CSAA International announced the winners of the CSAA 2015 Excellence Awards on June 25 at the Electronic Security Expo (ESX) in Baltimore. The winners are:

• Central Station of the Year: Guardian Protection Services
• Central Station Support Person of the Year: Kyle Johnson, DMC Security Services
• Central Station Operator of the Year: Susan Farris, Security Central Inc.
• Central Station Manager of the Year: Randy Ambrus, Cooperative Response Center

“The entire Guardian Protection Services team is honored to receive this prestigious recognition,” said Mike Overby, vice president of customer service. “The Central Station of the Year Award embodies CSAA’s dedication to the electronic security industry and exemplifies the unwavering effort of each Guardian employee in the pursuit of the delivery of unparalleled excellence. I want to commend Guardian’s central station teams, led by Jason Bradley, Guardian’s director of Central Station Operations; I know that they are especially proud and humbled by this award.”

The CSAA Central Station Excellence Awards recognize FM approved, Intertek/ETL or UL-listed central stations and outstanding personnel that perform in the highest professional manner, thereby making a significant contribution to the betterment of the alarm industry and the alarm profession while demonstrating exceptional service to their customers and community. Entries are judged by a blue-ribbon panel appointed by CSAA.

The CSAA Central Station Excellence Awards Program is co-sponsored by SDM. The finalists and winners were announced by Laura Stepanek, SDM editor, at a special breakfast event during ESX.

“The purpose of our awards program is to establish and promote the inherent value of central station services in general, to honor those who have made the most significant contributions to the service, and to promote the distinct level of professionalism attained by NRTL-approved central stations,” said Jay Hauhn, CSAA executive director. “The electronic security industry has so many companies and individuals providing superior service to those who count on our protection; our Excellence Awards recognize those that particularly stood out this year. We congratulate our nominees, finalists and winners on their accomplishments, which are a testament to the quality of our industry every day.”

An in-depth report about the Excellence Awards winners will appear in the August issue of SDM and the fall issue of CSAA Dispatch. Below is the complete list of nominees and finalists, with finalists noted by an asterisk.

Support Person of the Year Nominees

Marcha Moni-Erigbali, Ackerman Security Services

Mike Saxer, Amherst Alarm Inc.*

Laura Mellang, Cooperative Response Center

Jesse T. Hall, COPS Monitoring*

Erich Jackson, Diebold Security

Kyle Johnson, DMC Security Services*

Melissa Jones, Protection 1

Operator of the Year Nominees

Tonya Mackson, Ackerman Security Systems

Alex Doll, Amherst Alarm Inc.*

Tiffany Miller, Cooperative Response Center*

Chantel Northrup, COPS Monitoring

Betty Myers, DMC Security Services

Beth Cadman, FE Moran

Lisa Pierson, Protection 1

Susan Farris, Security Central Inc.*

Manager of the Year Nominees

Christine Jones, Ackerman Security Systems*

Rick Whalen, Amherst Alarm Inc.

Randy Ambrus, Cooperative Response Center*

Elle Daley, COPS Monitoring

Bob Boland, Custom Alarm*

Karen Huntley, FE Moran

Amy Cooper, Protection 1

Central Station of the Year Nominees

Ackerman Security Systems

Amherst Alarm Inc.

Cooperative Response Center

F E Moran*

Fifth Third Bank

Guardian Protection Services*

Protection 1*

Universal Atlantic Systems