SILVER SPRING, Md.—The Security Industry Association (SIA) has named Dan Merkle as the 2026 recipient of the SIA Committee Chair of the Year Award, which recognizes individuals for “excellence in leading SIA committees and advancing member objectives,” according to the association announcement.
SIA will present Merkle with the award at The Advance, SIA’s annual membership meeting, which is scheduled for March 24 at 10:30 a.m. at The Venetian Expo in Las Vegas during ISC West 2026.
Merkle is “an active advisor, board member and investor focused on security-related enterprises,” according to the SIA announcement. He serves as chairman of the SIA Artificial Intelligence (AI) Advisory Board and on the executive board of the National Policing Institute.
Merkle was the founding chairman and CEO of Lexipol, a national provider of governance and compliance applications for public safety agencies. He served as president of Veritone Public Safety through their IPO and chairman and CEO of the FaceFirst facial recognition platform.
Why Did SIA Name Dan Merkle for Chair of the Year Award?
Under Merkle’s leadership, SIA’s Artificial Intelligence Advisory Board provides guidance on the safe, responsible and effective use of AI in security solutions, according to the association announcement.
Merkle “has contributed to the development of key resources from the advisory board, including SIA’s Glossary of AI Terms in Security Solutions and Guide to AI Uses Cases in Security,” the announcement says. During his time as chairman, the advisory board has grown All Things AI, a monthly newsletter on AI-related topics, and produced several article and blog posts.
Merkle has been a regular speaker at ISC West on AI topics and will soon moderate a session on the role of agentic AI in security solutions at ISC West 2026. He supported the development of SIA facial recognition resources, including the Principles for the Responsible and Effective Use of Facial Recognition Technology.
Under his leadership, the AI Advisory Board helped drive SIA’s partnership with the Confederation of European Security Services (CoESS), which will include an upcoming joint webinar focusing on AI regulations.
“Artificial intelligence is impacting our world at a rate unmatched in modern history,” says Merkle in the SIA announcement. “The potential benefits for the security industry are diverse and widespread. With such significant impact comes responsibility for clear and accountable governance.
“I am grateful to work with SIA’s leadership and AI Advisory Board in exploring the tremendous value to our members and the public from AI implementation while acknowledging our role in addressing safety and governance of its use. Thank you to SIA for recognizing our advisory board’s work,” he says.
“SIA congratulates Dan Merkle, the 2026 SIA Committee Chair of the Year, and applauds Dan’s outstanding initiative, impact and leadership on the AI Advisory Board and in supporting key SIA programs,” says SIA CEO Don Erickson in the association announcement.
“As chair of the AI Advisory Board, Dan has been instrumental in the group’s efforts to develop guidance on AI for the security industry and overseen the advisory board in producing a more robust array of content, including signature publications like the Guide to AI Use Cases in Security and expert-led articles and blogs on AI topics,” he says. “We look forward to recognizing him at The Advance this year and continuing to work with him to build on SIA’s AI and emerging technology-related resources.”
