Prepare to Be Impressed: 2019 Director of the Year Finalists Shine Brighter than Ever
Congratulations to the much-deserving group of campus security, law enforcement and emergency management professionals who are this year’s Director of the Year finalists.
This year's Director of the Year winners will be announced at Campus Safety Conference West being held in Las Vegas, June 17-19. For more information on CSC West, visit CampusSafetyConference.com.
Amanda Guthorn, Assistant Vice President for Public Safety, La Salle University, Philadelphia
Notable Achievements:
- Completely reorganized and overhauled the campus public safety department.
- Rewrote all department policies and procedures.
- Digitized the entire public safety operation so that it is now fully compliant with all state and federal regulations.
James Herring, Chief of Police, Murray State University Police Department, Murray, Ky.
Notable Achievements:
- Replaced a poorly functioning computer-aided dispatch software with an updated solution.
- Upgraded the department’s patrol fleet with new vehicles through a lease/purchase agreement.
- Created the “DoNut Worry” event where officers give away donut holes and hot chocolate to students on their way to take exams.
Stephanie Hill, Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police, Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio
Notable Achievements:
- Researched and implemented a campus-wide early alert system.
- Implemented a “green” sustainability initiative for the department.
- Re-energized the police department and advanced its reputation through training, discipline, accountability and stimulating creativity and growth.
Ronald Hurley, Associate Vice President of Public Safety, New Jersey City University, Jersey City, N.J.
Notable Achievements:
- Repurposed parking lot attendants as security officers to avoid layoffs and increase patrols of parking lots.
- Created a crime prevention program called “Gotcha” where officers place stickers on unattended items left around campus. Thefts have decreased by 19 percent.
- Improved dispatch systems, which consolidated all radio communications without additional cost for separate frequency base hardware. Improved range and clarity of system by transitioning to digital.
James Johnson, Assistant Vice President for Campus Safety, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
Notable Achievements:
- Obtained $13 million in state and local funding to institute 36 safety-related projects prompted by a 2016 campus public safety review.
- Installed “safety hubs” at all primary building entrances that provide an identifiable sole after-hours entry point that include lighting, security cameras, access control, call boxes, AEDs and hemorrhage control kits.
- Enhanced his school’s severe weather warning and detection systems.
Thomas Kilcullen, Chief of Police, State University of New York (SUNY) at Geneseo, Geneseo, N.Y.
Notable Achievements:
- Improved internal and external communications through equipment upgrades and mutual aid agreements.
- Increased his department’s ability to respond to people having mental health crises via its involvement in the IACP’s One Mind Campaign.
- Department became accredited through the New York State Law Enforcement Accreditation Program.
Randolph Merced, Director of Public Safety, Community College of Philadelphia, Philadelphia
Notable Achievements:
- Led initiative to instruct faculty on civility in the classroom and how to control and manage students.
- Strategically upgraded the school’s video surveillance, emergency operations plans and social media campaigns.
- Co-wrote grant applications for funding sexual assault awareness programs on campus.
Christopher Shaw, Chief of Police, University of North Texas at Dallas, Dallas
Notable Achievements:
- Successfully addressed the department’s 75 percent turnover rate and increased the number of officers from three to 14.
- Developed new general orders and departmental policies and procedures.
- Established a culture of accountability, integrity, civility and service within the department.
K-12
Garrett Brundage, Chief Officer for Safe Schools and Student Affairs, Rockdale County Public Schools, Conyers, Ga.
Notable Achievements:
- Obtained a $4.5 million grant to address mental and behavioral health needs of students, social, emotional and physical development, and early learning.
- Facilitated opportunities to build healthy relationships with students through Gang Resistance Education and Training, and Choosing Healthy Methods Promoting Safety instruction.
- Implemented monthly lockdown, evacuation and reverse evacuation drills for all schools.
Mike Dods, Chief of Police, Enid Public Schools, Enid, Okla.
Notable Achievements:
- Worked with district and site administrators on the adoption and implementation of new safety response protocols that are clear, consistent and relevant.
- Identified that teachers wanted student de-escalation and restraint training and provided that training.
- Now takes part in weekly briefings with city and county first responders, city officials, juvenile agencies, etc.
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About the Author
Robin Hattersley, Editor-in-Chief
Robin has been covering the security and campus law enforcement industries since 1998 and is a specialist in school, university and hospital security, public safety and emergency management, as well as emerging technologies and systems integration. She joined CS in 2005 and has authored award-winning editorial on campus law enforcement and security funding, officer recruitment and retention, access control, IP video, network integration, event management, crime trends, the Clery Act, Title IX compliance, sexual assault, dating abuse, emergency communications, incident management software and more. Robin has been featured on national and local media outlets and was formerly associate editor for the trade publication Security Sales & Integration. She obtained her undergraduate degree in history from California State University, Long Beach.
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