Schedule
Day 1 Schedule >> Day 2 Schedule >>
All sessions will be on-demand approximately 24 hours after airing.
Certificates of Attendance will be emailed after each attended session.
View speaker bios >> View sponsors >>
If you are interested in speaking or have any questions, please contact Dana McClay.
Our online summit took place on November 30th and December 1st of 2022, but there is still time to register and enjoy this fantastic content “on demand” at your leisure!
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30*
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM EST
Opening Keynote: Lessons Learned from Past Director of the Year Winners
Moderator: Kevin Wren, School Safety Advocate, A3 Communications
Panelists: Mark Clark, Chief of Police, Val Verde USD
John Venuti, Associate Vice President for Public Safety, VCU and VCU Health/ Chief of Police
Eric Clay, MBA, CPP, CHPA, PSP, PCI, Principal Consultant, Fairfield6 Consulting
Description: The effective protection of a campus requires its top public safety/emergency management/security executive to possess a unique skillset. No one knows this better than the past winners of the Campus Safety Director of the Year awards program. That’s why we’ve asked several of them to join us on this panel. Using examples from the work that won them the honor of Director of the Year, they will discuss the various strategies they’ve incorporated to foster internal and external stakeholder support for their departments, people, projects, and equipment.
11:15 AM - 12:00 AM EST
SRO: Yes or No?
Track: K-12
Speakers: Lauren Bonner, Partner; Valerie Davis, Partner; Tony DeMonte, Partner; Raimond Pavely, Partner of Comprehensive Security Consultants
Description: How can schools successfully incorporate the services and expertise of law enforcement into their community? Applicable to schools with or without a School Resource Officer (SRO) and the law enforcement agencies that work with schools, this interactive workshop will shed light on when it is and isn’t appropriate to incorporate an SRO into the educational and discipline environment. The roles and responsibilities of an ideal school-SRO relationship will be discussed at length, and participants will leave with concrete ideas of how to improve the working relationship between their local law enforcement and students, parents, teachers, and administrators. The presenters, which include seasoned representatives from both law enforcement and school administration, will dispel the myths, common misconceptions, and frequent sources of confusion between law enforcement and the greater school community while highlighting opportunities to build a positive working relationship between schools and local law enforcement.
Promoting a Positive Safety Culture Within Educational Settings
Speaker: Robin Shusko, Director of Public Safety, Frederick Community College
Description: The current climate surrounding safety is less than ideal, and is even more stark within school settings. Collectively, we need to have "buy-in" from all constituents and involved parties, especially staff and students. Students, in particular, may not recognize their own susceptibility and assume that the institution is prepared for emergencies. Providing appropriate emergency preparedness programs may assist faculty, staff, and students in becoming acquainted with the resources and improving their preparedness. This session aims to share best practices and recommendations for promoting a positive safety culture within that arena. Having current and pertinent safety-related content is critical to building and sustaining positive attitudes within the school community.
12:00 AM - 12:15 PM EST
Sponsor Showcase Break – Raffles & Networking
12:15 PM - 1:00 PM EST
Improving School Safety: Creating the Position of School Security Director
Track: K-12
Speaker: Joseph J. Pangaro, CEO, Training and Security Consulting, True Security Design
Description: Only 38 percent of K-12 districts have a dedicated school security director, but that number is growing as the threats continue to increase in frequency and sophistication. As school districts nationwide address their security concerns, they need a person specifically dedicated to school safety and security. Choosing the right person to be the school security director has to be done with careful consideration to the skills, experience and personality of the person chosen. Many districts make the mistake of choosing someone because they have law enforcement experience alone. This is not enough. This session will provide attendees with the information they need to consider and evaluate when creating this position and hiring for this critical addition to their school safety plans. Attendees will be able to return to their district and start the recruitment process, confident that they can get the right person for the job.
Campus Hazing: Impact, Response, and Prevention
Track: Higher Ed
Speakers: Elizabeth J. Allan, Ph.D., Professor and Program Coordinator of the Higher Education graduate program, University of Maine
Devin Franklin, Research-to-Practice Intern & Research Assistant, StopHazing
Jessica Mertz, Executive Director, Clery Center
Description: In this session, participants will learn more about the realities of campus hazing including the spectrum of hazing behavior, warning signs of hazing, and strategies for effective intervention and prevention. The role of state laws and a proposed federal law (the REACH Act) to provide increased transparency and consistency in reporting and educating about campus hazing will also be discussed.
1:15 PM - 2:00 PM EST
How to Use Best Practices to Develop a Holistic Security Management Plan
Track: K-12
Speaker: Guy Grace, K-12 Unified Security Consultant, Apple to Apple LLC
Description: It’s now more important than ever for schools and districts to implement a holistic, multidisciplinary security management plan. Join this discussion and learn more about how you can leverage the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) Safety and Security Guidelines for K-12 Schools, the most comprehensive information available on best practices specifically for securing school facilities, which has been recognized by the Federal Commission on School Safety, School Safety.gov and other task forces and commissions on school security.
Crisis Communications that Protect Your Campus Population
Track: Higher Ed
Speaker: Carin Cardella (Morrell), MA, MS, Public Information Officer, UMB Police Department, Office of Emergency Management
Description: Over the past three years, the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) has made great strides in improving crisis communications: establishing an Office of Emergency Management; hiring the UMB Police Department’s first Public Information Officer; and formalizing the University’s Emergency Communications Plan, which won a 2021 MarCom Gold Award. This presentation will identify an array of Clery and non-Clery communications challenges experienced by many (if not all) University communicators, coupled with lessons learned and best practices by the UMB Police Department and Office of Emergency Management so you can feel confident to tackle these challenges on your own campus.
2:00 PM- 3:00 PM EST
Sponsor Showcase Break – Raffles & Networking
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EST
The Role of Culture and Climate in Campus Security
Track: K-12
Speaker: Guy Bliesner, School Safety and Security Analyst, Idaho Office of School Safety and Security (IOS3)
Description: School climate and culture is foundational in school safety. The conversation will focus on the specific application and impact to school safety and security at the school operations level. Specific examples of process that can be leveraged to improve a school’s security profile.
Digital Threat Assessment® - The Missing Link for School Safety and Threat Assessment Teams
Track: Higher Ed & K-12
Speaker: Greg Gerber, Trainer/Threat Analyst
Safer Schools Together, USA
Presented by: 
Description: Safer Schools Together (SST) provides your Safety / Threat Assessment teams with the tools needed to identify if an individual is on the pathway to violence, homicide, suicide, radicalization, or gang associated behavior. Nearly 90% of todays threats are communicated digitally. Digital Threat Assessment® (DTA) training provides participants with direct skills and tools that are effective and can be utilized immediately by your teams. You will learn how to identify digital leakage, check to see if the individual has access to the means to carry out a threat, and proactively reduce the potential of violence within your community.
4:15 PM - 5:00 PM EST
De-Escalation During Mental Health Crisis
Track: K-12
Speaker: Kati Garner, School Safety Regional Training Consultant, Northwest Region, Colorado School Safety Resource Center
Description: Often law enforcement, administrators, security officers, mental health professionals and other school officials are tasked with helping youth in the midst of a mental health crisis. This session will provide professionals with fundamental, practical and realistic strategies to aid them in the de-escalation process. Participants will walk away understanding mental illness and its prevalence, how to identify signs and symptoms of mental disorders and usable strategies to aid in the de-escalation of students facing a mental health crisis.
Why Your Campus Is Not Ready For an Active Shooter Incident
Track: Higher Ed
Speaker: John Weinstein, Commander, Strategic Planning and Outreach, Northern Virginia Community College Police Department
Description: Most active incident training focuses wholly on law enforcement and victim response. While knowing what to do in the event of an active shooter is critically important, it only addresses one-fourth of the problem and neglects crucial problems for all school stakeholders. In addition to the challenges of response, the prevention, mitigation and recovery phases of the crisis also require intricate planning in order to save lives, avoid liability, address emotional traumas, and a host of other considerations. Complicating planning for these considerations is the fact that the goals and priorities of various stakeholders (i.e., administrators, facilities, public affairs, legal, police/security) are different and the goals and priorities of each change as the crisis unfolds.
This session, conducted by a certified active incident response instructor, will identify intramural planning disconnects and identify a mechanism to develop an integrated plan to deal with an active incident.
5:00 PM - 5:15 PM EST
Live Day 1 Raffle Drawing
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1*
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM EST
Keynote: It’s Time to Protect our Teachers – School Safety and Staff Mental Health
Keynote Sponsored by Evolv
Speakers: Dr. Kevin Eberle, Consultant/CEO EdIngenuity, LLC; Education Advisor/Consultant EVOLV Technologies
Jill Lemond, Director of Education Market Development, EVOLV Technologies
Description: Educational leaders today are tasked with finding creative ways to operate their districts given the current—and growing—teacher shortage across the United States. Dr. Kevin Eberle and Jill Lemond unpack this critical issue, asserting that school safety and positive building climate are essential to protecting our teachers, individually and as a workforce. Educators are leaving the profession in staggering numbers, citing anxiety, fear, and sadness among the top reasons they choose to exit their careers early. This candid session will explore the raw nuances of teaching and serving as an administrator in schools today and, most importantly, present actionable solutions to protecting your staff.
11:15 AM - 12:00 AM EST
Grant Funding for K-12 Campus Safety Initiatives
Track: K-12
Speaker: Maxwell Cassity, Grants Development Consultant, Grants Office, LLC
Description: This presentation will identify grant opportunities that support campus safety initiatives. This includes programs K-12 entities can apply for directly, and those that may require partnerships with local law enforcement agencies. We will review specific grant program deadlines, priorities, award amounts, and examples of previously funded projects. We will also discuss how to effectively justify inclusion of technology and equipment, such as building access systems, fixed surveillance, and communication technology into a grant budget. To conclude, we'll offer some general tips for writing a successful grant proposal to increase the likelihood that attendees' next proposal will stand out from the rest.
Grant Funding for Higher Education Campus Safety Initiatives
Track: Higher Ed
Speaker: Shannon M. Day, Grants Development Consultant, Grants Office, LLC
Description: This presentation will identify grant opportunities that support campus safety initiatives. This includes programs higher education entities can apply for directly, and those that may require partnerships with local law enforcement agencies. We will review specific grant program deadlines, priorities, award amounts, and examples of previously funded projects. We will also discuss how to effectively justify inclusion of technology and equipment, such as building access systems, fixed surveillance, and communication technology into a grant budget. To conclude, we'll offer some general tips for writing a successful grant proposal to increase the likelihood that attendees' next proposal will stand out from the rest.
12:00 AM - 12:15 PM EST
Sponsor Showcase Break – Raffles & Networking
12:15 PM - 1:00 PM EST
Targeted Violence Prevention: Federal Tools and Grants to Improve Your School Safety
Track: K-12
Speaker: Don Hough, School Safety Task Force Program Manager, U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
Description: The session will focus on how schools can design, implement, and improve their school safety system as part of delivering their educational mission. Presenters from the U.S. Department of Homeland security will discuss tools, resources and guidance to quickly identify your school's safety readiness, access grant resources to enhance your school's safety, and refine your emergency operations plan through testing and understanding school physical security through a systems-based approach to school physical security. Presenters will discuss how to understand risks and hazards, develop mitigation measures, test these measures, fill gaps, and continuously improve plans to promote school preparedness and resilience. Participants will come away with actionable strategies to improve their school safety systems and leverage federal offerings for school security. The session is designed to be interactive, with speakers soliciting input from the audience throughout the discussion.
No Wrong Door: Working with Campus Partners to Promote Student Access to Mental Health Treatment & Campus Safety
Track: Higher Ed
Speakers: Beth Kebschull, Associate Director of Crisis Services, University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine
Officer Michelle Velasco, DPS Crisis Intervention Team, USC Department of Public Safety.
Description: College campuses have many offices with specialized functions which can easily become siloed under heavy workloads. This session will discuss tools to promote communication and collaboration as well as a common understanding of the role each office plays in promoting student well-being, connection to mental health resources, and community safety.
1:15 PM - 2:00 PM EST
Lessons Learned: Building Relationships to Improve School Safety and Preparedness
Track: K-12
Speakers: Gary Sigrist, CEO and President, Safeguard Risk Solutions, LLC
Bill Vedra, Deputy City Administrator, City of Grove City, Ohio
Description: Schools are not alone when it comes to developing Emergency Operation Plans, developing training, and testing their plans and training through exercises. Developing relationships with community stakeholders and First Responders allows schools to tap into the expertise of Emergency Management.
Managing an Access Control System Upgrade
Track: Higher Ed
Speaker: Dr. Amanda M. Guthorn, AVP for Public Safety, La Salle University
Description: Managing an access control system upgrade begins long before a vendor is selected. An effective access control system integrates vision, functionality, and teamwork to create a seamless end-user experience. This does not come without challenges. In this session, the presenter will outline the steps, strategies, and challenges of moving from multiple, disparate, aging, and marginally effective systems to a state-of-the-art open-source system that provides room for expansion. Included in the session:
• Drafting a system assessment
• Creating a vision for your campus system
• Engaging stakeholders
• Gaining support and funding
• Writing the RFP
• Selecting your partner/vendor
• Installation and data integration
2:15 PM - 3:15 PM EST
Last Safe Haven: Securing Doors & Saving Lives with Lessons Learned Creating the Classroom Locks for the New Sandy Hook School
Track: K-12
Speakers: Mark Berger, President & Chief Product Officer, Securitech Group, Inc.
Paul Timm, Vice President - Physical Security Services, Facility Engineering Associates (FEA), P.C.
Description: When an active assailant is on school grounds, the classroom door is the most critical barrier protecting children and teachers. While every school design and layout is unique, there are certain guiding principles to be quickly secure classrooms, offices, places of assembly and the building perimeter. Working with the community, teachers and school administration to achieve this common goal requires an in-depth process which recognizes the individual needs of different classrooms, gymnasiums, auditoriums and other interior spaces. We’ll review how the Sandy Hook community developed their solution for a new building and how other facilities arrived at effective retrofit solutions. Attendees will receive a primer on best practices to secure classroom and other doors, as well as communication strategies to build consensus among all the decision stakeholders as it relates to locking.
Women in Campus Safety & Security
Track: Higher Ed
Speakers: Alice Cary, Executive Director of Public Safety & Chief of Police, University of Illinois Police Department
Marilyn Hollier, Consultant, SRMC
Leslie Ramirez, Chief of Police, Los Angeles School Police Department
Description: This presentation will identify grant opportunities that support campus safety initiatives. This includes programs K-12 and higher education entities can apply for directly, and those that may require partnerships with local law enforcement agencies. We will review specific grant program deadlines, priorities, award amounts, and examples of previously funded projects. We will also discuss how to effectively justify inclusion of technology and equipment, such as building access systems, fixed surveillance, and communication technology into a grant budget. To conclude, we'll offer some general tips for writing a successful grant proposal to increase the likelihood that attendees' next proposal will stand out from the rest.
3:30 PM - 4:15 PM EST
After Action Reports: What they are and why they are so important
Track: K-12
Speaker: Jason Stoddard, Director of School Safety and Security, Office of the Superintendent, Charles County Public Schools
Description: After Action Reports (AAR) are defined as: a detailed critical summary or analysis of a past event, created to re-assess decisions and consider possible alternatives for future scenarios. AAR are critical learning tools and should be must reads for stakeholders. Learn how to review use AAR's from several critical events to improve your schools security.
Executive Support for Emergency Preparedness On Campus (panel)
Track: Higher Ed and K-12
Moderator: Andy Altizer, Emergency Manager, Westminster Schools
Panelists: Tricia Chastain, Vice President of Administration, Kennesaw State University
Toni Boyd, Vice President for Finance and Operations, Vice President for Finance and Operations
Colin Potts, Ph.D., Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Professor, Computer Science; President, Association for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities, Missouri University of Science and Technology
Robin Shusko, Director of Public Safety, Frederick Community College
Description: Panel discussion with educational leaders discussing emergency preparedness at the executive level. Panel members will provide specific ways that they support safety, security and preparedness efforts on campus. They will also discuss challenges that they face today and what they anticipate in the future.
4:15 PM - 4:30 PM EST
Live Day 2 Raffle Drawing
* timing and schedule subject to change