Each year, the Morris F. Weinstock Person of the Year Award recognizes individuals whose leadership, service, and dedication have made a lasting impact on the electronic security and life safety industry. At ESX 2026, George De Marco was honored as ESA’s 2025 Morris F. Weinstock Person of the Year, joining a distinguished group of leaders who have helped shape and strengthen the industry.

During his acceptance speech, George reflected on the beginnings of ESX, the relationships that have defined his career, and why the greatest value of the industry comes from the people who come together to support one another.

▶ Watch George De Marco’s full acceptance speech here.

George De Marco’s Acceptance Speech

The Beginning of ESX

“I’d like to thank everybody, truly.

There I was a long time ago, minding my own business, when George Gunning and John Murphy approached me about this new thing called ESX.

They said they wanted me to be the face of it and help get it off the ground. They told me it would take only two or three years.

Eighteen years later, I’m still here.

Somewhere along the way, I missed the off-ramp.

But the mission was simple: build the best educational and networking event in our industry focused on the business of security.

Looking back, I’m really glad I missed that exit, and moments like this remind me why.”

Honoring the Leaders Who Built the Industry

“When I first learned that I had been selected for this award from Kevin, Jeremy, Kirk, John, and Merlin, I was deeply humbled.

Having the news delivered by this group made it even more meaningful because these are people I deeply respect and appreciate.

Even now standing here, I’m actually waiting for someone to tap me on the shoulder and say, ‘We made a mistake.’

Because when I think of the remarkable men and women who have received this award before me, I stand in awe.

These are the men and women who didn’t just participate in our industry.

They built it. They elevated it. They transformed it.

And they left it better than they found it.

They didn’t just build great companies either. They understood that success carries with it a responsibility to help others succeed.

To now be counted among them is one of the greatest honors of my professional life.”

The True Value of ESA

“You may remember the backpack scene from Up in the Air. George Clooney’s point was about letting go, but I want to borrow that backpack for a different reason.

ESA has a backpack.

It’s loaded with real, practical benefits: discounts, insurance, advocacy, and training.

Over the years, I watched that backpack get heavier with more tools and more benefits.

Those are the tangible values. The things you can point to, measure, and be grateful for.

But the backpack isn’t the real point.

The why, the reason we actually show up, isn’t inside the bag.

The true power of ESA is what happens when you set the backpack down and look beyond it.

Look around this room.

What you see here is far more than a gathering of security professionals.

It’s decades of experience, hard-earned lessons, trusted relationships, and a willingness to help one another succeed.”

Competitors Become Collaborators

“Competitors become collaborators.

Strangers become lifelong friends.

Mentors change lives.

The discounts are finite, but the relationships we build here and the collective intelligence they create are not.

No one company can know everything. But together, this community has seen almost everything.

The shared wisdom, the problems solved in hallway conversations, the quiet mentoring that changes a person’s path…

That is where the real value lies.

Not what’s in the backpack, but what’s created when we come together.”

An Industry With Purpose

“What we come together for matters deeply because at its core, this is honorable work.

I know that because I lived it.

My very first customer at Greater Alarm experienced a fire. The system we installed saved her life and most of her home. That moment never left me.

It’s why none of us take this work lightly.

It’s about the families, the businesses, and the communities we help safeguard.

The peace of mind we provide.

And this only happens because of security professionals who show up and give their best every single day.”

A Career Built Through Relationships

“I’ve been fortunate to spend my career surrounded by people like that.

These are the people who helped shape me along the way.

This industry has given me far more than I could ever repay.

Through mentors, friends, colleagues, and countless others who influenced my journey.

You know who you are, and many of you are right in this room.

I hope you know how grateful I am.”

Family, Gratitude, and Legacy

“But if I’m being honest, it all starts much closer to home with family.

To my parents, they instilled in me a simple belief:

Always do your best, and you can achieve anything you set your mind to.

Those words guided me throughout my life.

Although they are no longer with me, I know they’re up in heaven beaming with pride.

I also had the privilege of sharing that journey with my brother Jim, not just as family, but as my partner in business.

We built Greater Alarm together, a company rooted in the values our parents gave us. That’s something I’ll always cherish.”

A Message to His Family

“To our children, Lauren, Nick, Luca, and Bella…

You have each found your own path, and watching that unfold has been one of the greatest joys of my life.

The people you have become, I could not be prouder.

I love you guys all the way to heaven.

To my wife Julie…

I’ve often said that God must have looked down at the path I was taking and thought, ‘Boy, this guy’s going to need some help.’

So he assigned her as my guardian angel for life.

She was the foundation that remained unshakable while I was out building everything else, and she had the faith and grace to let me chase this industry.

Julie, this is as much yours as mine.”

Making a Life by What We Give

“I’ve come to believe that while we make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.

I’ve been extraordinarily fortunate in business and industry, in family and friendship.

But today what I feel most deeply is gratitude.

Gratitude to an association that always believed in something bigger than any of us.

Gratitude for an industry that welcomed me, challenged me, and never stopped giving back.

And gratitude for the people behind it all. Our members, our volunteer leaders who give their time, expertise, and resources to make this association meaningful. Together, all of us are the ones who truly bring this community to life.

And above all, gratitude for the journey itself.

Because it’s the people you meet, the relationships you build, and the moments you share along the way that make it all worthwhile.

Thank you, ESA. God bless you all.”