Michael Niola

Michael Niola

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Co-founder at The Consulting Group, helping clients plan, design, and build smarter, safer, and more connected environments
United States

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  • AMFP DCMD Association of Medical Facility Professionals
    Board Member - Programs Chair
    AMFP DCMD Association of Medical Facility Professionals
    Jan 2026 - Current (9 months)
    Our mission at the Association of Medical Facility Professionals is to be the hub where healthcare built environment leaders share ideas, gain knowledge, solve challenges, connect with peers, and shape the future of the industry. AMFP is a nation-wide, professional, not-for-profit organization for everyone working in the healthcare built environment is welcome, including healthcare owners and end users, healthcare-focused architects, engineers, contractors, owners reps, specialty consultants, and vendors of all types of products and services. Join us!
  • Secure Building Council
    Board Member - Technical Committee Chair
    Secure Building Council
    Jun 2025 - Current (1 year 4 months)
    I joined the Secure Building Council as co-chair of the Technical Subcommittee tasked with developing the industryโ€™s first performance-based building security certification โ€” a framework that aims to do for security what LEED set out to do for sustainability.

    As someone whoโ€™s spent decades pushing for more holistic and integrated security in the built environment, Iโ€™m incredibly proud to help shape a standard that will raise the bar across our industry. This is a major step forward, one that formalizes what many of us have long advocated for: security as a core & feasible design element, not a reactive overlay.
  • The Consulting Group
    Principal, Co-Founder
    The Consulting Group
    Oct 2023 - Current (3 years)
    The Consulting Group (Consulting Group LLC) is a specialty consulting and engineering firm providing security and technology services for the built environment. TCG focuses on providing value directly within fast moving markets such as Healthcare, Data Centers, Higher Education, and Housing, all of which are experiencing technological revolutions that affect how buildings are designed, built, operated, and maintained.
  • Faith Group LLC
    Security Consulting & Commercial Market Lead
    Faith Group LLC
    May 2022 - Dec 2024 (2 years 8 months)
    Joined a world class firm known for its excellence in the Aviation market, I supported their diversification by establishing their Data Center Security Consulting practice, delivering security planning and comprehensive security system design services for hyperscale environments. Further supported the firm's portfolio diversification efforts into Higher Education, Healthcare, and other key Commercial Markets as Commercial Market Lead, leading with security service offerings unique to each market.

    Worked with some of the greatest industry talent in the delivery of comprehensive security assessment and master planning projects to include security operations, CPTED, physical security, electronic security, policies, and procedures.
  • Vantage Technology Consulting Group
    Associate Principal
    Vantage Technology Consulting Group
    Aug 2018 - May 2022 (3 years 10 months)
    Brought on board specifically to expand the firm's security service offerings, VTCG exemplified deep market expertise as one of the leading healthcare technology consulting firms. I expanded this approach to other markets, helping clients with security and technology projects from assessments and master planning through design and construction in the education, government, and mission critical markets.
  • Guidepost Solutions
    Regional Team Leader
    Guidepost Solutions
    Apr 2013 - Jul 2018 (5 years 4 months)
    Building on a strong career start, I implemented all my engineering knowledge as Project Manager and eventually Regional Team Leader, overseeing the execution of Security/IT/AV projects with an additional focus on operational security and security master planning efforts. Here is where my deep dive into all things security took off and a new kind of fulfillment from the work we do was born.
  • Syska Hennessy Group
    Technology Consultant / Engineer
    Syska Hennessy Group
    May 2009 - Apr 2013 (4 years)
    My entry into the amazing world of security & technology consulting. Leveraging my engineering degree and past experience, the Syska team immersed me in Security, IT, and AV design. Worked on world-class projects, kicking off a curiosity and desire to stay on top of new technologies and finding their best applications. A curiosity which continues to grow today!
  • C
    Research Analyst
    Chubby Brain
    Dec 2008 - Dec 2009 (1 year 1 month)
    Researched early stage security and technology startups, analyzing their product-market fit, leadership, and roadmap to help build a private company database used to extract market and company insights. The company later pivoted to become what is now CB Insights, a well-known platform for market analysis and research which extracts structured data on tech companies and markets from millions of unstructured documents using machine learning software.
  • Moodys Investors Service
    IT Program Manager
    Moodys Investors Service
    Jun 2007 - Dec 2008 (1 year 7 months)
Education verified_user 0% verified
  • Manhattan University
    B.S, Computer Engineering
    Manhattan University
Awards verified_user 0% verified
  • I
    2nd Degree Taekwon-Do Black Belt
    Issued by International TaekwonDo Federation
Publications verified_user 0% verified
  • S
    Fast-Paced Bluebeam Security Install Presents Unique Challenges
    Security Technology Executive Nov
    Security consultant Michael Niola and his team from Vantage Technology Consulting Group relocated software technology giant Bluebeam, Inc. into its new headquarters in Southern California in 2019. Close collaboration among the project team was essential in this complex project, which eventually gained recognition as the 2019 Boxerbaum Security Project of the Year! This article highlighted the challenges and complexities of the project and how Michael led his team and client to a successful finish.
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    Implementing Security Staffing for Schools
    Campus Security Life Safety Magazine Jun
    Individual schools and districts are always seeking ways to increase their security posture while not losing what makes them uniquely qualified, as educational institutions, to create an environment where learning is invoked through programs, curriculum, and even the design and architecture itself. This includes implementing security policies and procedures, designing buildings in a way that has security in mind, proper training, and by exploring how technology could help with their overall security goals. Another important aspect of the overall security program is the staffing of personnel responsible for different aspects of a schoolโ€™s security. This may include school resource officers or volunteers such as ex-law enforcement or military
  • V
    A Holistic Approach to Security and Technology Planning on K-12 Campuses
    Vantage Technology Consulting Group Blog Feb
    The K-12 community faces many challenges: tight budgets, strict schedules, and resource limitations to name a few. One-off solutions are implemented to adhere to these challenges and larger context conversations are forgotten (or unable to take place), creating a cycle of singular or patch-work solutions rather than establishing standards and protocols that would benefit the campus or district long-term.....
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    Essential Elements of Safe School Design
    American Institute of Architects Jun
    Published in the AIA's Design Specialty section of their website, this article highlighted key points from a half day workshop conducted at the AIA National '19 conference in Las Vegas. Michael was part of a panel of experts that included Mariana Lavezzo (Associate @ DLR Group), Michael Pinto (Principal @ NAC Architecture), and Lenni Scott-Webber (Allied AIA Member and Principal @ INSYNC: Education Research + Design). The workshop highlighted the key elements for designing safer schools, spanning from the psychological and wellness aspects to the architecture and technology components.
  • C
    Developing Effective Lockdown Procedures
    Campus Security Life Safety Magazine Aug
    Published as the cover story of the AUG'18 issue of Campus Security & Life Safety Magazine (print and digital), this article dives into the critical components needed to create a lockdown procedure with an operationally centric approach.
  • S
    Security Project of the Year 2019: Bluebeam Software's New Headquarters
    Security Business Magazine Dec
    A successful security project is not always judged by its size or complexity. Projects often present other challenges that test the mettle of a security consultant and the resolve of the entire project team โ€“ such as counseling a client without security system design experience or working within a timeline that presses system implementation to the limits.
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