The Security Industry Association (SIA) has announced Keechant Sewell — senior vice president of security and guest experience at the Mets at Citi Field and former police commissioner of the city of New York — as the 2024 dinner keynote speaker for Securing New Ground (SNG), the security industry’s executive conference, taking place Oct. 8-9 at the Westin New York Grand Central in New York City.

According to the announcement, this year’s Securing New Ground conference will cover industry trends and offer opportunities to engage with the leaders who are driving the future of security. The 2024 program will explore the most current issues, like how digital transformation will reinvent corporate security operations and the future of mobile credentials; share investment insights for the security industry; showcase in-depth one-to-one interviews with top executives in the industry; and foster new connections through interactive sessions and dynamic roundtable discussions.

For the first time in 2024, included in the SNG conference ticket is a special evening dinner event on Oct. 8 sponsored by Johnson Controls and featuring a dynamic keynote from Sewell. The presentation will highlight Sewell’s experiences as a leader in both public safety and corporate security, important topics in critical infrastructure protection and navigating how security aligns with public safety and corporate goals.

Before joining the leadership of the Mets at Citi Field, Sewell was a U.S. police officer and administrator who served as the 45th New York City police commissioner, overseeing a comprehensive strategy focused on the safety of New Yorkers and improving core features of the New York City Police Department (NYPD). During her tenure, Sewell launched the Innovation Steering Committee, which made nearly 250 recommendations for improved data analytics, community engagement, technology, officer safety and more. She has also leveraged technology to better connect to the public and keep officers and the city safe, in addition to a myriad of crime-reduction strategies and forged meaningful and lasting relationships between the NYPD and communities, businesses, elected leaders and government agencies, the announcement states. Sewell’s many accolades include being the first sitting NYPD commissioner to be named PBA Person of the Year and being recognized with the first annual Torch Award from MovementForward. She is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, where she was selected to deliver the commencement address.

“SIA is honored to welcome Keechant Sewell as our dinner keynote speaker at Securing New Ground 2024 — bringing her unique expertise and perspective  to our conference attendees,” said Don Erickson, CEO, SIA. “We’ll hear important, insightful takeaways from Former Commissioner Sewell as she shares key lessons from her illustrious longtime career in law enforcement and public safety and her experience as an innovative leader in sport and venue security with the Mets, and this special dinner keynote will offer even more value to SNG attendees in 2024.”