TMA President Don Young will complete his term on October 14, 2021 at the closing of the 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting. TMA members were asked to share their gratitude to Don. The following are comments that have been received.

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If you would like to add your appreciation, please email communications@tma.us.

 

Words of Appreciation and Gratitude

From all of us here at Rapid Response, we extend a hearty thank you to Don Young for his service to the industry as the president of TMA.

Don, over your two years as TMA president, it’s been clear to us that you see leadership as a privilege and take it as a duty to serve to the best of your abilities. Your term spanned the most challenging years in the history of the Association, but throughout that time you provided clarity of direction. We feel that’s the mark of a true leader.

When you were inaugurated in October of 2019, no one could have guessed that more than three-quarters of your term would be during a global pandemic. You said at the time, “In some ways, I feel as though I’ve been preparing for this role for 30 years. As our industry faces new and rapidly emerging technologies, it is more important than ever to leverage the collective knowledge, expertise, and strength of TMA and its member companies…” Hindsight being what it is, your 30 years of experience was indeed valuable preparation for the rapid changes that were to come — even if they were not the changes anyone expected at the time. Just as valuable was your ability to leverage the knowledge, expertise, and strength of TMA and its member companies in these trying times.

Having your decades of industry experience at the helm was vital in a time that confidence in leadership has been more critical than ever, and the TMA had security in approaching the future of protecting life and property under your leadership. The industry is on a different trajectory now than it was in 2019, and we thank you for your leadership during that upheaval.

 

“Don I don’t know many people who could have shown the leadership and guidance that you did. You are owed a huge debt of gratitude by TMA members, supporters and staff on how you navigated the challenging times during your term.

Don’t forget you were TMA’s President for 2 years, but you are a Past President for life! To better times and stay well.”

~Ivan Spector, Alarme Sentinelle

 

“Don has offered leadership and thoughtful perspective, keeping the “good of the industry” as his core principal, during a very challenging period for all of us including TMA as an organization.”

~John Brady, TRG Associates, Inc.

 

“During these unprecedented COVID times, TMA flourished over the last two years because of Don’s participative leadership. He welcomes everyone’s opinions and encourages collaboration. While he might have the final say, he distributed the responsibility of making decisions to everyone. One thought sums him up, he’s a true gentlemen.”

~Lou Fiore, AICC

 

“Don has done an exceptional job leading TMA through these unprecedented couple of years.  From town hall meetings to standards development, he has driven the organization forward and created value add for the members.”

~Pam Petrow, President and CEO, Vector Security

 

“Don has been an exceptional custodian/steward of TMA throughout his tenure as TMA’s president. As members faced months of great uncertainty amidst the pandemic, Don’s capacity to lead, empower, and inspire was a true testament to his unwavering commitment to TMA. He assumed a very proactive, strategic posture as he readily assessed TMA’s resources and goals in light of the unprecedented business challenges facing TMA’s members of all types and sizes. His actions strengthened TMA’s foundation for future success. I am deeply grateful for the abundance of time, energy, and expert guidance that Don so generously dedicated to TMA.

~Celia T. Besore, Executive Director, TMA