Certification Profile: Terry Owens, CPP 

When he was 18, Terry Owens, CPP, started his first job in loss prevention. At the time, he did not think of it in those terms or as a career; Owens just thought it was a fun job where he could work at the mall and chase shoplifters. More than 20 years later, he has built a career and become a part of the security industry community. 

Owens continued to work in retail security for a few years before deciding to become a police officer. Owens continued to advance his career in law enforcement, working as a field training officer, detective, and eventually sergeant.

While working for the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD), Owens would occasionally pick up some off-duty security jobs. At one of these such events—the American Royal Barbecue competition—Owens met Steve Brown, CPP, the director of global security for a Kansas City-based engineering firm. Over some delicious barbecue, Brown told Owens about ASIS International. Although it would take a few years for the idea to take root, it was that conversation that planted the seed for Owens’ eventual membership in the ASIS community. 

In 2021, Owens decided to leave law enforcement after 15 years of public service to pursue a career in corporate security. Owens was looking to differentiate himself from other candidates with similar backgrounds and credentials when Brown recommended pursuing the Certified Protection Professional (CPP®) certification. 

Studying for and earning his CPP certification helped Owens broaden his horizons as a security professional and improve his knowledge, skill set, and perspective. 

“There were so many areas I had never explored before, and in law enforcement you are siloed off to very specific areas,” Owens says. “Everything I thought I knew about security had been turned upside down when I started reading, specifically the physical security portion of the POAs [Protection of Assets manuals].” 

In the end, his hard work paid off, and Owens earned his CPP in October 2021. Owens has also successfully transitioned to private industry, now working as the director of security for Shamrock Trading Corporation, a transportation logistics company based in Kansas City. As the first person to hold his position in the organization, Owens was able to pioneer their physical security program, building it from the ground up. 

Owens is also heavily involved with ASIS today, from volunteering with his local chapter to attending GSX conferences. 

“Since becoming more involved, I’ve had great opportunities to work with security leaders I never would have met if I had taken another path,” Owens says. “The ability to have commonality with people across the globe is an amazing part of ASIS. I have met people at GSX from around the world, routinely keep in touch with them, and have gotten great perspective from them on numerous topics. The learning curve coming out of law enforcement to corporate security was steep, but I already had resources and connections to navigate them because of ASIS.” 

Currently, Owens chairs the social and networking committee for the ASIS Kansas City chapter. In this role, he has helped the chapter increase its reach via social media and networking events, including hosting sponsored happy hours. Owens also worked with others in the chapter to host a podcast discussing the transition from military and law enforcement to private security, featuring other security professionals who have made that transition discussing their triumphs and stumbling blocks. In 2025, he will start a new role as the chapter’s chair. 

“The ASIS network has propelled my career in several different ways, starting all the way back from when I picked up that random off-duty security job at the police department to my current role,” Owens says. “It also gives me an opportunity to help those transitioning from law enforcement to corporate security.” 

Emily Callahan is a communications specialist for ASIS International. Connect with her on LinkedIn here.