​Richard E. Chase, CPP, PCI, PSP, is the 63rd p​resident of ASIS International. He serves as the vice president for integrated services for General Atomics and the Affiliated Companies, a multinational corporation.

Chase previously served in the Senior Executive Service for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in Washington, D.C., as the CSO for DOJ's component agency, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. In that capacity, he managed the corporate security, compliance, and life safety functions, safeguarding personnel and critical assets located domestically, abroad, and in theater.

Chase is a past recipient of the prestigious Presidential Rank Award, conferred by former U.S. President George W. Bush. He also received the U.S. Attorney General's Award for Excellence, Senior Executive Service. He holds a master's degree from Michigan State University, a bachelor's degree from the University of Montana, and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, 195th Session.

 Q: When you look back at your last 12 months of leadership, what are a few things that jump out at you?

Chase: I have been amazed at the efforts of so many talented and committed mem­ber professionals who came together this year to make a great organization even better.

The ASIS team has made a range of positive changes this year. For example, the online learning functionality and capability was dramatically enhanced; the standards and guidelines commission was expanded; and we commenced the effort of strengthening our workplace violence standard.

Additionally, the development of the career mapping program is well underway and will provide career guidance to those members just starting their journey in the security profession.

We've improved many aspects of our already-successful certification process. The global reach of these program keeps growing and during this past year, 40 percent of all newly certified professionals were from outside the United States.

Our chapters and councils have also improved upon their game, doubling their efforts in support of the new globalization initiative to broaden the representation within our society.

Overall, the renewed, more globally inclusive, member-driven direction that ASIS has embarked on will bring about dramatic shifts in how we lead the profession into the future.

Q: In our interview last year, you said that you hoped ASIS would evolve into a more agile and adaptable organization grounded by a strategic planning process. How has progress been on that front over the last year?

Chase: Progress has been substantial on several fronts. We reduced the cost of membership for students and offered free registration for this year's GSX to all student members. This is an important step in building a greater pipeline of talent into our profession.

We also created a new membership class by reducing costs for security professionals in developing countries. This is a big step toward reducing barriers for the membership while making ASIS more accessible worldwide.

Our chapter and regional leaders have been doing some incredible work on the ground, as evidenced by the fact that our reach now extends to 51 regions with chapters in 73 countries and members in 142 countries.

Q: When you consider the future of ASIS, what most excites you?

Chase: One of the true jewels in the ASIS crown is Global Security Exchange—or GSX for short. Every aspect of this program has been rethought and revamped to ensure we deliver an event like no other. It will provide more opportunities for security practitioners, solution providers, students, law enforcement, military, and first responders.

Attendees and exhibitors will find tremendous value in our immersive and engaging expo hall, as well as in our three unique theaters of education.

Overall, GSX 2018 will set the bar for education, networking, security product and service excellence, and for addressing critical issues in all sectors of the global marketplace.

Q: In your opinion, what are the primary challenges that ASIS faces as a professional society that wants to grow, thrive, and remain cutting-edge and relevant?

Chase: These days, most professional associations face similar challenges, and ASIS is no exception.

There's the issue of always replenishing the Society with new members as our older professionals begin to retire. Also, many professionals these days are suffering from information overload, which presents challenges to anyone delivering top-shelf content.

And of course, there's always the challenge of keeping up with the rapid pace of change, both within the industry and with continued globalization. But as you see from the advances ASIS has made, we are hitting these challenges head-on.

​Q: If you conjure up the concept of a security manager 10 years in the future, who is successful? What do you see as some of this person's professional strengths and attributes?

Chase: It's likely that successful security professionals in the future will be quite versatile, with skills as a risk manager, business driver, crisis manager, and information analyst, among other things.

That's one of the reasons ASIS has been committed to the approach of enterprise security risk management, or ESRM, a philosophy and holistic practice that leverages a comprehensive management process to effectively address security risks across the enterprise.

If the security manager of the future is a member of ASIS, he or she will have a peer network—a community of colleagues—second to none.

Whether it's providing a fresh perspective on one of the many issues you're engaged with, a trusted source for a vendor referral, or a best practice sounding board, your ASIS colleagues stand with you, ready to help. And that, to me, is the true value of ASIS.