June 12, 2023
MORRISTOWN, NJ—June 12, 2023— Porzio Compliance Services, LLC (PorzioCS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the law firm of Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, P.C., announced that Aida Sanchez, a former high-ranking emergency management and homeland security official for Jersey City and longtime consultant to municipal governments and private enterprises on security and technology issues, has joined its growing cannabis compliance practice. Sanchez, who has developed particular experience advising cannabis businesses, has been serving as Assistant Vice President, Safety, Security, and Cannabis Compliance since joining the company in February 2023.
In this role, Sanchez advises PorzioCS’s clients on integrating technology in a manner consistent with their operational needs and regulatory requirements. She also consults on various aspects of physical security impacting business operations, including development of command-and-control processes, documentation of activities, access control, surveillance, and internal and external communications. She works with cannabis-industry participants as well as public entities including municipal governments, emergency management agencies, public safety authorities, and schools.
“Aida brings more than three decades of experience in security technology,” said James Mottola, Vice President of Data Privacy, Investigations and Security at PorzioCS. “She immediately deepens the bench of our thriving cannabis sector, and her breadth of knowledge makes her an ideal resource for our clients as we continue to expand our safety, security and business compliance capabilities.”
For almost 15 years, Sanchez acted as the CEO and owner of EOC Technology Innovations, LLC, a minority woman-owned business and consulting company helping public and private companies increase the security of their business operations. Previously, she served as the first Puerto Rican female Deputy Coordinator for the Jersey City Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security for over ten years. There, she coordinated the design and construction of New Jersey’s first municipal Emergency Operations Center and helped businesses protect their critical infrastructures with the use of physical security, interoperability, information sharing technology, risk assessments, threat reduction/infrastructure protection, and counterterrorism technology training.
“With more and more states enacting laws to legalize and expand medical and recreational use of cannabis, business owners face unique security and compliance challenges as the industry continues to take shape,” said Sanchez. “I continue to look forward to putting the insights I’ve gained in the private sector to work at PorzioCS, and helping our clients navigate this complex, emerging industry.”
In addition to her extensive professional experience, Sanchez has also received recognition for her contributions to the community and trailblazing role in municipal government and the cannabis industry. In March, Sanchez was awarded the Iconic Woman Award at an event hosted by Jersey City Councilwoman Denise Ridley, honoring her commitment to community service. “We are incredibly proud to have Aida here,” said the law firm’s Managing Principal and PorzioCS’ President Vito A. Gagliardi, Jr.
Sanchez and Porzio Compliance Services were named a finalist in the Excellence in Consultancy: Compliance, Security Planning & Insurance category of the NJ Cannabis Insider 2023 Awards. The awards ceremony took place on June 8th, and recognized outstanding contributions to the cannabis industry in New Jersey.
About Porzio Compliance Services, LLC
Porzio Compliance Services, LLC (PorzioCS) helps clients across a variety of regulated industries establish and maintain regulatory compliance, decreasing their organizational risk. We guide entities in implementing best practices for protecting information, people and organizations by assessing risk, conducting internal corporate investigations, incident response planning and regulatory compliance.
PorzioCS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, P.C. (Porzio), a full-service law firm with more than 90 attorneys across eight offices. Porzio operates two subsidiaries: Porzio Compliance Services, LLC and Porzio Governmental Affairs, LLC, which assists clients with legislative, regulatory, and business development efforts in New Jersey.