SILVER SPRING, Md. – The Security Industry Association (SIA) has recognized two industry leaders – Leire Arbona Puértolas and Arielle Thomas – as the 2024 winners of the SIA Industry Advocate Award.SIA presents the award to individuals who make an extraordinary contribution of professional time, leadership, and resources to position SIA and its members to address the public policy challenges impacting the security industry. Arbona Puértolas and Thomas were recognized with the awards at the 2024 SIA GovSummit conference.Leire Arbona Puértolas serves as legal and compliance director for Veridas, providing expertise in biometric identity verification and data protection laws since joining the company in 2017. Sia noted that Arbona Puértolas’ efforts extended beyond corporate compliance, with active contribution to the legislative process in various countries, advising on laws that shape the future of digital identity verification.A key player in legislative developments in Spain and the European Union, Arbona Puértolas’ expertise is frequently sought in international forums on privacy, biometrics and identity management. She holds dual degrees in law and business administration from the Public University of Navarre, Spain, bringing a unique blend of legal insight and business acumen to her role at Veridas.“Leire Arbona Puértolas played a critical role in guiding SIA’s advocacy throughout the last year related to the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act and continues to assist on matters related to AI, data privacy and biometrics,” said Jake Parker, SIA’s senior director of government relations. “The success of SIA’s work on behalf of the industry heavily depends on the willingness of key members to volunteer their time and subject matter expertise.”Arielle Thomas serves as a government relations manager on NEC Corporation of America’s Government Relations and Public Policy team. In this role, she manages relationships with elected officials and staff in the U.S. Congress, in addition to tracking relevant legislation and policy developments at the federal and state levels that could impact NEC businesses, technologies and services.Before joining NEC, Thomas worked at the Greater Washington Partnership, a regional business organization, where she focused on building relationships with governmental and business leaders across Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Thomas earned a B.A. in international studies from American University, with a primary focus in U.S. foreign policy and national security, in addition to a special certificate in advanced leadership studies.“We deeply appreciate the assistance that Arielle Thomas consistently provides to SIA’s advocacy and events, on many levels that benefit the industry, from her leadership on AI and technology policy to devoting her time to assist other members in navigating Capitol Hill during our Security Hill Day event,” said Parker.“SIA is thrilled to recognize Arielle Thomas and Leire Arbona Puértolas as the 2024 Industry Advocate Award winners – they have provided crucial contributions to SIA’s legislative and regulatory initiatives, particularly around AI, privacy, biometrics and technology policy, said SIA CEO Don Erickson. “We commend Arielle and Leire for their leadership and service, thank them for volunteering their time and subject matter expertise on key industry issues and look forward to continuing to collaborate with them on the issues most important to our members and promoting greater safety and security around the world.”
