Security professionals honored by NCS4

Seven sports security professionals were recognized for their leadership in addressing safety and security issues as part of the 2019 National Sports Safety and Security Conference and Exhibition last month in New Orleans.

“The reason for the Professional of the Year Award is to allow professional leagues, NCAA member institutions, marathon and interscholastic athletics organizations to honor outstanding individuals in the field of sports safety and security for their contributions and leadership,” said NCS4 Director Dr. Lou Marciani. “These contributions involve enhancing safety and security at their venue beyond what is normally required, and setting an example for others to follow.”

Marciani noted that each league or organization selects the criteria and makes the determination as to which professional will be recognized. Those recognized included the following:

Greg Haapala, Race Director, Grandma’s Marathon (Marathon/Road Race Advisory Committee)

Guy Grace, Director of Security and Emergency Planning, Littleton Public Schools (Interscholastic Advisory Committee)

Joe Monroe, CSSP, Chief of Police, University of Kentucky Police Department (NCAA)

Troy Brown, Vice President, Stadium Operations, Cleveland Brown (NFL)

Jerry Conners, CSSP, Director of Security, Detroit Tigers (MLB)

Andrea Evans, Security and Safety Manager, Gila River Arena/AEG (NHL)

Meredith Ley, Stadium Operations Manager, Columbus Crew Soccer Club (MLS)

The presentation of the 2019 Professional of the Year Awards to these individuals was sponsored by Axis Communications.

The conference’s theme was “Learning from the past—Preparing for the future” and was hosted by the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) at The University of Southern Mississippi.

Meet the 7th Annual NCS4 Golden Eagle Award finalists

An awards program from the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security, sponsored by SDM, recognizes excellence in system integration at sporting venues. Click here for descriptions of the 2019 finalists.