SAN MATEO, Calif. and CHICAGO, Sept. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Verkada, a leader in AI-powered physical security technology, recognized Christina Isetta (United Cerebral Palsy of the North Bay), John Mitchell (YMCA of Austin), and Didar Hayytov (Triad Math and Science Academy) as 2025 Safety Champions at its annual user conference, VerkadaOne.
Verkada's annual Safety Champion Awards recognize the individuals who work tirelessly to keep their people and places safe. The reach and impact of these champions extends well beyond their immediate organizations and communities, and is amplified by the more than 30,000 Verkada customers across the globe who share their goal of creating safer communities.
"From our schools to our hospitals, to large retail organizations, safety professionals are facing new, complex challenges each day," said Alana O'Grady Lauk, Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs at Verkada. "We're fortunate to have security professionals behind the scenes who work tirelessly to create layers of protection we never see. Verkada is honored to celebrate these heroes who dedicate their lives to keeping their communities safe."
John Mitchell, YMCA of Austin (TX) | Impact Award
John Mitchell, Information Technology Operations Director at YMCA of Austin, has transformed his organization's approach to community safety. After launching a complete overhaul of the security infrastructure across the YMCA of Austin's ten distributed sites, he introduced a security training program to teach employees how to effectively and responsibly use Verkada's platform. With his team leveraging AI-powered features that enable real-time response, Mitchell was able to reduce illegal access to YMCA facilities by 40% and reduce emergency response time to less than 90 seconds on average.
Christina Isetta, United Cerebral Palsy of the North Bay (CA) | Security Professional Excellence Award
Christina Isetta, Director of Administration at United Cerebral Palsy of the North Bay, has revolutionized security practices across multiple facilities serving California's most vulnerable populations. She identified critical vulnerabilities in UCPNB's security infrastructure that made its multiple facilities frequent targets of theft. Through her strategic deployment of an integrated alarm system with talkdown horns paired with AI-enabled cameras, Isetta achieved remarkable results: a 50% reduction in repeat intrusion attempts within the first three months and a significant boost in staff's confidence in workplace safety.
Didar Hayytov, Triad Math and Science Academy (NC) | School Safety Excellence Award
Didar Hayytov, IT Manager at Triad Math and Science Academy, has taken an innovative approach to creating a truly safe learning environment by addressing both the physical and emotional well-being of his students. After identifying significant gaps in campus safety, he implemented a holistic physical security strategy that integrated advanced cameras and access control systems with visitor management systems that included a unique mental health screening for students. This comprehensive approach to campus protection resulted in unauthorized access attempts plummeting by 99.9% and emergency alert response times improving by 60%.
The 2026 Safety Champion Awards will open in January 2026. Follow Verkada on LinkedIn for more news and announcements.
About Verkada
Designed with simplicity in mind, Verkada's six product lines — video security cameras, access control, environmental sensors, alarms, workplace, and intercoms — provide unparalleled building security through an integrated, cloud-based software platform. Over 30,000 organizations across 93 countries worldwide, including 96 of the Fortune 500, trust Verkada as their physical security layer for easier management, intelligent control, and scalable deployments. For more information, please visit www.verkada.com.
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