The Security Industry Association has named four recipients of the 2024 SIA Women in Biometrics Awards. The 2024 awardees, who will be honored at SIA GovSummit, SIA’s annual government security conference, are:

Leire Arbona Puértolas, Legal and Compliance Director, Veridas

Puértolas has established herself as a leading expert in biometric identity verification and data protection laws since joining Veridas in 2017. She is instrumental in guiding the company’s compliance with international regulations, contributing to Veridas becoming a model for compliance and innovation in digital identity services, influencing industry standards and practices worldwide. Arbona Puértolas’ efforts extend beyond corporate compliance; she actively contributes to the legislative process in various countries, advising on laws that shape the future of digital identity verification. She has played a crucial role in legislative developments in Spain and the European Union, and her expertise is frequently sought in international forums on privacy, biometrics and identity management.

Melissa Conley, Executive Director, Capability Management and Innovation, Requirements and Capabilities Analysis, Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

Conley is the TSA executive director for capability management and innovation (CM&I) for the Office of Requirements and Capabilities Analysis (RCA). She is a member of the Senior Executive Service. Conley provides enterprise oversight for all TSA operational capabilities throughout their life cycles to ensure proper resourcing and alignment to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and TSA strategies and priorities. Additionally, Conley coordinates innovation efforts with stakeholders, including current and emerging technology demonstrations intended to enhance operational capabilities and develop efficiencies.

Heather R. Haller, Acting Unit Chief, Quality & Analysis Support Unit, Biometric Services Section, Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

A 27-year FBI employee, Heather Haller serves as a supervisory management and program analyst in the Investigative Services Support Unit (ISSU). Haller started her FBI career at the CJIS Division in an entry-level position as a fingerprint examiner and over the years has supported the FBI in a variety of administrative, analytical and research and development positions. Over the last 14 years, she has been primarily focused on facial recognition and has become a subject matter expert on the CJIS Division’s facial recognition program. As an analyst, Haller was instrumental in laying the groundwork to establish the CJIS Division’s Facial Analysis, Comparison and Evaluation (FACE) Operations Services and participated in the development of the Next Generation Identification (NGI) Interstate Photo System (IPS).

Caitlin Kneapler, Ph.D., Technical Integrator, Senior Biometrics Technologist, Office of Biometric Identity Management (OBIM), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Kneapler is a highly skilled and detail-oriented research scientist with over a decade of diverse experience in various fields, including laboratory research, instruction, nonprofit research and analysis, and government agency work. Her expertise spans a wide range of technical and scientific disciplines, with a particular focus on support of biometric and identity management. She serves as a technical interdisciplinary chemist and technical integrator at the OBIM Futures Identity, a position she has held since August 2020. In this role, she is responsible for driving advancements in biometrics, identity and information technology.

“Now in its tenth year, the SIA Women in Biometrics Awards are a globally recognized initiative to honor the outstanding leaders who are fostering change and innovation in biometric identity and security, and this year’s awardees have an impressive array of achievements in biometric technology, policy and compliance, capability management and operations, research, science and analysis across government and industry,” said SIA CEO Don Erickson. “SIA commends Leire Arbona Puértolas, Melissa Conley, Heather Haller and Caitlin Kneapler for their impressive accomplishments in the biometrics field across and thanks them for their important work to advance our industry and make the world safer.”

The 2024 SIA Women in Biometrics Awards honorees were selected from a large pool of accomplished candidates. The awards program will be presented May 21 at a special ceremony during SIA GovSummit in Washington, D.C.