The Security Industry Association (SIA) has selected Manuel Alejandro Fernández Mena of Johnson Controls and Jonas Rosa of Convergint as the recipients of the 2026 James Rothstein Business Scholarship.

The scholarship supports emerging security industry professionals and students entering the industry by covering passes and travel expenses to attend SIA’s Securing New Ground (SNG) conference. The program was established in 2024 in recognition of Rothstein’s contributions to business leadership and education within the security industry.

Fernández Mena is a security pod leader at Johnson Controls based in San José, Costa Rica. He leads a team focused on supporting security solutions and operational excellence initiatives and has experience in customer operations, sales support and team leadership.

“Receiving the James Rothstein Business Scholarship is both an honor and an exciting opportunity at an important stage in my career,” Fernández Mena said. “As I begin my journey as a Security Pod Leader at Johnson Controls, I am eager to learn from industry professionals, connect with peers, and gain new perspectives that will help me grow as a leader.”

Rosa serves as global account manager, LATAM, at Convergint. He has experience in global account management and business development within the electronic security industry, working with multinational organizations across Brazil and Latin America. He holds an executive MBA from FGV-EAESP and focuses on leadership, continuous learning and the development of the security industry.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to attend SNG in New York,” Rosa said. “I see SNG as a unique opportunity to learn from some of the brightest minds in our industry, exchange perspectives with professionals from around the world and better understand the trends shaping the future of security.”

Rothstein, president of Sequel LV and a former member of SIA’s Board of Directors who served as chair from 2022 to 2024, congratulated the scholarship recipients.

“These inspiring young leaders have already had impressive careers across sales, operations, team leadership, business management and more,” Rothstein said. “At Securing New Ground they will get the unique opportunity to examine industry trends, form meaningful connections and propel their growth and business expertise.”

The scholarship program recognizes Rothstein’s contributions to SIA and the broader security industry. During his time on the SIA board, he played an instrumental role in developing the annual SNG conference and continues to support industry education and career advancement opportunities for early career professionals and students through advisement and volunteer service roles.

The 2026 SNG conference is scheduled for Oct. 20-21 at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York City. Hosted by SIA, the executive conference will feature information sharing, networking and business analysis. The 2026 program will address topics including artificial intelligence and integrated systems, global security technology market trends and customer needs and the future of security operations. The event will also feature executive interviews, interactive sessions and roundtable discussions.