Goldfine
Scott Goldfine is the marketing director for Elite Interactive Solutions. He is the former editor-in-chief and associate publisher of Security Sales & Integration. He can be reached at [email protected].
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