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.
Steve Ellis, Director of Campus Safety and Security, Corona-Norco Unified School District, Norco, Calif.
Notable Achievements:
- Researched, developed and implemented Project Safety Net to ensure every member of the school community experiences a safe and caring environment.
- Adopted the Cluster Program, which established additional lines of communication with law enforcement to enhance school security.
- Increased security fencing at all school sites to restrict entry and exit points to a few easily monitored areas.
Michael Herrera, Director of Career and Technical Education, Upper Bucks County Technical School, Perkasie, Pa.
Notable Achievements:
- Team conducted a successful active shooter tabletop exercise and included members of the safety committee, administration, and teacher’s and police representatives.
- Purchased Narcan and trained staff how to administer. Several staff members became certified in First Aid and CPR.
- Required all undergraduates to complete a cyber safety awareness course.
Robert Lopez, Executive Director of Crisis and Safety, Waukegan Public Schools, District 60, Waukegan, Ill.
Notable Achievements:
- Replaced anonymous tip-line to an upgraded version.
- Provided access identification cards for local law enforcement.
- Implemented a safety liaison position, which is a volunteer staff member for each elementary school to assist in supplementing the current safety program.
Ryan Love, Safety and Security Coordinator, Cajon Valley Union School District, El Cajon, Calif.
Notable Achievements:
- Improved physical security by assisting in vulnerability assessments of 27 schools and the district office, coordinating efforts between two consultant companies and 27 internal site safety councils.
- Completed walk-throughs and interviews of 81 administrators and office managers across 27 educational sites.
- Facilitated the distribution of a staff safety climate survey resulting in feedback from 579 staff members.
Joseph Markham, Executive Director of Security and Support Services, Pine Crest School, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Notable Achievements:
- Saved money by reducing the number of school bus fleet manufacturers. Now the school doesn’t need to store inventory of replacement parts from multiple manufacturers.
- Revised planning for hazardous weather, which reduced confusion and improved response during Hurricane Irma in 2017.
- To improve communications during emergencies, purchased 350 handheld radios for faculty and staff, and is adding audible alarms to the fire systems.
Jerry McConnell, Director of Facility Operations and Emergency Management, Moore Norman Technology Center, Norman, Okla.
Notable Achievements:
- Obtained approval for and developed an SRO program to secure the campuses.
- Assisted more than 30 schools in Oklahoma in developing plans and reviewing emergency procedures, providing guidance and encouragement.
- Designed and implemented an on-campus Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), crisis response team and psychological First Aid team.
Leo McGuire, Director of Risk Management and Strategy, iLearn Schools, Elmwood Park, N.J.
Notable Achievements:
- Helped form the Leadership Character Institute, which includes the Youth Leadership Academy that stresses the value of youth in safety.
- Made staff and students wear identification badges every day.
- Leads a considerable portion of the training through interactive sessions.
Gus Paidousis, Chief/Director of Security, Knox County Schools, Knoxville, Tenn.
Notable Achievements:
- Created a physical fitness incentive program to promote, encourage and reward officers who maintain a healthy lifestyle and to minimize sick leave while maximizing performance and service delivery.
- Improved department professionalism and enhanced its standing with local law enforcement by implementing 20 general orders to guide officers in their duties.
- Improved the patrol fleet’s quality by closely managing department finances and having a methodical program to surplus older vehicles and acquire newer replacements.
Kenna Powell, Director of Safety and Security, Providence Day School, Charlotte, N.C.
Notable Achievements:
- Organized and hosted a North Carolina Independent School Security Summit, bringing in representatives from more than 50 schools.
- Developed an emergency operations plan, including an annex for after school activities.
- Provided safety training programs for all school employees (online, classroom, seminar, exercises, etc.) including CPR, First Aid, Stop the Bleed and Active Survival.
Christopher Wynn, Security Director, Hemet Unified School District, Hemet, Calif.
Notable Achievements:
- Upgraded and standardized electronic security systems (access control, life safety systems, PAs/intercoms, visitor management, security cameras and phones) throughout the district.
- To reduce costs, trained maintenance department locksmiths to install the access control system.
- For electronic system upgrades, utilized the California Multiple Award Schedules (CMAS) to take advantage of government pre-negotiated pricing.
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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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