Member Spotlight – Apex Security Training
Shela Borr, CALSAGA Ambassador Committee Co-Chair
The CALSAGA Ambassador Committee is proud to feature APEX Security Training in this quarter’s Membership Spotlight. While many of our featured members protect people and property in the field, APEX plays a different (but equally important) role in our industry: preparing the professionals who do. Through legally sound, BSIS-aligned training, APEX is helping raise the standard of private security across California, one officer at a time.
APEX Security Training was founded on the belief that effective security begins with a strong foundation. Its mission is to deliver practical, defensible instruction that equips officers to understand their legal authority, duty of care, and use-of-force responsibilities before they ever face a critical incident. Every course is designed with one goal in mind: preparing officers to make sound decisions that hold up not only in the moment, but long after the incident has ended.
Founder and lead instructor J.D. Nannery brings more than 30 years of experience spanning military police service, private patrol operations, investigations, and security instruction. Unlike many trainers who have stepped away from the profession, he continues to work within the private security industry, ensuring that his curriculum reflects today’s operational realities rather than yesterday’s practices.
A CALSAGA member since 2020, APEX views the association as a driving force behind elevating the professionalism of private security. Through advocacy, education, and higher standards, CALSAGA continues to strengthen both the industry and the public’s confidence in the professionals who serve it.
Looking ahead, APEX believes one of the industry’s greatest challenges will be ensuring that legislation improves outcomes rather than simply increasing administrative burden. While supporting rigorous, instructor-led training, the company advocates for policies that prioritize the quality of instruction over the quantity of required classroom hours. Through CALSAGA’s advocacy efforts, APEX values having a collective voice in Sacramento and the opportunity to help shape meaningful standards that strengthen, not complicate, the profession.
What distinguishes APEX Security Training is its commitment to creating instruction that stands up under real-world scrutiny. Drawing on decades of experience in law enforcement, investigations, expert witness testimony, and security operations, every lesson is developed with accountability in mind. The company has spent more than 15 years building BSIS-aligned curriculum that prepares officers not only to perform their duties effectively, but to confidently explain and defend their decisions if those actions are ever questioned
Beyond the classroom, APEX partners with private security companies to strengthen compliance, review policies, and improve operational readiness before problems arise. That same commitment extends beyond training, with the upcoming publication of Foundation First: Use-of-Force Principles and Training Standards for California Private Security, a resource aimed at advancing professional standards throughout the industry.
As private security continues to evolve, organizations like APEX Security Training play a critical role in preparing the professionals who serve on the front lines every day. By combining current industry experience with practical instruction and a commitment to excellence, APEX is helping build a stronger, more professional future for California’s private security industry.