Security Industry Association Announces 2026 SIA Women in Security Forum Scholarship Winners

Twelve security industry professionals and students will receive scholarships to be used toward opportunities like continuing education, repayment of student loan debt and professional development.

SILVER SPRING, Md.—The Security Industry Association (SIA) has named 12 recipients for the 2026 SIA Women in Security Forum (WISF) Scholarship—a program developed by the SIA Women in Security Forum to further educational opportunities and promote advancement for the widest spectrum of people possible in the security industry.

Through this scholarship program—open to employees of SIA member companies and SIA student members—each honoree will be awarded $10,000 to use toward continuing education and professional development courses, conferences or webinars, SIA program offerings, repayment of student loan debt and/or other education or academic pursuits.

The 2026 winners for the SIA Women in Security Forum Scholarship are:

• Maria Jose Arley Mora, development delivery manager, Johnson Controls
• Katherine Bergersen, student, University of Virginia
• Brittany Board, director of partnerships, PSA
• Lauren Duell, instructional designer I, dormakaba
• Cassandra Fitzgerald, senior Atlassian administrator, Allegion
• Lindsey Houston, digital marketing communications manager, dormakaba Americas
• Julieta Pérez, CEO, Seguridad Privada Sekuri
• Gabrielle Pike, corporate instructional design and media manager, CBX Solutions
• Shreya Poojary, senior specification consultant I, Allegion India
• Ourania Rahman, student, Fairleigh Dickinson University
• Maria Sanchez, electronic security application engineer I, Johnson Controls
• Rosario Triana, inside sales representative, HID

“The success of this year’s scholarship program is a testament to what can be achieved when our industry comes together to invest in future leaders. We were inspired by the remarkable group of applicants and honored to award scholarships to a record number of recipients this year,” said Tia Eskandari, SIA WISF vice chair, co-chair of the WISF AmplifiHER Subcommittee and senior director of national service at Allied Universal. “Congratulations to each awardee for their hard work and dedication, and thank you to our incredible volunteers whose fundraising efforts helped make this program possible, as well as to our sponsors for their generosity and support. A special thank you to SIA for its leadership and continued commitment to making this scholarship program possible. Together, you are helping open doors and create lasting impact for women across our profession.”

“I have always believed that when we invest in people, we invest in possibility,” said Tanya Turner, co-chair of the SIA WISF AmplifiHER Subcommittee and vice president of human resources at Salto. “This program offered by SIA continues to create meaningful opportunities for women to expand their knowledge, advance their careers, and strengthen their leadership capabilities. This year’s applicant pool was truly exceptional, making the selection process both rewarding and insightful. I am grateful to the scholarship committee for their dedication, thoughtful evaluations, and commitment. Congratulations to our scholarship recipients on this well-deserved achievement and thank you to everyone (sponsors and volunteers) who continues to champion the growth, development, and the advancement of women in our industry. Together, we are creating pathways for future leaders and strengthening the security profession.”

To learn more about the SIA Women in Security Forum Scholarship and 2026 awardees, visit the scholarship page.

Each year, SIA awards the top-scoring scholarship applicant each year with the Sandy Jones Award, a special scholarship distinction named for industry veteran and honorary SIA member Sandra (Sandy) Jones. This year, the recipient of this award is Maria Andrea Sanchez Cifuentes.

The SIA Women in Security Forum Scholarship is made possible by the generous donations of SIA members and SIA member companies. SIA thanks the 2026 WISF Scholarship donors: Diamond Level donors Convergint and Pavion; Emerald Level donors Altronix and M.C. Dean; Ruby Level donors Axis Communications, Brivo, Clear Cloud, The CMOOR Group, GSA Schedules Inc., HID, Johnson Controls, Physec Systems, Preferred Technologies, PSA, SAGE Integration, Salto, Security Specifiers, Windy City Wire and Zenitel; and Sapphire Level donors Defined Marketing, Fracktional Solutions and Vector Firm.

SIA thanks the members of the WISF AmplifiHER Subcommittee for lending their time and expertise to fundraising and evaluation for this year’s WISF Scholarship: co-chairs Tia Eskandari and Tanya Turner and additional members Rebecca Bayne, president of Bayne Consulting & Search; Kristen Cooper, executive director, CONSULT at Security Specifiers; Lynn de Séve, founder and president of GSA Schedules; Lori Hudnall, vice president of human resources at SAGE Integration; Stephanie Mayes, security market leader, Mead & Hunt; Lyndell Kline, sales director at Boon Edam; Julie Rolles, director of business development at The CMOOR Group; Lisa Sobek, senior channel marketing manager at Allegion; and Gannon Switzer, vice president of client engagement at Vector Firm.

In addition to this scholarship, the SIA Women in Security Forum community offers a number of key programs and activities, including the SIA Progress Award, which celebrates individuals who advance opportunities for women in the security industry; the Power 100, an annual initiative showcasing 100 women who are role models, leaders, innovators and influencers in global security; co-leadership of the Security LeadHER conference in partnership with ASIS International; volunteer efforts that give back to the community; collaborative projects with other organizations that seek to empower women in the security and technology fields; thought leadership and speaking opportunities; and engaging networking and professional growth events. Participation in the SIA Women in Security Forum is open to all employees of SIA member companies; learn more and get involved.

About the Security Industry Association

SIA is the leading trade association for global security solution providers, with over 1,700 innovative member companies representing thousands of security leaders and experts who shape the future of the security industry. SIA protects and advances its members’ interests by advocating pro-industry policies and legislation at the federal and state levels, creating open industry standards that enable integration, advancing industry professionalism through education and training, opening global market opportunities and collaborating with other like-minded organizations. As the premier sponsor of ISC Events expos and conferences, SIA ensures its members have access to top-level buyers and influencers, as well as unparalleled learning and network opportunities. SIA also enhances the position of its members in the security marketplace through SIA GovSummit, which brings together private industry with government decision-makers, and Securing New Ground, the security industry’s top executive conference for peer-to-peer networking.