Security Sales & Integration February 2022 - 64

Secure Perspectives
Presented by
Welcoming Women Into the Industry
This column is brought to you by the Security Industry Association's (SIA) Women in
Security Forum, supporting diversity through programs, professional development
and networking events. Here's a sampling of the complete perspectives posted
monthly at securitysales.com/tag/secure-perspectives.
▶ How did you get into security?
Jennifer Jezek: My parents, Steve and Judi
York, founded York Electronic Systems in 1984,
so you could say I was born into security.
JENNIFER JEZEK
President
York Electronic Systems
With more and more data that shows
diversity makes a better workforce, what
opportunities do you see for women in
the security industry?
JJ: There are unlimited opportunities in the security
industry for women. There is high demand
for solutions architects, sales engineers, project
managers and lead technicians.
MARTHA ENTWISTLE
Communications Manager
Eagle Eye Networks
What impediments do you see for
achieving this? What could remedy
them?
JJ: The role of a lead technician and project
manager is ever-evolving. Traditional thinking
that women don't belong on the jobsite has been
eroded over the course of my career. Roles with
high physical requirements may be limiting for
some; however, as more highly skilled women
enter the workforce and as technology innovations
advance, those physical roles will become
more tactical in nature.
Who was the strongest career influence?
JJ: My dad is my mentor and my biggest champion.
I returned to York in 2002 after a career
in IT, and my dad allowed me to run operations.
At that point I had never stepped foot
on a construction site and couldn't spell AIA,
so it was a pretty big risk on his part. He trusted
me enough to allow me to fail and learn
from my mistakes. Running operations really
showed me the significance of our work, and
it created a meaningful imprint that led me to
want to become an owner - not just because
it was my family's business, but because what
we do matters.
What are the top challenges your
company has faced in the last year?
Martha Entwistle: The biggest challenge was the
pandemic, of course. Eagle Eye also faced a couple
of very welcome challenges: the accelerated move to
Cloud and our company's recent growth. First, the
demand for Cloud proliferated during the pandemic.
There are a lot of reasons why that happened, but
the fact that many legacy surveillance systems are
just terrible at remote access is a big reason.We've
been busy. Second, fueled by an investment by Accel
in 2020 and the exceptional growth in the last
year, the company is investing and rapidly expanding.
This is a challenge because growth - at every
stage of a company's development - should be
thoughtful and deliberate. Bringing on hundreds of
new people with limited in-person interaction requires
a thoughtful approach and commitment to
communication and collaboration.
What do you hope the SIA Women in
Security Forum can achieve for the
security industry?
ME: We need to continue to engage the younger
generation. This is key to this industry's success,
and the SIA Women in Security Forum
is focused on this through a series of programs
including professional development, community
outreach and the WISF Scholarship Committee,
which raised and awarded $80,000 in scholarships
to qualified women last year. WISF is only
three years old and already 750 members strong.
Our ranks today include women, and men, from
every corner of the industry.
Importantly, WISF has created a community
that women in this industry have been searching
for. It's powerful for women in our industry,
and those considering joining the industry to " see
someone who looks like them " in a leadership role.
What is your best advice for women
in the industry?
ME: Get involved. Read the security publications,
attend trade shows and conferences, be the
mentor you wish you had as a young professional.
Volunteer for industry groups and learn about
Mission 500. Work hard, but don't work all the
time. Get outside a lot.
SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION (USPS 511-590) (ISSN 1539-0071), Vol. 44, No. 2, is published monthly by Emerald X, LLC., 100 Broadway, 14th Floor,
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