Some of you may recognize my name as I have spent the past 7 years covering the security industry 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, so to speak, as that was my first beat as we say in journalism. And speaking of beat, you will find me referencing music quite a bit in these ramblings, as I feel like music is the universal language we all speak and can relate to, no matter where we come from. Gene Autry’s classic, “Back in the Saddle Again,” seems fitting, as I am returning to my roots – reporting, writing and editing – after a brief break.

I am excited to join the amazing team here at Endeavor Business Media, working with the folks on Security Business magazine and Securityinfowatch.com, as I begin this new chapter in my career as senior editor for Locksmith Ledger Int’l, a publication that has been covering access control for nearly a century.

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 (TMA), 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.

In keeping with my country music theme, I am also excited to get back on the road again, with one of the biggest rodeos of the year, ISC West, right around the corner. I am dusting off my contact list as we speak and starting to strategize my plan of attack for Las Vegas in late March, so I hope to see you there! It will be good to rub elbows again with so many industry peers and friends that I have made in just the past seven years alone. 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.

As I said in the beginning, it is good to be “back in the saddle again, out where a friend is a friend.”

Paul Ragusa, Senior Editor