2025 ISSA International Award Winners, Fellows, and Distinguished Fellows Announced
Houston, TX – March 21, 2025 – The Information Systems Security Association (ISSA), the leading non-profit organization for information security professionals, is proud to announce the 2025 ISSA International Awards winners and 2025 ISSA International Fellows and Distinguished Fellows. The honorees will be recognized and celebrated at the ISSA 40th Anniversary Celebration Conference and Awards Gala later this year in Dallas.
“For more than two decades, ISSA has proudly honored individuals and organizations that exemplify excellence in cybersecurity, demonstrating unwavering dedication to advancing their skills and strengthening the profession,” said Jimmy Sanders, President of ISSA International. “Their remarkable contributions not only enhance the ISSA community but also drive innovation and collaboration across the broader information security and technology landscape.”
The categories and winners are:
2025 Chapter of the Year Winners
Chapter of the Year recognizes chapters that have done an exceptional job of supporting ISSA’s mission, serving their member communities, and advancing the field.
- Small Chapter: ISSA Rainier Chapter
- Medium Chapter: ISSA Phoenix Chapter
- Large Chapter: ISSA, South Texas Chapter
2025 Inductees – Honor Roll
Honor Roll is a lifetime achievement award recognizing an individual’s sustained contributions to the information security community, the advancement of the association and enhancement of the professionalism of the membership.
- Walter Magda, ISSA Colorado Springs Chapter
- Srikant Mantravadi, ISSA Colorado Springs Chapter
2025 Organization of the Year Winner
The Organization of the Year Award recognizes candidates with a sustained, proactive presence that directly contributed to the overall good and professionalism of the association and its membership, providing either services, products and/or direct support that ensures the promotion of the highest ethical standards in addressing information security and its future direction.
- Grand Canyon University
2025 Security Professional of the Year Winner
The Security Professional of the Year honors one (1) individual who best exemplifies the most outstanding standards and achievement in information security in the preceding year.
- David Ruiz, ISSA Raleigh Chapter
2025 Volunteer(s) of the Year
The Volunteers of the Year Award recognizes a member who has made a significant difference to their chapter, the association, or the information security community through dedicated and selfless service to ISSA.
- Chandler Miller, ISSA Alamo Chapter
- Lindsey Mote, ISSA Colorado Springs Chapter
- Tim Thomasson, ISSA Metro Atlanta Chapter
- Parth Shah. ISSA Rainier Chapter
- Deb Bond, ISSA Phoenix Chapter
2025 ISSA Senior Members
ISSA recognizes members who have been with the organization for at least five consecutive years and have demonstrated at least 8 years of relevant cybersecurity experience. Senior Member status is the first step towards fellowship and requires at least 5 years of membership.
- Bobby Ellis, Middle Tennessee Chapter
- Eric Barricklow, Los Angeles Chapter
- Erick Herzberg, Colorado Springs Chapter
- Jonathan Ringler, Central Maryland Chapter
- Lorenzo Thweatt, Central Maryland Chapter
- Michael Hennick, Central Maryland Chapter
- Michael W. Hill, Kansas City Chapter
- Michael F. Lehman, Lost Angeles Chapter
- Paul Frenken, Columbus Chapter
- William Scheible, Northern Virginia (NOVA) Chapter
2025 ISSA Fellows and ISSA Distinguished Fellows
This program honors established cyber professionals with demonstrated success and contributions to the industry. These individuals have dedicated years towards innovation and progression within the information security and technology realm.
ISSA Fellows
This distinguished designation is reserved for only 2% of ISSA members, recognizing exceptional achievement, leadership, and contributions to the information security profession and the association.
- Constantinos Doskas, ISSA Northern Virginia (NOVA) Chapter
- Jaime M. Contreras, ISSA Alamo Chapter
- Walter M. Cekala, ISSA Northern Virginia (NOVA) Chapter
ISSA Distinguished Fellows
This elite designation is limited to only 1% of ISSA members and recognizes your exceptional leadership, contributions, and lasting impact on the information security profession and the ISSA community as well as the Technology community as a whole.
- Anne Rogers, ISSA South Texas Chapter
- Deborah Peinert, ISSA Denver Chapter
- John Dyson, ISSA Northern Virginia (NOVA) Chapter
A complete list of Senior Members, Fellows and Distinguished Fellows can be found here.
About
ISSA
The Information Systems Security Association (ISSA)™ is the community of choice for international cyber security professionals dedicated to advancing individual growth, managing technology risk, and protecting critical information and infrastructure. ISSA members and award winners include many of the industry’s notable luminaries and represent a broad range of industries – from communications, education, healthcare, manufacturing, financial and consulting to IT – as well as federal, state and local government departments and agencies. Through regional chapter meetings, conferences, networking events and content, members tap into a wealth of shared knowledge and expertise. Follow us on LinkedIn, X at @ISSAINTL and Bluesky at @issa.org.
Click on the link to learn more about ISSA.