Arlington, VA, June 27th 2024 – Lora Sims is the Director of the Face Center of Excellence (FaCE) and has been supporting standards development through membership and leadership in various working groups including Facial Identification Scientific Working Group (FISWG) and Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science and is a member of the International Association for Identification (IAI).

Ms. Sims was instrumental in developing the first facial examination training-to-competency program for the Department of Defense Biometric Operations Directorate. With the growing use of and interest in Facial Recognition Systems (FRS), it is essential for users to be trained in the proper application of the technology to mitigate some of the negative perceptions about FRS. She established a standards-based training program to reach the broader Facial Identification community as a resource for local, state, federal, international, and corporate entities that are involved in the comparison of facial images as a biometric discipline. The training program that Ms. Sims created has expanded into additional courses of instruction: general information on Facial Identification, mid-level courses that introduce practitioners to best practices, refresher courses for continuing education, and expert-level courses. Ms. Sims’ development and continued improvement of the expansive Facial Identification training program is respected across the country and around the world.