In a keynote address at the invitation‑only Women in National Security Luncheon, Francina Halras, CEO of Total Protection Services Global, warned that the next 25 years will pose a critical challenge: protecting power plants amid an aging security workforce. She framed nuclear security as a component of national security, noting public opposition to nuclear energy and the need to develop a new generation of practitioners. Halras highlighted a communication gap between C‑suite executives and on‑the‑ground security forces, calling for a re‑education of what security means across all levels. To address talent shortages, she announced a partnership with Alabama State University to provide high‑level security training for youth, emphasizing the inclusion of women and minorities in a traditionally white‑male field. The audience praised her hands‑on experience, relatability, and inspirational leadership, underscoring the importance of a woman‑owned, high‑threat security firm in safeguarding critical infrastructure.
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Looking at the next 25 years, who's going to protect our power plants? And we have an aging workforce.
Words of caution from security industry authority Francina Halras, CEO of Total Protection Services Global. Halras was keynote speaker at the exclusive Women in National Security Luncheon, an invitation-only group of senior-level executives.
And at the same time, you're dealing with those that aren't happy about nuclear and its environmental circumstances. So we're having to deal with all of that in a community and the adverseness in order to develop the new practitioner for nuclear security. And nuclear security to me is national security.
Holris is working with Alabama State University to begin high-level security training among America's youth, as well as including women and minorities in this traditionally white male field.
The idea of having someone like Francina who has terrific on-the-ground intimate experience with how do you begin to mitigate risk, I certainly came away today learning a lot about what's happening in this space both in the United States and abroad, but also with a great sense of comfort that we have very talented people like Francina and her team who are tackling these issues.
Halleris also told executives there's a communication gap threatening America's security between corporation chiefs, CEOs and COOs, the C-suite, and security forces on the ground.
The C-suite, not— they don't oftentimes understand where a threat really is. So I think the communication gap and its people, and it all evolves around reeducating and redefining what security means and what the threats are from the C-suite down to the end user because it's changed tremendously.
Halleris leads the nation's first woman-owned business focused exclusively on high-threat, close-proximity safety and security services for protection of infrastructure, be that nuclear, energy, corporate, government, or personal protection.
She's relatable. And it is hard to find CEOs, especially of larger companies, that are that relatable right away in a larger group of people. Seems to just get right in there with everybody and is kind of one of the crowd. And that's very refreshing.
Thought-provoking and causing us to look at where we want to be and what are we going to do to get there in terms of what are the security risks and how are we going to have a skilled, trained workforce. to make that happen.
I thought Francina was fantastic. I think it's great that you have— I mean, Total Protection, what they do is phenomenal. To have a woman at the front end of security, at the pointy end of the spear, and having her be amazingly inspirational is great.
Reporting from our nation's capital, I'm Art Robin.
