The 2016 Americas ISLA Ceremony and Gala honored the best and brightest in the field of cybersecurity. Held each year at the (ISC)² Security Congress, the dinner and awards presentation took place at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville where Jim Davis, creator of Garfield, was the keynote speaker.

James McQuiggan, CISSP, was the emcee of the evening. A long-time volunteer and advocate for the Center for Cyber Safety and EducationTM’s Safe and Secure Online® program, he kicked off the evening wearing a Safe and Secure t-shirt – later changing into a festive Hawaiian shirt and grass skirt – before embracing the “Florida cocktail” attire. Jokes, costume changes, video skits and engaging the crowd are all par for the course for any emcee, but what James didn’t know is that he was among the honorees receiving an award that evening.

(ISC)² CEO David Shearer presented James with the 2016 President’s Award, which recognizes a volunteer who has made a significant impact on and contribution to the organization through their dedicated volunteer efforts over the past year.

James is a Product and Solutions Security Officer for the Siemens Wind Power America’s division in Orlando, Florida. He has been a member of (ISC)² since 2008 and holds the CISSP® certification. Over the past six years, he has given the Safe and Secure Online presentation to countless groups of children, families and senior citizens. He is a passionate advocate for cyber safety, and (ISC)² is proud to have him represent our organization and the cybersecurity profession.