Verkada opens nominations for its annual Safety Champion Awards

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May 04, 2026, 13:44 ET

SAN MATEO, Calif., May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Verkada, a leader in AI-powered physical security technology, opened nominations for its third annual Safety Champion Awards today.

Verkada’s 2025 Safety Champions: John Mitchell, YMCA of Austin (TX) | Impact Award (Middle Left), Didar Hayytov, Triad Math and Science Academy (NC) | School Safety Excellence Award (Center), and Christina Isetta, United Cerebral Palsy of the North Bay (CA) | Security Professional Excellence Award (Far Right).

Now in its third year, Verkada's Safety Champion Awards have celebrated security leaders across industries — from schools and nonprofits to healthcare and municipal organizations — whose work protecting their communities often goes unrecognized. As AI reshapes how organizations approach physical security, the Safety Champion Awards also put a spotlight on leaders leveraging new tools and technologies in ways that build safer, more resilient communities.

Verkada will accept nominations for the Safety Champion Awards through June 30, 2026 across three categories: Impact, AI Transformation and School Safety.

"At TMSA, we believe school safety must go hand in hand with student well-being and a strong sense of community," said Didar Hayytov, IT Manager at Triad Math and Science Academy in North Carolina and 2025 School Safety Excellence Award honoree. "By integrating innovative technology with a proactive, people-centered approach, we've strengthened our preparedness for critical incidents while creating a more supportive and efficient environment for our students, families, and staff. We're honored to have this work recognized and proud to contribute to a safer future for our school communities."

The 2026 Verkada Safety Champion Awards categories are:

Impact Award
The Impact Award recognizes an individual who has made a positive, tangible impact on the safety and security of their organization and/or community. In addition to being celebrated during VerkadaOne, the honoree will receive a $15,000 monetary prize*.

AI Transformation Award
The AI Transformation Award recognizes a Verkada customer who has leveraged the company's AI-powered technology in a novel way to enhance safety or operational efficiency within their organization and/or community. In addition to being celebrated during VerkadaOne, the honoree will receive a $10,000 monetary prize*.

School Safety Excellence Award
The School Safety Excellence Award recognizes a school or university that has taken an innovative approach to addressing security challenges, emergency preparedness, and student wellbeing. In addition to being celebrated during VerkadaOne, the honoree will receive $50,000 in gifted Verkada products for their organization or a charitable organization of their choosing.

To nominate a leader from your community for the 2026 Safety Champion Awards, visit www.verkada.com/safety-champion-awards.

*If an honoree is employed in the public sector and/or is ineligible to receive honorariums or gifts, Verkada will donate the prize to a charitable organization.

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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 170 countries worldwide, including over 100 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.

SOURCE Verkada