The Security Industry Association (SIA) selected four recipients of the 2024 Sandy Jones Volunteer of the Year Award, which recognizes SIA volunteers who have made tireless efforts to expand SIA’s programs and services. 

This year marks the first time since 2015 that SIA has recognized four winners of the Sandy Jones Volunteer of the Year Award. They are: Kelly Ann Christensen, Jason de Souza, John Nemerofsky and Elaine Palome, who will be honored with the award at The Advance, SIA’s annual membership meeting, to be held April 9 during ISC West. 

“Awarding this honor to multiple individuals reflects the exceptional engagement within SIA in areas that directly impact our members and their employees, including workforce development, training, international business opportunities and mentorship, and these awardees have done so all while elevating the value of being part of the SIA membership community,” said SIA CEO Don Erickson. “Kelly Ann Christensen, Jason de Souza, John Nemerofsky and Elaine Palome are remarkable leaders and people, and their dedication to SIA, as well as their industry expertise, vision and innovation, have helped SIA to better serve our members and to the broader industry.” 

Meet the recipients 

Kelly Ann Christensen is a digital marketing specialist at BCD, an IP video data infrastructure manufacturer, and has spent nearly four years specializing in the security industry. With a focus on digital advertising and marketing analytics, she has certifications in ROI marketing, marketing management, SEO and PPC marketing. Outside of BCD, Christensen is heavily involved in SIA’s RISE community. She serves as head of the RISE Scholarship subcommittee, which provides scholarships to young professionals in the security industry to assist with furthering education, attending industry events, obtaining new certifications and furthering their professional development, and was awarded the SIA RISE Scholarship in 2022. Christensen has also participated in SIA’s Talent Inclusion Mentorship Education (TIME) program, which is designed to promote diversity, equity, inclusion and empowerment of underrepresented identities in the security industry by creating a well-defined pathway for learning and development. 

With over 30 years in the technology sector, Jason de Souza is a security industry executive based in Miami, serving as senior vice president, Latin America, at Hanwha Vision. His career spans IT and security technology, with roles in consulting, integration, distribution and manufacturing, with a special focus on leading and motivating diverse, global teams. de Souza possesses over 20 years of experience in Latin America and a deep appreciation of its market and culture. He is chair of SIA’s International Relations Committee, an authoritative resource for SIA members and their partners in priority international security markets beginning with the security market in Latin America, and has been instrumental in developing and evolving SIA’s expansion plan to promote international cooperation between the SIA and Latin American security companies and industry trade associations, including efforts around Expo Seguridad México. de Souza’s leadership has been instrumental in SIA’s efforts to bring its RISE and Women in Security Forum (WISF) communities to Expo Seguridad México, with events at this year’s show, and in development of the conference program at Expo Seguridad México. 

John Nemerofsky is a distinguished figure in the security industry, boasting over 25 years of experience dedicated to enhancing security technology and protecting enterprise clients nationwide. His leadership as chief operating officer at SAGE Integration, a national security provider, has propelled the company to prominence, overseeing a vast team and significant growth. Nemerofsky’s pivotal contributions to companies like Niscayah, now Stanley Security Systems, highlight his business acumen and versatility. Engaged across various industry fronts, he holds key roles on multiple boards and contributes expert insights through publications. As vice chair for the Foundation for Advancing Security Talent (FAST), Nemerofsky is committed to nurturing the next generation of security professionals. He also serves on the SIA Board of Directors and is chair of SIA’s Member Engagement and Experience Committee. Nemerofsky’s volunteer leadership extends to his championing of SIA’s training, certification and standards programs, including SIA Open Supervised Device Protocol (OSDP), the Security Project Management (SPM) training and the Certified Security Project Management (CSPM) certification program. He has ensured that all SAGE’s project managers are CSPM certified and encouraged his team’s active involvement in programs like Securing New Ground and the SIA Human Resources Working Group. Notable for his industry contributions, Nemerofsky has been honored with prestigious awards and is a frequent speaker at SIA events, including presenting sessions at ISC West. 

Elaine Palome is the head of human resources for the Americas at Axis Communications and a member of the Axis Americas Management Team. In this role she oversees all human capital management activities for the United States, Canada and Latin America. Her passions include digital HR, cultural agility and connecting employees to the business through transformational leadership. Prior to joining Axis, Palome held human resources leadership roles in the pharmaceutical, medical device and software industries.   She is a founding member of WISF and serves as co-chair of SIA’s LeadHER Subcommittee, providing key leadership on content development for the annual Security LeadHER conference presented by SIA and ASIS International. Palome has also been involved in SIA’s efforts around the SIA WISF Scholarship, including providing financial support through Axis’ generous participation as a top sponsor of the program, and she champions and encourages her team’s involvement in initiatives and programs like the SIA HR Working Group and FAST. She has been a recipient of the SIA Progress Award and is a member of the inaugural WISF Power 100 list, both of which have recognized recipients who are role models for advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and leadership in the industry. Palome is a frequent speaker at top SIA and industry events and holds the Society for Human Resources Senior Professional Certification (SHRM-SCP) as well as certifications in process communication, Predictive Index, BlueEQ Emotional Intelligence and conflict dynamics as well a graduate degree in the biological sciences. 

The Sandy Jones Volunteer of the Year Award is named in honor of Sandra Jones, principal of Sandra Jones and Company, a prolific SIA volunteer and co-founder of the executive conference Securing New Ground. The award is presented on an annual basis to an SIA volunteer who has made tireless efforts to expand SIA's programs and services.