SIA Insightful Practitioner Award
Recognizing Excellence in Promoting the Implementation of Innovative Security Solutions
About the Insightful Practitioner Award
The Insightful Practitioner Award is presented to a security practitioner who demonstrates leadership and excellence in promoting the implementation of innovative security solutions through education, advocacy and teamwork with the security industry and other stakeholders. The SIA Insightful Practitioner Award is presented at SIA Honors Night. Nominations information is accepted annually August and September.
2023 SIA Insightful Practitioner Award Recipient: Brian Harrell
SIA has named Brian M. Harrell as the 2023 recipient of the SIA Insightful Practitioner Award. Harrell serves as vice president and chief security officer at Avangrid – an energy company with assets and operations in 24 states. He is responsible for the company’s physical security and cybersecurity, privacy, intelligence and business continuity units. Prior to his time at Avangrid, Harrell served as the sixth assistant secretary for infrastructure protection at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and also served as the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s first assistant director for infrastructure security. He also held previous security leadership roles with Duke Energy, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, the U.S. Marine Corps and various private-sector agencies.
Harrell is a prominent security thought leader and has participated in a number of SIA events, conferences and initiatives. His many contributions to SIA and the industry include delivering keynote presentations at SIA’s GovSummit conference and Protecting Utilities Lunch at ISC West, lending expert insights on a security leaders panel session at Securing New Ground, participating in video Q&A sessions for SIA members on key critical infrastructure protection topics, sharing perspectives and analysis for SIA’s Security 2040 project, participating in outreach to lawmakers on Capitol Hill in support of SIA policy priorities, supporting projects and initiatives of the SIA Utilities Advisory Board and delivering a presentation on critical infrastructure protection at ISC East.
Previous Insightful Practitioner Award Winners
- 2021: Bonnie Michelman
- 2020: Jack Hanagriff
- 2019: George W. Anderson
- 2018: Guy M. Grace, Jr.
- 2017: Dave McGowan
- 2016: Dr. Lou Marciani
- 2015: Ray O’Hara
- 2014: Evelyn Meserve