Articles by Diane Ritchey

Kevin Wilkes never thought that he would work in enterprise security. But thanks to a want ad that called for police officers, Wilkes is enjoying his role as CSO for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, a non-profit arts organization that works to make the city of Pittsburgh a place where the arts can flourish.

In late August, the Orlando City Soccer Club played its first game since its games and operations shut down in the spring due to COVID-19. It was a great evening, says Robert Schnettler, who is Senior Director of Security and Guest Services for the club and Exploria Stadium.

Christopher Schleder — who had completed six years of active duty in the U.S. Air Force and was unsure about his next career move — knew about the facility before he applied for a Director of Security Services role because his dad had been a patient for several years.

Treyler Ray began his career in law enforcement with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics as an undercover narcotics agent. He soon moved into the special operations division where he conducted surveillance and Title III wiretaps on major drug traffickers. F

Working in healthcare was never on my radar,” says Luke Manuel, Security Director for Rockcastle Regional Hospital and Respiratory Care Center in Mount Vernon, Ky. He spent 8 ½ years in the U.S. Marine Corps, before earning his bachelor’s degree in Assets Protection and Security with a focus on critical infrastructure.

After serving our country for 10 years in the Marine Corps, Joey Hunter was ready to be a prison guard. The career path appealed to him and the job interview was set.

“The same risks that apply to any organization apply to a school system as well,” says John Clark, Director of Safety and Security for Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS). “The difference is we’re dealing with kids. So, we must make our training age appropriate. We have to understand the audience at all times, but we still want the same outcome at the end of the day, which is a safe and secure environment.”

Which security programs are leading the way? These 500 enterprises have been ranked through metrics to determine the forerunners in 17 sectors.

The Security 500 tracks 17 vertical markets and collects unique data where appropriate (such as number of unique facilities in healthcare) and applies this data to key metrics.

What are the critical issues and trends in your sector this year, and how does your enterprise compare to your peers? These 17 Security 500 Sector Reports provide benchmarking data about budget changes, security leadership responsibilities, reporting structure and more.