SIA announces 2026 winners for Denis R. Hébert Identity Management Scholarship

SILVER SPRING, Md.—The Security Industry Association (SIA) has named Joseph Robles of SAGE Integration and Kevin Vettorel of BOS Security as the recipients of its 2026 Denis R. Hébert Identity Management Scholarship.

The program awards two $5,000 scholarships annually to young professional and student SIA members pursuing education and professional development in identity management, which includes access control, user authentication, privacy protection and related security disciplines.

Robles, a service coordinator at SAGE Integration based in San Francisco, plans to use the scholarship to further his studies in data analysis, identity management, cybersecurity and operations improvement. He is currently completing a project management certificate with a Lean Six Sigma focus through UCLA Extension.

“I am honored to receive the 2026 Denis R. Hébert Scholarship,” Robles said. “My goal is to improve how teams measure performance, manage technician capacity, track credentials and strengthen access control operations.” 

Vettorel serves as chief technology officer at BOS Security and brings a background spanning military service, enterprise IT and artificial intelligence. A 20-year Air Force veteran, he said the scholarship will help fund an advanced data analytics certification and support future doctoral studies.

“I believe this will allow me to use data to further enhance the efficiency and protection of our VirtuGuard client base,” Vettorel said. The scholarship is named for Denis R. Hébert, a longtime security industry executive and former SIA board chair, and was established in 2018 to support professionals specializing in identity management.

“My sincere congratulations to this year's recipients of the Denis R. Hébert Identity Management Scholarship Awards, Joseph Robles and Kevin Vettorel,” Hébert said. “As identity becomes a central element in our daily lives, their focus is a key part of our industry's future.”

The winners were recognized during SIA’s 2026 AcceleRISE conference, held Aug. 3-5 in San Diego. 

Related: SIA opens applications for three 2026 scholarship programs