The ISLA Government program recognizes the ongoing commitment of individuals whose initiatives, processes and projects have led to significant improvements in the security posture of a United States government department or agency. Winners will be honored at the ISLA Americas ceremony during the 2019 (ISC)² Security Congress on October 30, 2019 at the Walt Disney Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Fla.

This year's winners by category are:

  • Workforce Improvement – Lisa Carol Holman, Deputy Chief Information Security Officer, Corporate Information Security Office, United States Postal Service
  • Up-and-Coming Security Professional – Stephen Crewinski, IT Security and Server Specialist, Public Service Commission of Wisconsin
  • Technology Improvement – William Birchett, CISSP, Owner/vCISO, Logo Systems
  • Most Valuable Industry Partner (Team) – Dr. Thomas P. Scanlon, CISSP, Senior Cybersecurity Engineer & Researcher, Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University
    • Additional team members include: Dr. William Nichols, Dr. Carol Woody, Dr. Kenneth Nidiffer and Timothy Chick, CSSLP
  • Community Awareness (Team) – Julie Chua, CISSP, CAP, Risk Management Branch Chief, Office of Information Security, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
    • Additional team members include: Erik Decker, Christopher Bollerer, Steve Curren, Nickol Todd, Laura Wolf, Emery Csulak, Nick Heesters, Suzanne Schwartz, Aftin Ross, Seth Carmody, Rose-Marie Nsahlai, Matt Quinn, Matthew Barrett, Nick Rodriguez, Justin Smith, Konrad Miles, Paige Burke, Elizabeth Voeller and Brian Lebeck

"Innovating in the government space can be a challenge for even the most skilled professional, with policies, regulations and budget constraints playing a role in day to day operations," said Wes Simpson, Chief Operations Officer, (ISC)². "We look forward to celebrating these leaders and their teams, as we honor their achievements over the past year."

A judging committee of senior cybersecurity experts assessed the achievements of security professionals nominated exclusively by their peers and selected this year's award winners. The 2019 ISLA Government judges were:

  • Benjamin Bergersen, CISSP-ISSAP, ISSMP
  • David Branscome, CISSP, CCSP
  • Dr. Michaela Iorga
  • Derek Smith
  • Michael Stoner, CISSP

This year's awards ceremony will also include the presentation of the first (ISC)² Diversity Award that will be presented to a professional who has significantly impacted the advancement of diversity in the field of cybersecurity through activities such as scholarships, advocacy, nonprofit work or other means to create a level playing field for the inclusion of all individuals in the world of cybersecurity.