Hello everyone,
As we reach the final hours of 2025, I wanted to share a few heartfelt words with this incredible community. Tomorrow, 1 January 2026, marks the end of my term as your Chair. It has been the honor of my professional life to serve alongside you all.
I am thrilled to hand the reins to the immensely capable Caleb Gilbert, whose vision and dedication I know will steer this community to even greater heights.
Looking back on 2025, I am immensely proud of what we’ve achieved together. A standout accomplishment has been our collective push to move the ASIS EP:2025 Standard from a document on a shelf to an actionable framework for defensible programs. This focus on tangible implementation has been our driving force.
To contribute to this mission, I’ve prepared a detailed article that breaks down the critical language of the standard—the “Shall” vs. “Should”—and its practical application. It also introduces a free GAP and Maturity Assessment tool, my personal contribution to the industry, designed to help you benchmark your program against the standard.
I invite each of you to read the article [Link to Article]. If you are in a management or leadership position, I encourage you to run the assessment for your program. It takes about 30 minutes and provides a clear, actionable roadmap for 2026: https://eprm.online/
My deepest thanks for your trust, collaboration, and shared commitment to advancing our profession. Please continue to support Caleb as you have supported me.
I welcome your comments on the article and your experiences with the tool. If you find it valuable, please share it within your networks.
Wishing you all a safe, prosperous, and impactful 2026.
Warm regards,
Kevin Palacios
Outgoing Chair
ASIS International Executive Protection Community