NCAA basketball reference aside, the month of March is heating up here at Locksmith Ledger, although as I write this, temperatures are dipping below zero in the Northeast (brrrrr), sending that poor groundhog scurrying back into its hole!
Within security, many (including me) are preparing for one of the biggest conferences within security, ISC West, and will be heading to the desert warmth of Las Vegas, March 28-31. I am excited to get back on the road again and have started to strategize my plan of attack for a busy convention hall. I hope to see you there!
As I begin this new chapter in my career as senior editor for Locksmith Ledger, a publication that has been covering access control for nearly a century, it will be good to rub elbows again with so many industry peers and friends who I have made in just the past seven years alone covering the industry. Some of you may recognize my name as I have spent the past 7 years reporting on physical and electronic security from many different perspectives – the dealer, the systems integrator, the consultant, the manufacturer and, of course, the end user. I cut my teeth on residential and Proptech security, and then got heavily involved with understanding the systems integrator and consultant’s roles as well. I am excited to do the same here at LL as I learn about what makes the mind of the locksmith tick, so to speak.
I am also excited to join the amazing team here at Endeavor Business Media, working with the folks on Security Business and Security Technology Executive magazines, as well as Securityinfowatch.com. I am also eager to form and build new connections and relationships, as I have found the security industry to be so welcoming and supportive of each other, a quality that I find is rare in my 30-plus years of covering a multitude of different industries.
In addition to covering the ever-evolving access control industry from the locksmith’s perspective, I look forward to reconnecting with so many friends I have made over the years from getting involved in the security industry. Highlights for me include working closely with colleagues at some of the leading industry associations, including The Monitoring Association, the Security Industry Association (SIA), the Electronic Security Association (ESA), ASIS and PSA, to name just a few of the great organizations that help support the incredibly diverse community of security professionals who make up this growing industry.
One last important word about getting involved. If you are attending ISC West later this month, be sure to check out Mission 500, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children and families in need. And it you are up for it, come join me and others from Endeavor as we take part in the Mission 500 5k/2K Charity Fun Run/Walk, which is always an ISC West highlight for me. More information can be found at www.mission500.org.
-Paul Ragusa, Senior Editor
