Anyone who has worked within the security and life safety industry over the past few decades can attest to just how much it has grown and progressed over these years. Not only have the technologies advanced exponentially, but the scope of people who now comprise the industry has expanded so much, as well.
Morris F. Weinstock would be proud. An industry trailblazer, Weinstock literally put the industry on the U.S. map. He dedicated his life’s work to the security alarm industry and, together with his brother, launched Morse Signal Devices in Cleveland in the 1930s. They later moved the business to Southern California where it grew into the largest independent installing and monitoring provider in the West. In 1948, Weinstock founded the National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA), now known as the Electronic Security Association (ESA). In 1970, NBFAA initiated the Morris F. Weinstock Award, and it has since been regarded as one of the industry’s highest honors.
The Weinstock Person of the Year Award has always recognized the best of the best, honoring someone who shines as truly stellar in the security industry. This year’s recipient – George De Marco – has well earned that distinction, having devoted the last 40+ years of his career to the industry. And like so many who have worked in the industry for decades, De Marco started in the industry purely by chance and has decidedly remained in it purely by choice.
Looking back over the years, De Marco explains that “I grew up in a family with a strong Italian heritage, where many of our relatives and close family friends were business owners. They came from all walks of life, but they all shared that same entrepreneurial spirit. Being around that had a big influence on me — I always knew I wanted to build something of my own, I just didn’t know what that would be.” His moment of realization came in the early 1980s when he saw an advertisement for a Directed Electronics distributorship. It highlighted their home security offering and positioned the alarm industry as a ground-floor opportunity — at a time when market penetration was only around 2%. That, De Marco says, immediately caught his attention. He took the leap, and his company – Greater Alarm – was born. He quickly realized that Directed Electronics’ products weren’t the right fit for the U.S. market and pivoted to traditional security products. He initially focused on selling right in his own backyard – Southern California – and grew the company from a small local startup to a nationally recognized leader in the electronic security industry.
Like so many who have chosen to spend their entire career in the security and life safety industry, De Marco had his defining AHA moment early on, courtesy of his very first customer. “We installed a system with smoke detection in her home. Not long after, she was deep on a business call in the farthest room from the kitchen when a teapot she had left on the stove melted and started a fire,” he recounts. “The alarm sounded, the fire department was dispatched. She lost a kitchen. She kept her home — and her life. That single event made everything crystal clear — this wasn’t just a business; it was about safeguarding people and everything that matters most.” From that day forward, De Marco has never had to question why he’s remained dedicated to the industry.
Advocacy, The Association, And . . .
De Marco’s first exposure to a national trade organization was born out of practical reasons – accessing the programs and benefits of the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association that supported his business at Greater Alarm. But it quickly became much more, he explains. “What truly pulled me in was advocacy, industry insight, and the power of learning from others. As challenges and opportunities arose, the importance of a strong collective voice became undeniable.” His Association involvement began in the mid-1980s at the local level with the Orange County Alarm Association, where he served in several leadership roles including president. OCAA was one of eleven regional chapters of the Western Burglar and Fire Alarm Association, which eventually became the California Alarm Association.
“It was during a meeting about new licensing requirements for alarm companies in California that I met George Gunning — bigger than life from the moment I encountered him, and an instant friend who became a lifelong one,” De Marco fondly recalls. “George had little patience for the status quo. His view was that it’s better to create the future than have it created for you. That stuck with me and shaped everything that followed, including becoming more involved at the local, state, and national association levels. Two others who profoundly influenced me were Alan Pepper and Les Gold — remarkable industry attorneys and even better friends. Throughout my career they provided industry guidance and wisdom that went far beyond legal counsel. Their perspective didn’t just help me navigate the industry; it helped me stay properly grounded.”
De Marco’s industry involvement was extensive. He has served in committee and board positions, helped launch the Executive Symposium — Foundations for Growth, which ran for 24 years, served as a founding member of the WBFAA Apprenticeship Program, and was appointed by the State of California to the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services. During that time, DeMarco was also involved in addressing some of the industry’s most pressing challenges, including non-response policies from municipalities, Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOC) issues, and licensing requirements. The WBFAA’s charter chapter program further connected him to ESA, laying the groundwork for what came next on a larger stage with a national organization.
ESX
“I was approached early on by John Galante, George Gunning, and John Murphy and asked if I would consider serving as Chairman to help get ESX off the ground,” he says. “The vision was simple but powerful: create an event built by the industry, for the industry. The first event was launched in 2008 in Nashville through a collaboration among the Central Station Alarm Association (CSAA), the NBFAA, and AE Ventures. Over time the structure evolved, with ESA ultimately assuming full ownership in 2021. This role as ESX Chairman deepened my involvement with ESA significantly, particularly in the formative years of guiding and building the event into what it is today,” he adds. “At the time, the expectation was that I would help for a few years, but here we are, 18 years later, and I’m still in the chair.
Transitioning To Deco Ventures
Recognizing that the industry was evolving rapidly, full of new technologies, new business models, and new opportunities, De Marco successfully sold Greater Alarm in the early 2000s and went on to launch DECO Ventures in 2011. “Early on, I worked with technology companies as they established themselves, helping drive broader adoption of their products. That evolved into a much wider business advisory engagement — working directly with alarm dealers, monitoring centers, service providers, and investors — and every conversation broadened my perspective in ways I hadn’t expected,” he points out. Today, DECO works with entrepreneurs, business owners, and executives — as well as emerging technology companies — helping them navigate growth, critical transitions, and ultimately build stronger, more valuable businesses.
“What I’ve come to appreciate most is the people and businesses I’ve had the opportunity to work with. The relationship is never one-directional — I learn just as much from them as they learn from me. My journey continues, driven by a lifelong commitment to learning from exceptional people and companies — that mutual exchange is what keeps me going.”
A Long List of Contributions
George De Marco’s ongoing industry contributions have earned him recognition through the California Alarm Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, induction into the Security Sales & Integration Hall of Fame, the ESA’s Sara E. Jackson Award, and recognition as a Life Safety Alliance Top 40 Thought Leader.
“George De Marco exemplifies the very best of our industry,” says Merlin Guilbeau, ESA’s Chief Executive Officer. “He is a true servant leader with an unwavering commitment to advancing ESA and the broader security community. His contributions over the years have helped shape our association and strengthen the professionalism of our field. It is only fitting we recognize George as the 2025 Morris F. Weinstock Award recipient for his lasting impact and dedication.”
Kevin Stone, ESA’s Chairman of the Board and Chief Operating Officer of Doyle Security adds that “As the highest recognition of leadership excellence within the Electronic Security Association, the Morris F. Weinstock Award is perfectly suited for George De Marco. George actively pioneers the vision, integrity, and dedication that bolster our entire profession. We honor George for his visionary contributions, and having made a tangible, lasting impact on the Security and Life Safety industry.”
De Marco notes that what humbles him the most is the security professionals who have stepped forward over the years to share their practices, their challenges, and their hard-won wisdom — standing on that Main Stage and in educational sessions to help their peers become better companies. “There are too many to thank individually, but their contributions are woven into everything ESX has become. And when I look at the individuals who have received this award before me — the people who helped build and shape this industry — it’s truly humbling. Morris Weinstock didn’t just build a company; he laid a foundation that benefits all of us today, he states.
“To be included among those recipients is one of the greatest honors of my career. What makes it especially meaningful is that it comes from peers who understand the work, the sacrifice, and the commitment required to advance something bigger than yourself,” he adds. “This recognition belongs as much to the mentors, colleagues, employees, and family members who supported me along the way as it does to me. I’m deeply grateful. I never set out to win awards — I was just trying to build a good company, do right by our customers, and be a good steward of the industry.”
Mission accomplished on all fronts. Congratulations, George De Marco, on this well-deserved recognition!
