AUSTIN, Texas, July 12, 2023 – HID, a worldwide leader in trusted identity solutions, today announced that Michael Garcia, national end user manager, K-12 Safe Schools, has been named as a SecurityInfoWatch.com, Security Business and Security Technology Executive magazines’ 2023 Security Industry Innovator Award winner. HID’s customer-centric roles and end-user vertical specific solutions approach to security and risk mitigation have positioned Garcia and his team as security industry leaders to watch - through 2023 and into 2024.
At HID, Garcia serves as a dedicated K-12 end user market resource, focused on assisting HID partners, integrators, OEMs, resellers and consultants in identifying and delivering solutions that meet school districts’ unique safety and security needs. His primary focus is to educate school districts so they better understand where to invest their security funding based on a layered, open and unified approach to security, a role which has enabled Garcia to help hundreds of school districts become safer and more secure.
“School aged children are our nation’s most precious and priceless resource — and keeping students, teachers and staff safe must remain a priority at every level of school decision-making, district leadership and board governance,” said Garcia. “No teacher or child should have to attend school in fear. This is why the HID Education End User Team informs and empowers schools to assess risk, then assists them in selecting and implementing unified safety and security in a district-wide solutions approach.”
Garcia began his career by assisting in the design and launch of cybersecurity products and managed security services for the US Government. Prompted by the increased threats to school districts and the Virginia Tech mass shooting in 2007, he designed and launched LearnSafe, a school safety and security initiative that combined people, process and technology to deliver multiple layers of protection across diverse campuses with dynamic risk profiles. The pioneering program combined behavioral intervention (a K-12 mental health first-aid program custom-developed by a trained school psychologist), behavioral threat assessments, school physical security hardening with unified access, video and intrusion detection, remote automated school lockdown capabilities, bus fleet security, sporting event security, emergency operation programs, SRO’s and re-unification.
“A multi-layered and tiered approach to school safety considers more than just products,” said Garcia. “Climate, culture, equity and a social-emotional learning program combined with a trauma informed approach are critical considerations when protecting school students and staff; making programs that focus on behavior and a safe school environment, key components to a successful solution.”
As a testimony to his thought leadership in this area of school health and safety (prevention), he was recently chosen to serve on the Board of the Institute for Rural Mental Health Initiatives at Texas A&M University Kingsville (TAMUK). Last year, Garcia received Most Influentual People award by Security Magazine for his dedication of time and energy to educating administrators and school stakeholders on safety and security topics.
As a board member with the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS), Garcia uses his passion, deep expertise and broad system mindset to help develop security guidelines and educate school security directors, superintendents, trustees and stakeholders for K-12 schools across the nation. The PASS guidelines, funded and endorsed by the Security Industry Association and National Systems Contractors Association, are utilized by the Department of Homeland Security and thousands of public, private and charter schools.
“Our Endeavor Business security media team is thrilled to recognize the accomplishments of security innovators and leaders in our industry like Mr. Garcia. The Security Industry Innovator Awards 2023 place an emphasis on applauding innovation and seek to reward those who have proven themselves to be leaders in implementing security and risk solutions in their organizations,” said Security Group Editorial Director Steve Lasky. “We are honoring visionary individuals across the spectrum, including security executives and systems integrators who have pushed the envelope to effectively engage prospective customers and meet their buyer needs in a complex world of technology advancement and diverse threats, security software and hardware solutions providers who remain committed to demonstrating an outstanding level of excellence within this vital and constantly evolving industry, and consultants that ensure their clients are well-advised and consistently ahead of the industry curve.”
For more than 40 years, SecurityInfoWatch.com, Security Business and Security Technology Executive magazines have been pioneers in providing comprehensive technology and business operations content to the security industry in print, digital and live-event platforms. The launch of the annual Security Industry Innovator Awards encompasses a spectrum of markets, from software and hardware development and deployment to security and risk services and systems integration, as the security industry continues to meet the challenges of a changing world.
See SecurityInfoWatch.com’s full list of 2023 Security Innovator Award winners.
Stay Connected with HID
Visit our Media Center, read our Industry Blog, and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
About HID
HID powers the trusted identities of the world’s people, places and things. We make it possible for people to transact safely, work productively and travel freely. Our trusted identity solutions give people convenient access to physical and digital places and connect things that can be identified, verified and tracked digitally. Millions of people around the world use HID products and services to navigate their everyday lives, and billions of things are connected through HID technology. We work with governments, educational institutions, hospitals, financial institutions, industrial businesses and some of the most innovative companies on the planet. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, HID has over 4,500 employees worldwide and operates international offices that support more than 100 countries. HID is an ASSA ABLOY Group brand. For more information, visit www.hidglobal.com.
# # #
© 2023 HID Global Corporation/ASSA ABLOY AB. All rights reserved. HID, the HID Blue Brick logo and the Chain Design are trademarks or registered trademarks of HID Global, ASSA ABLOY AB, or its affiliates(s) in the US and other countries and may not be used without permission. All other trademarks, service marks, and product or service names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Media Contact:
HID Global
Matt Winn