Safeguards Consulting’s Mark Schreiber Honored with Sandy Jones Volunteer of the Year Award at ISC West’s Advance 2026

Safeguards Consulting is proud to congratulate our President and Principal Consultant, Mark Schreiber, on receiving the prestigious Sandy Jones Volunteer of the Year Award. The honor was presented this Tuesday, March 24, at 10:30 a.m. during The Advance 2026, held at The Venetian Expo as part of ISC West.  

Named in tribute to Sandra Jones, Principal of Sandra Jones and Company, a dedicated Security Industry Association (SIA) volunteer, and co-founder of the executive conference Securing New Ground, the Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes an SIA volunteer who demonstrates exceptional dedication to expanding SIA’s programs and services. This distinguished award is presented annually during The Advance, SIA’s flagship membership event at ISC West. 

Over the years, Schreiber has served through his SIA membership by:  

- Serving as a member of the Voice of the Industry (VOI) Steering Committee for Security Practitioners Advancing Real Conversations (SPARC), the Security Industry Association’s (SIA) technical end-user forum. The VOI committee provides industry insights and supplier/vendor expertise in a vendor-neutral capacity to support SPARC’s community of security practitioners and practitioner teams. 
- Volunteering as the primary author for the VOI committee’s SPARC Intelligence Report, delivering authoritative guidance on evaluating AI vendors and service providers. 
- Participating actively on multiple SIA committees and working groups, including the Learning and Development Committee, Video and Vision Subcommittee, Utilities Advisory Board, Drone Security Subcommittee, and Autonomous Solutions Working Group. 
- Engaging in the collaborative partnership between SIA and the International Association of Professional Security Consultants (IAPSC) to foster collaboration, generate impactful content, facilitate knowledge sharing, and enhance awareness within the security industry. 

Upon accepting his award, Schreiber took a moment to express his heartfelt gratitude to the Security Industry Association (SIA). He emphasized the vital role that industry professionals play in actively engaging with organizations like the SIA, noting that such involvement not only strengthens individual careers but also drives the overall growth and innovation within the industry. Schreiber also highlighted the incredible sense of camaraderie he has experienced among fellow SIA volunteers, attributing much of his motivation and success to this supportive community. He also acknowledged the unwavering dedication of the SIA staff, whose tireless efforts create a foundation for volunteer impact and industry advancement. For Schreiber, volunteering has been more than just giving back; it has been a deeply rewarding journey that has enriched him both personally and professionally. 

Congratulations once again to Schreiber for this well-deserved recognition, and congratulations also to Daniël Reichman, CEO and chief scientist of Ai-RGUS, on receiving the Sandy Jones Volunteer of the Year Award as well! Their commitment and passion continue to inspire us all and set a shining example of leadership in our industry. 

To read more about the award, visit:  

Security Industry Association Names Daniël Reichman and Mark Schreiber as 2026 Sandy Jones Volunteers of the Year - Security Industry Association 

To learn more about Schreiber’s recent involvement in SIA, click:  

Schreiber Joins SIA’s Voice of the Industry (VOI) Committee — Safeguards Consulting, Inc. 

Schreiber Aids SIA’s SPARC and VOI Committees with Their New Artificial Intelligence (AI) Report — Safeguards Consulting, Inc. 

To read the SPARC Intelligence Report: Guidance for Evaluating Artificial Intelligence Vendors/Service Providers, visit:  

SPARC Intelligence Report: Guidance for Evaluating Artificial Intelligence Vendors/Service Providers - Security Industry Association 

Schreiber’s Panel Session with Industry Leaders at SIA’s Perimeter Protect Event in Washington

Our Founder, Mark Schreiber, had a wonderful day representing us this past Wednesday, June 18th, 2025, in Washington, D.C., while attending the prestigious Perimeter Prevent event hosted by the Security Industry Association (SIA) at the National Housing Center. This event gathered top experts and leaders in the security field to discuss the latest innovations and strategies for protecting critical infrastructure and high-security perimeters. 
 
Schreiber also had the honor of participating in a dynamic panel session titled “CPTED and Best Practices for High-Security Perimeters,” which took place from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The conversation was enriched by the insights of his fellow panelists: Christa Decker, Vice President of Whitman, Requardt & Associates, and Douglas Dreher, Director of Data Center Development at Gibraltar Perimeter Security. 

During the session, the panelists explored how Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles can be effectively integrated into modern perimeter security solutions. They discussed practical strategies for balancing technological advancements with thoughtful environmental design to deter threats before they emerge.  

The event also provided an excellent opportunity for networking and exchanging ideas with other security professionals, policymakers, and industry innovators.  

Thank you to the SIA for an inspiring day and experience. Additionally, thank you also to everyone who attended Schreiber’s session!  

To learn more about the conference, visit:  

Perimeter PREVENT - Security Industry Association 

Schreiber Joins SIA’s Voice of the Industry (VOI) Committee to Assist Security Practitioners Advancing Real Conversations (SPARC)

Safeguards Consulting is proud to share that our Founder, Mark Schreiber, is furthering his involvement in the Security Industry Association (SIA) even more!  

Recently, Schreiber joined an esteemed group of experts to form one of SIA’s newest committees, the Voice Of the Industry (VOI) committee. This committee falls under SPARC’s umbrella of 3 bodies, which are membership, VOI, and support services. The VOI committee focuses on engaging with manufacturers, integrators, and specifiers to discuss industry needs, concerns, and expectations.  

One of the ways the new committee is seeking to grow and improve the industry is by assisting the Security Practitioners Advancing Real Conversations (SPARC) committee, which is also known as the SIA Technical End User Forum, with white papers to support large end users in and outside of SPARC.  

SPARC is a new community of security professionals brought together to support end-user technical practitioners with a large network of technical professionals. These professionals all seek to deliver impact in the security technology industry while also engaging and encouraging compliance with technology and industry standards. In addition, SPARC’s members are provided with state-of-the-art security technology research, training, and networking opportunities, among other things! 

To learn more about the Security Industry Association (SIA), visit:  

Security Industry Association (SIA) - Information. Insight. Influence. 

To learn more about Security Practitioners Advancing Real Conversations (SPARC), visit:  

SPARC: SIA's Technical End User Forum - Security Industry Association 

If you are interested in learning more about the Voice Of the Industry committee, consider following us on social media or subscribing to our free newsletter to receive updates as Schreiber continues to serve and advance the industry with his VOI peers! 

To subscribe to our newsletter, The Safeguards Consulting Chronicle, visit:  

Newsletter Signup — Safeguards Consulting, Inc. 

Strengthening Security: Milestones for Schreiber and SIA's Counter-UAS Working Group

Safeguards Consulting is proud to share an exciting update from our Security Industry Association (SIA) friends and our Founder, Mark Schreiber!  

Our firm is proud to have had Schreiber actively representing us within SIA's Counter-UAS Working Group for the past few years since its inception, and we are excited to see what they achieve together within this new year. This group of esteemed experts, founded in 2023, focuses on actively supporting, "the work needed to accomplish the recommendations of the Domestic Counter-UAS National Action Plan put forth by the Biden administration and further educate and give authorities options to mitigate UAS attacks".  Additionally, the group also collaborates with external organizations while also recruiting other industry experts aligned to track and monitor supportive legislation; and identify, educate, and engage with legislators. 

Some of their major milestones thus far include:  

+ Leading presentations at the SIA GovSummit and ISC Security Events conferences 

+ Authoring a series of articles on important drone and counter-UAS topics.  

+ Communicated support for S. 1631, the Safeguarding the Homeland from the Threats Posed by Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act of 2023.  

+ Providing topic input for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security speaker at the SIA National Capital Region Security Forum’s June 2023 counter-UAS event 

And so much more!  

However, the group has also recently provided guidance to SIA in their new blog post, "How to Spot a Drone: Guidance From Experts in SIA's Counter-UAS Working Group - Security Industry Association". In the blog post, Lauren Bresette, Senior Manager of Government Relations at SIA, outlines essential strategies for identifying drones in various environments. The post also emphasizes the importance of understanding drone characteristics, including size, shape, and sound, as well as the context of their operation, such as location and time of day. Additionally, Bresette highlights various guidance from the Counter-UAS Working Group, providing readers with practical tips for recognizing drone activity and distinguishing it from other aerial objects. The piece advocates for awareness and vigilance in both public and private spaces to enhance safety and security, especially in sensitive areas.  

We hope you will consider reading their piece in full as linked below as it serves as a valuable resource for those seeking to improve their ability to spot drones and respond appropriately.  

Stay tuned for more updates as they continue their efforts to combat drone threats!  

To learn more about SIA's Counter-UAS Working Group, visit:  

Counter-UAS Working Group - Security Industry Association 

To read the full article, visit:  

How to Spot a Drone: Guidance From Experts in SIA's Counter-UAS Working Group - Security Industry Association 

Up in the sky! It's a bird? It's a crewed aircraft? It's a drone?: How to Spot a Drone According to SIA’s Counter-UAS Working Group

Have you ever found yourself gazing up at the sky, much like the civilians in a Superman cartoon, eagerly trying to spot a drone soaring overhead? That feeling of wonder and curiosity as you search for that unreachable flying machine can be both exhilarating and a little surreal. 

Thanks to guidance from the Security Industry Association (SIA)'s Counter-UAS Working Group, you can now more effectively identify drones or uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS).  

In a recent blog post titled "How to Spot a Drone: Guidance from Experts in SIA's Counter-UAS Working Group," the association's Counter-UAS Working Group provides important tips and tricks for identifying drones. We are also proud to announce that our Founder, Mark Schreiber, is a member of this prestigious group.  

The article included the group's top three tips for making it easier for the general public to identify these aircraft. These tips include:  

(1) Using Visual Cues: Aircrafts or drones typically have two strobes. There is usually a red light on the left wing and a green one on the right. However, most commercial quadcopter drones have two red and two green. Therefore, when trying to identify an object as a drone, look for the strobes and also consider viewing the unknown object with lowlight filtering binoculars as this should also help.  

(2) Utilizing Flight Trackers: Numerous commercial flight trackers and night sky guides are at your disposal to help you discern whether the object soaring above is a plane on an approved flight path or if the twinkling lights are simply planets or stars in an exceedingly clear night sky. 

(3) Listening out for Noise: According to insights from the Public Broadcasting System, drones generally produce quieter sounds but emit higher-pitched buzzing noises, in contrast to the roar of jet engines or propellers. When an object is flying close enough to be heard, this auditory information can assist in identifying what is soaring above. 

Therefore, as you embark on your journey to identify the potential threat, remember that just like Superman, you have powerful resources and knowledge at your disposal. Armed with these tips, you should be well-equipped to start navigating the skies in search of any drones with the proper level of confidence. 

For more help identifying UASs or drones, visit:  

How to Spot a Drone: Guidance From Experts in SIA's Counter-UAS Working Group - Security Industry Association 

To learn more about SIA's Counter-UAS Working Group, visit:  

Counter-UAS Working Group - Security Industry Association 

Exciting Industry News: IAPSC and SIA Sign Memorandum of Understanding Agreement

Our firm is delighted to announce a major milestone in the security industry: our friends at the International Association of Professional Security Consultants (IAPSC) and the Security Industry Association (SIA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreement! 
 
This groundbreaking partnership is designed to foster collaboration, generate valuable content, and facilitate knowledge-sharing between the two associations. By working together, IAPSC and SIA aim to elevate the profile of the security consultant profession, highlighting the crucial role that IAPSC members play in conjunction with the manufacturer and integrator members represented by SIA. 
 
The significance of this agreement cannot be overstated. Over the next two years, we can expect to see a tangible impact on the industry as a result of this partnership. By pooling their resources and expertise, IAPSC and SIA will be able to provide even more value to their members, drive innovation, and advance the security industry as a whole. 
 
At Safeguards Consulting, we are proud to be a part of this exciting development and look forward to seeing the positive changes that this partnership will bring. We believe that this MOU will have a profound impact on the industry, and we are eager to see the fruits of this collaboration. 

Our Founder, Mark Schreiber, also serves as an elected board member for IAPSC, and a SIA volunteer. He recently gave his feedback on this exciting partnership, “This MOU provides a great opportunity for the large group of SIA members to engage with professional security consultants and to share valuable knowledge from IAPSC members with leaders within SIA”.  
 
Congratulations to IAPSC and SIA on this landmark agreement! We are honored to be a part of this vibrant community and cannot wait to see what the future holds. 

To learn more, visit:  

Security Industry Association and International Association of Professional Security Consultants Announce Partnership - Security Industry Association

To learn more about IAPSC, visit:  

International Association of Professional Security Consultants: Home (iapsc.org) 

To learn more about SIA, visit:  

Security Industry Association (SIA) - Information. Insight. Influence.