The Monitoring Association recently honored four long-serving volunteers for their impactful contributions to TMA’s ASAP service with the 2024 Mel Mahler Award, formerly known as the President’s Award.

Held Oct. 9 at the 2024 Annual Meeting in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, TMA President Steve Butkovich presented the awards to Bill Hobgood, CommSys Inc.; Jennifer Holloway, CIBC Bank; Daniel Oppenheim, Affiliated Monitoring; and Pam Petrow, Vector Security.

Jennifer Holloway, managing director – market lead, Security Industry Group, CIBC Bank USA, was recognized for her expert counsel and partnership in navigating a pathway forward for ASAP to achieve its full potential.

“You’ve collaborated with our leaders to develop a bold, strategic financial plan to ensure its long-term success. You’ve been a valued collaborator and ally, engaging and proactive in raising the funding required for technological enhancements and expansive service adoption,” commented Butkovich when presenting the award.

“I am deeply honored to receive the Mel Mahler award from TMA for my work on ASAP.  I’m grateful to have an opportunity to contribute to this life-saving initiative,” Holloway said. “The progress made on ASAP to PSAP over the last year is a testament to the remarkable leadership of Steve Butkovich and the invaluable contributions of ASAP co-chairs Daniel Oppenheim and Pam Petrow. This award holds special meaning for me, as Mel was my client at CIBC Bank for many years, and I admired his unwavering commitment to the industry and TMA.”

When awarding the Mel Mahler Award to Daniel Oppenheim, CEO of Affiliated Monitoring, Butkovich called attention to Oppenheim’s uncompromising vision, fierce determination and intense passion for ASAP, noting he’d been a pivotal, driving force for change and growth.

“You’ve worked tirelessly in pursuit of excellence at every turn. Under your leadership, ASAP has set a course to achieve heightened levels of service quality and accelerated expansion and adoption. Through your unwavering efforts, more lives will be saved in communities nationwide. TMA is indebted to you,” Butkovich said.

Petrow, president and CEO of Vector Security, was recognized for her uncompromising leadership and unmatched depth of commitment to ASAP since its inception almost two decades ago. “You’ve invested countless hours to ensure the successful implementation and operation of the ASAP service. You’ve established strong, positive, productive partnerships across all ASAP stakeholder communities. You not only laid the foundation upon which ASAP is built, but you’ve also played a crucial role in defining its future,” Butkovich emphasized.

“It is truly an honor to receive the Mel Mahler Award. It has been a privilege working with Daniel and Jennifer to create and implement the next generation ASAP initiative,” said Petrow.

When presenting the 2024 Mel Mahler Awards to Bill Hobgood, a consultant at CommSys, Butkovich expressed his sincere appreciation to Hobgood, who was the lead ASAP implementer since ASAP’s beginning, stating, “To many, you have been the face of ASAP. You’ve been on the front lines, working closely with ECCs and supporting monitoring centers in securing the necessary certifications. You’ve been a champion for the service at every step in its journey.”

“Receiving the Mel Mahler Award from TMA is an incredible honor and truly humbling experience. This award is a testament to the collective effort and support of my colleagues and loved ones who have been instrumental in my journey with the ASAP program since 2004,” shared Hobgood. “I am profoundly grateful to TMA and President Butkovich for this recognition. It inspires me to continue striving for innovation and excellence in our public-private partnership surrounding the ASAP program.”

For more information on this award, including past honorees, go here.