David Thomas Named Recipient of the NCS4 Champion of Change Award
Thu, 06/05/2025 - 08:35am | By: NCS⁴ Staff
David Thomas will be recognized with the Champion of Change Award at the 2025 National Sports Safety and Security Conference and Exhibition on June 30-July 2 in San Antonio, TX. The event is presented annually by the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) at The University of Southern Mississippi.
The Champion of Change Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated their ability and commitment to bring about positive change in the sports safety and security industry. Through progressive leadership, this individual’s achievements have made a difference in organizational effectiveness and led the organization forward. The Champion of Change Award is sponsored by inOrbit, a software company dedicated to improving the lives of security professionals by developing the industry’s first security program management software (SPMS).
“We are excited to be recognizing Dave Thomas for his contributions to the sport safety and security field. His work at MLB and his impact on the sports industry through innovative security practices have led to positive change, and we congratulate him on this award,” said Dr. Stacey Hall, NCS4 executive director and professor of sports management.“Dave has also been an advocate for the NCS4, serving on its National Advisory Board and helping advance the industry through training, research and outreach initiatives.”
Thomas currently serves as the senior vice president, security and ballpark operations at Major League Baseball. After completing a career as a special agent with the U.S. Secret Service, Thomas joined the sports security business as the head of security for the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. He moved to baseball in October 2018, where he leads the strategic planning, execution and evolution of MLB’s DHS SAFETY Act-Certified security program. Collaborating with the 30 major league clubs, Dave and his team research, develop, and manage best practices surrounding all venue operations functions, including security, guest services, concessions, sustainability, housekeeping and facility management. The 30 MLB clubs host over 70 million fans throughout the 2,430 regular season games each season.
“I am honored to be selected to receive this award. MLB and the 30 major league clubs collaborate extensively on security related matters and continuously seek ways to adapt and innovate our security programs and to keep ahead of emerging trends in the industry,” said Thomas. “NCS4 is an important partner to MLB and the sports security business generally. I am grateful for NCS4’s commitment to the academic study and practice of spectator sports safety and security, and their excellent training and outreach programs. Their partnership makes us all better at what we do.”
Thomas will be recognized at the awards luncheon during the conference. The luncheon is sponsored by Evolv Technology, which provides weapons detection systems for security screening.
Click here for more information about the conference and to register. Click here for more information about the awards.
About the 16th Annual Conference
The National Sports Safety and Security Conference and Exhibition, sponsored by CSA360
Software, will take place June 30-July 2, 2025, at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill
Country Resort in San Antonio, Texas. The conference will attract more than 500 attendees
and 70 exhibitors representing professional sports, intercollegiate athletics, interscholastic
athletics, marathon and endurance events, sports and entertainment facilities, and
those who provide safety and security products and services to the industry. Visit
the conference website for more information.
About NCS4
Established in 2006, the NCS4 is the nation’s only academic center devoted to the study and practice of sports safety and security. The NCS4 is partially underwritten by grants from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The NCS4 mission focuses on three key pillars – Training and Education, Research, and Outreach. Click here for more information about NCS4, call 601.266.6183.