The Security Industry Association on Thursday announced that it will award the 2015 George R. Lippert Memorial Award to industry icon Frank De Fina, who passed away unexpected in July.
At the time of his death, De Fina was serving as senior director of strategic sales at Hikvision USA and was on the SIA Board of Directors. The SIA Lippert Award Committee, composed of previous recipients of the Lippert Award, unanimously chose De Fina from a field of nominees.
"Frank De Fina was a giant in life and in the security industry," said SIA CEO Don Erickson. "He was a very kind man whose knowledge, experience and wit made extraordinary contributions to our community. It is with great respect that we present the Lippert Award to him. He is sorely missed, and we will take this occasion to celebrate his life’s work at SIA Honors Night."
De Fina spent nearly 30 years in the security industry. Prior to joining the Hikvision team, De Fina served as executive vice president of sales and marketing for SightLogix, a manufacturer of smart thermal cameras for outdoor security applications.
Before SightLogix, he was executive vice president of sales and marketing for Samsung Techwin America, where he launched new reseller channels, led ambitious sales initiatives, and established strong partnerships with systems integrators serving the North American security market. De Fina previously spent 26 years at Panasonic, where he eventually became president and chief operating officer at Panasonic Systems Solutions Company.
Part De Fina’s work with SIA included developing a Security Systems Technology program at Mercer County Community College in New Jersey that provides educational opportunities and job training for young people pursuing careers in the security industry. The two-year program fortifies the growing security industry by increasing the number of skilled professionals in the field.
SIA will present De Fina’s family with the 2015 Lippert Award during the SIA Honors Night gala at The Current at Chelsea Piers in New York, N.Y., on Wednesday, Nov. 18.
"Working with SIA was something that Frank enjoyed very much, and I know he would be honored to receive this award," remarked De Fina’s wife, Patricia De Fina. "He was passionate about helping others, and his legacy will continue as young people benefit from the education program he put together for Mercer College."
The Lippert Award, founded in 1989, is named in honor of George R. Lippert, who dedicated more than 20 years of his life to the security industry and SIA. When evaluating candidates nominated for the award, the SIA Lippert Award Committee considered their long-term service to SIA and the security industry, the impact of their efforts on behalf of SIA and the industry, and their integrity, leadership and diplomacy as demonstrated in industry dealings.
