ARA Scientists Elected

To Serve on Board of Nation's First Security Analysis Trade Association

Recently elected SARMA Board members (left to right) Edward J. Jopeck, Christopher Miller, Dr. Kenneth J. Knox, Ms. Nancy A. Renfroe, and Kerry L. Thomas.

Dr. Kenneth J. Knox and Ms. Nancy A. Renfroe of Applied Research Associates, Inc. were recently elected to the Board of Directors of the Security Analysis and Risk Management Association (SARMA). SARMA is a non-profit, professional trade association formed in 2006 to advance the relatively new, multi-disciplinary field of security analysis and risk management. Dr. Knox, who helped found the organization, is currently serving as Secretary for the Board. “SARMA serves those responsible for analyzing and managing security risks to systems, structures and operations from man-made threats,” said Dr. Knox. “We are the first professional association dedicated solely to this field.” Dr. Knox is an expert in force protection and antiterrorism with more than 30 years experience in the field, including 20 as an Air Force civil engineering officer where he directed research in bomb damage repair of pavements and in hard target defeat and was a key member of the Defense Department analysis team evaluating the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia. He has been advising military installations worldwide on ways to improve their protection from terrorist weapon attacks since 1996, and is currently leading Air Force/Navy/industry efforts to develop antiterrorism risk reduction software. Ms. Renfroe, who is ARA’s Southern Division Manager, is serving as a Director on the SARMA Board as well as Vice President for Projects. “SARMA offers a wide assortment of educational, business development and peer to peer networking programs,” said Ms. Renfroe. “Some of our current projects are a Security Risk Analysis Common Lexicon Project and a Wiki of Security Analysis and Risk Assessment Methods.” Ms. Renfroe is a certified Physical Security Professional with more than 16 years of experience in security risk management, disaster management, and custom software development. She trains security personnel in security risk management and in applying the systems approach to security technology upgrades. Ms. Renfroe is currently assisting several organizations including the U.S. Capitol Police, the Department of Commerce, and Fannie Mae in the enhanced design and development of their risk assessment methodologies and associated software tools. These methodologies and tools are being used across the country to assess risk of various level facilities to terrorist and criminal attack. For more information on SARMA, visit their website at www.sarma.org.

About ARA, Inc.

Applied Research Associates, Inc. is an international research and engineering company recognized for providing technically excellent solutions to complex and challenging problems in the physical sciences. The company was founded in Albuquerque, NM, in 1979. ARA has offices throughout the United States and Canada and provides a broad range of technical expertise in defense technologies, civil technologies, computer software and simulation, systems analysis, environmental technologies, and testing and measurement. ARA also provides sophisticated technical products for environmental site characterization, pavement analysis and robotics. For more information, contact ARA by calling 505-881-8074 or email: info@ara.com .