Authors
SafeSchools Training courses are authored by nationally renowned
practitioners with school safety expertise. You can be confident that our
content is tested, accurate, and immediately applicable.
Author Bios pdf
Donald F. Austin, J.D.; Principal, Patterson Buchanan Fobes Leitch & Kalzer
Author, Boundary Invasion
As a principal of Patterson Buchanan Fobes Leitch & Kalzer, Mr. Austin has practiced law since 1986 primarily in the areas of school law and public entity defense. He was General Counsel for California's Ventura Unified School District for eight years where he handled legal issues for the 17,500 student district. In 2004, he was President of the California Council of School Attorneys. His experience includes litigation of a wide variety of school law issues and has also served as an arbitrator in more than fifty superior court cases.
JoLynn Carney, Ph.D., LPCC, Penn State University
Author, Bullying: Recognition & Response; Conflict Management: Angry Parents, Staff-to-Staff, Student Issues
Dr. JoLynn Carney is a faculty member in the Department of Counseling at Penn State University and a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. Her research and publications focus on the areas of youth violence, peer-on-peer abuse, and adolescent suicide. She publishes and leads local, regional, and national trainings and workshops on these topics.
Michael Dorn, M.S., FBI National Academy
Author, Crisis Recovery; Emergency Operations Planning; Family Reunification; Tactical Site Surveys, Visual Weapons Screening
Michael Dorn is one of the most credentialed, experienced, highly respected and most trusted school safety experts in the nation. Selected as the world’s top school safety expert by Jane’s after an international search, Michael has authored and co-authored twenty books on school safety and has three more books due for publication. Michael has also authored hundreds of articles as well as columns for School Planning and Management, Campus Safety, Today’s School, School Transportation News and College Planning and Management magazines.
A graduate of the prestigious FBI National Academy, Dartmouth College’s Russian Language Immersion Program and Bachelor’s and Master’s programs at Mercer University, Michael also received fourteen days of intensive terrorism training from the Israel Police, the Israel Defense Forces and the Mossad through the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange Program at Georgia State University.
Barbara Duffield, Policy Director, National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY)
Author, Homeless Students: Awareness & Understanding
Barbara Duffield is the Policy Director for the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth, a national grassroots organization working to ensure the school success of children and youth whose lives have been disrupted by the lack of safe, permanent, and adequate housing. With over 20 years of involvement with homeless issues, Barbara has worked closely with educators, service providers, federal agencies, and Congressional offices to strengthen policy and practice on children's issues. She has conducted hundreds of trainings on the McKinney-Vento Act and has published several academic articles on policy and advocacy issues relating to the education of homeless children and youth.
Art Dunham, Doctorate in Food Service (NAFEM/Purdue); M.S. Food Service Management
Author, Civil Rights in Food Service; Food Safety and Kitchen Sanitation; Food Service Equipment: Safe Use, Sanitation; Foodborne Illnesses; HACCP; Nutrition Basics; School Meal Compliance
Art Dunham served as President of the Florida School Food Service Association from 2003-2004 and is now the Secretary/Treasurer of the School Nutrition Association. Art currently holds the titles of Certified Food Service Professional and School Nutrition Specialist. While teaching Hotel/Tourism courses at the Schiller International University, Art is also the Director of Food Services at Pinellas County Schools and serves as a member of the International Association of Food Protection. Art received his master's degree in food service management from the New York University in 1986 and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Food Service (DFS) from the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM) in 2007.
Janell Eastman, M.Ed, BSN, BS, RN, Granite School District
Author, AED; CPR; Health Emergencies: Allergies, Asthma, Diabetes, Hemophilia, Overview, Seizures
Janell Eastman is a district nurse with responsibility for over 8,300 students in 11 schools. Her past experience includes Surgical Nursing, Public Health Case Management and Occupational Health Administration. Janell developed, implemented and now manages the district’s Bloodborne Disease Prevention program for all at-risk employees. She has designed multiple presentations now used throughout the district for student and faculty education.
Janell graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelors degree in Consumer Economics and from Westminster College with a Bachelors degree in Nursing and received her Masters of Education from Cambridge College.
Richard Ferdinand, M.S. – PT
Author, Special Education: Lifts and Transfers
Richard Ferdinand has worked as a registered physical therapist since 1973. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physical therapy from California State University-Long Beach in 1973, and a Master of Science degree in physical therapy from Boston University in 1978. Mr. Ferdinand specializes in the treatment of work-related injuries, as well as injury prevention and ergonomics. He has taught back injury prevention programs to special education employees across the state of California, using techniques adapted from those proven to reduce patient handling injuries in hospitals.
Ted Finlayson-Schueler, Doctoral Candidate, Syracuse - Founder, Safety Rules!
Author, Bus Behavior and Discipline; Special Education Transportation: CSRS; Special Education Transportation: Evacuation Planning
Ted Finlayson-Schueler is the founder of Safety Rules! which is dedicated to safe travel for children to and from school and school activities. Ted also founded the Pupil Transportation Safety Institute (PTSI) in Syracuse, New York in 1990 and served as its Executive Director until 2004. During the 10 years from 1994 to 2004, Ted grew PTSI into a national organization serving the pupil transportation community.
Ted holds a Master of Science Degree from Syracuse University. He is currently a candidate for the doctoral program in the School of Education, Disability Studies Program at Syracuse University.
Patrick Fitzpatrick, President, Compass Driving
Author, City Driving; Defensive Driving; Road Rage; Van Safety; Winter Driving
Patrick Fitzpatrick is a veteran of the Washington State Patrol where he served in many capacities including Police Pursuit Academy Instructor and Safety Education Officer and won acclaim for his innovative programs and public education courses. Patrick has more than a decade in school district risk management and is founder of
Compass - A New Direction In Driving, a LLC that provides vehicle operator training systems to both the public and private sector throughout the United States and Canada.
Brent George, Master of Physical Therapy
Author, Concussion Awareness: Athletics
Brent George is a licensed physical therapist who holds a Master of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Puget Sound. He has been a part time faculty member at the University for 10 years where he teaches biomechanics, functional exercise, and injury assessment/treatment. He has been a consultant to the Universities of Oregon, Washington, and Puget Sound Athletic Departments. Brent has also worked closely with amateur, collegiate, and professional athletes including the Seattle Seahawks.
Joseph Guth, Ph.D., CIH, President, Scientific and Forensic Services, Inc.
Author, Asbestos Awareness
Involved in basic and applied research for over 30 years, Dr. Guth is a nationally recognized expert in industrial hygiene, especially indoor air quality. He has trained many people in the hazards, assessment and abatement of asbestos, molds, mildews, and overall indoor air quality. In his role as an indoor air quality specialist, Dr. Guth has served as a consultant, trainer, and evaluator for business, government, schools, and the military. With this expertise, he also serves as an expert witness in insurance and litigation claims. Dr. Guth received both his B.S and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.
Mary Haag, R.N., OCPS I
Author, Student Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Mary Haag has been licensed as a registered nurse since 1975. She is experienced in bringing diverse sectors of the community together to create and implement comprehensive, collaborative approaches to substance abuse prevention. Ms. Haag holds an Ohio Certified Prevention Specialist I certification and has been working in the field of substance abuse prevention since 1995. She currently serves as President of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Association of Ohio, Vice President of Coalition Strategies for the Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati, and Federal Peer Grant Reviewer for the Office of National Drug Control Policy and Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools. During her tenure with the Coalition, she has successfully developed over thirty locally based community anti-drug coalitions, and provides oversight and direction for all programmatic activities of the Coalition.
Patrick Hancock, Risk Manager, Baltimore County Public Schools
Author, Reasonable Suspicion for Drug and Alcohol Use
Patrick Hancock is currently a Risk Manager for Baltimore County Public Schools in Maryland. He holds an Associate in Risk Management (ARM) designation and is instrumental in identifying and analyzing existing and potential risks to the district, as well as advising strategic measures to address those risks.
Richard Hazler, Ph.D., Penn State University
Author, Bullying: Recognition & Response; Conflict Management: Angry Parents, Staff-to-Staff, Student Issues
Dr. Richard Hazler is a Professor of Counselor Education at Penn State University. He is particularly well known for his work in the areas of bullying, peer-on-peer abuse, and youth violence. He has published numerous professional articles and three books, including Breaking the Cycle of Violence: Interventions for Bullying and Victimization (1996), and appeared on national television programs such as ABC 20/20 and NBC Dateline.
Steve Holland, M.A., President, Holland & Associates
Author, Dating Violence; Online Safety: Cyberbullying, Overview, Predators, Threats of Violence, What Every Educator Needs to Know
Steve Holland is the founder and president of Holland & Associates, a Georgia-based consulting firm that provides safety and communications services to schools and business nationally. Steve is a former information executive and consultant with notable organizations such as The Thomson Corporation, Scenario Learning, and CNN. While at CNN, Steve was instrumental in the launch of CNNfyi.com, one of the nation’s first Internet-based forums for teens.
Susan Hudson, Ph.D., Educational Director, National Program for Playground Safety
Author, Playground Maintenance and Inspection; Playground Supervision
The National Program for Playground Safety is a non-profit organization committed to improving the safety of playgrounds for children. Widely recognized as the leading experts on playground safety, NPPS routinely provides training, safety assessment, certification, and other consulting services for school districts and municipalities across North America.
Patrick Hughes, J.D.
Author, Termination: Practice and Procedure
Patrick Hughes gained extensive legal experience in
private practice for nearly ten years, representing major corporations as well
as small business owners. In addition, Mr. Hughes also has extensive experience
as a Human Resources Administrator and Risk Manager for a significant public
entity.
Janet Hurley, Southwest Technical Resource Center, Texas AgriLife
Author, Integrated Pest Management
Janet Hurley is the Program Specialist for the Southwest Technical Resource Center and Texas AgriLife Extension. She oversees the production of a bimonthly newsletter, a website, and database of school IPM Coordinators. She is an approved trainer for school IPM Coordinators in Texas; co-chair of the Southern Region School IPM Workgroup; and sits on the National School IPM 2015 steering committee.
Elizabeth R. Ison, J.D. – The Ison Law Group
Author, Sexual Harassment: Policy and Prevention
Elizabeth R. Ison, J.D., has spent seventeen years representing employers in employment matters. As president of The Ison Law Group in Sacramento, she offers advice and training to local, national and international employers in the areas of labor and employment law. She is a frequent lecturer on employment topics and has published many articles relating to this topic in a variety of regional and national publications. Additionally, Elizabeth conducts training for organizations in the area of sexual harassment and discrimination, and she conducts objective workplace investigations when an employer is faced with a charge of harassment or discrimination.
Carol Jones, RN, M.S., Peninsula School District
Author, Epinephrine Auto-Injectors; HIV/AIDS Awareness; Health Emergencies: Asthma
Carol Jones has been a school nurse in the Peninsula School District in Gig Harbor, Washington for over 20 years. She also serves as the lead nurse and coordinates health and safety training programs for district employees. Carol has additional experience as an emergency department nurse, a public health nurse, and as a medical-surgical instructor in a diploma nursing program.
Charles (Pete) LeRoy, Ph.D., Certified Health Education Specialist
Author, Sports Supervision & Safety
Dr. Charles "Pete" LeRoy is a veteran educator with 50+ years of teaching experience at both the public school level and in higher education. He holds a B.S.E in physical education, a M.S.E. in physical education and health, an Ed.M in health education, and a Ph.D. in public health from Oregon State University. In addition, he is a certified health education specialist.
Stephen Lewis, J.D.
Author, Volunteer Orientation (OR)
Stephen Lewis has served Oregon schools and professional organizations for many years as an administrator, attorney, and advisor. He has worked with the Oregon School Boards Association (OSBA), the Oregon School Personnel Association (OSPA) and as a School Board Member for Gresham Barlow School District for 17 years and Human Resources Director for 10 years. An attorney in private practice for 25 years, Mr. Lewis attended Oregon State University, Northwestern School of Law and Lewis & Clark Law School.
Steve Lyons, Loss Control Consultant, Puget Sound Workers’ Compensation Trust
Author, General Safety Orientation
Steve Lyons is a Loss Control Consultant for the Puget Sound Workers’ Compensation Trust. The Trust is a cooperative pool of self-insured school districts for workers' compensation insurance coverage. Steve has over six years of direct OSHA/WISHA compliance and loss control experience and holds an Associate in Risk Management degree from the Insurance Institute of America.
Miriam A. Manary, M.S.E.; Senior Research Associate, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute
Author, Special Education Transportation: Wheelchair Securement
Miriam Manary is an award-winning Senior Research Associate in the Biosciences Group at UMTRI. Her research interests focus on biomechanics and human factors research for the automotive industry. She conducts and supervises sled impact evaluation of child restraints, wheelchairs, wheelchair securement systems, and wheelchair-occupant restraint systems, and is an international expert on these topics. Miriam is also a NHTSA child-passenger-safety technician instructor.
Gilbert R. Martini, Jr., Director of Human Resources, Central Bucks School District, PA
Author, Diversity Awareness: Staff-to-Student
Gilbert R. Martini, Jr. has been employed in public education since 1980, most recently as the Director of Human Resources with the Central Bucks School District in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Mr. Martini has published articles on health care, health promotion, and legal issues in education. He holds a Master's degree in Labor Relations from St. Francis University and has completed graduate work in Labor Economics from The Pennsylvania State University.
Catherine Mattice, President, Civility Partners, LLC
Author, Discrimination: Avoiding Discriminatory Practices; Diversity Awareness: Staff-to-Staff; Making Schools Safe for LGBT Students; Sensitivity Awareness; Workplace Bullying
Catherine Mattice is President of Civility Partners, LLC, a consulting, training and coaching firm providing solutions to workplace bullying. She serves as the President of the San Diego Chapter of the American Society of Training & Development and is also an adjunct professor at National University and Southwestern College.
Walter G. Meyer, Partner, Civility Partners, LLC
Author, Making Schools Safe for LGBT Students
Walter G. Meyer is a partner in Civility Partners, LLC and an author and anti-bullying expert whose critically-acclaimed novel Rounding Third was based in part on his own high school experiences. Meyer has taught 1,500 adult education classes to over 50,000 students.
Lucinda Mejdell-Awbrey, RN, MA
Author,
First Aid;
Head Lice; Health Emergencies: Choking & the Heimlich Maneuver; HIPAA Overview; Medication Administration; Medication Administration: Diastat; Medication Administration: Glucagon
Lucinda Mejdell-Awbrey is the Director of Student Services for Visalia Unified School District in California. She has served students as a Credentialed School Nurse and School Administrator for over 30 years. In the early years, Lucinda worked primarily with students and their migrant families. For the past 17 years, she has developed and implemented a wide variety of school health and safety programs for Visalia Unified School District. Lucinda also provides community and school level trainings for the California Department of Education and other state and national organizations regarding School Safety Issues, Crisis Response Planning, Bullying and Harassment Prevention, School Nursing Practices, and Coordinated School Health Programs.
Jeremy Norton
Author, Aerial Lift Safety; Forklift Safety; Respiratory Protection; Scaffolding Safety; Scissor Lift Safety; Trenching & Excavation Safety: Welding Safety
Jeremy Norton got his start in the safety business when he enlisted out of high school into the U.S. Navy. He became a nuclear engineer on the USS Carl Vinson, where he was responsible for the training and safety program for a nuclear power plant machinery room. After leaving the service, Jeremy ran safety and training programs for semi-conductor manufacturer firms, and an international wind power utility. Jeremy has an MBA and is currently the CEO of Affordable Safety Training, LLC.
Mike Patterson, LL.M, New York University; Senior Principal, Patterson Buchanan Fobes Leitch & Kalzer
Author, Boundary Invasion
Mike Patterson is a nationally recognized trial attorney and is the senior principal at Patterson Buchanan Fobes Leitch & Kalzer. He won the Mary Kay Letourneau case for the Highline School District and has significant civil trial and appellate experience, having tried more than 100 cases to verdict in both federal and state courts, and has argued two dozen cases in federal and state appellate courts. Mr. Patterson concentrates his practice on high stakes, high profile litigation and has represented scores of school districts during his extensive career.
Eve Pearl, M.Ed., Executive Director, Council on Child Abuse of Southern Ohio
Author, Child Abuse
Eve Pearl is the Executive Director of the Council on Child Abuse of Southern Ohio, Inc. In this role since 1980, Eve oversees resource development, planning, implementation, and management of all aspects of the agency. She graduated from Ohio State University with a Bachelors degree in Education and received her Master of Education degree from the University of Cincinnati.
Eve is a Certified Trainer by the State of Ohio in Child Abuse Prevention In-service Training for preschool teachers and daycare providers. She also provides training and consulting services for numerous parent, professional, and community groups on child abuse prevention and related issues. Eve currently serves on the Steering Committee of the Hamilton County Violence Prevention Project, and she is an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati.
Mike Peterman, Official, Cincinnati Fire Department
Author, Fire Extinguisher Safety
Mike Peterman is a Cincinnati Fire Department Official and a liaison to the Cincinnati Public Schools for development and Code consultation. He has served on teams including Hazmat Unit, Bomb Squad, Firefighter, and Emergency Medical Technician. Mike has also completed extensive coursework with the US EPA, the NFPA, the US DOJ, and the Ohio Dept. of Commerce.
George Phelps, CFI, Wolf Technical Services
Author, Arson Awareness and Prevention
George Phelps is a Fire Investigation Specialist with expertise in fire analysis, origin and cause investigations of residential and commercial structures, and of all types of vehicles. Along with serving as a school specialist in fire safety, he has 32 years in the fire service with over twenty years experience working as a Fire Investigator with the Cincinnati Fire Department. He has been involved in fire inspections and code enforcements, interviewing and interrogating of suspects, and has testified extensively as an expert witness. George has been involved in the passage of important arson legislation in the Ohio House and Senate, as well as assisting with the passage of many bills on the national level that provided funding and grants for the fire service and fire investigation community. He is now working with Wolf Technical Services as a Fire Consultant and Investigator.
Donna Poland, Ed.D.
Author, Managing the Aftermath of Tragedy
Dr. Donna Poland has served as a school administrator for 19 years including service as principal of three different secondary schools. She is currently Director of University Middle School in Davie, Florida.
Scott Poland, Ed.D., Chair, National Emergency Assistance Team for the National Association of School Psychologists
Author, Managing the Aftermath of Tragedy; Self-Injury & Cutting; Youth Suicide: Awareness and Prevention
Dr. Scott Poland is an internationally recognized expert on school psychology issues related to violence prevention and crisis response. Dr. Poland is the former President of the National Association of School Psychologists and serves as Chairman of its National Emergency Assistance Team. He also retired as the Director of Psychological Services for Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District in Houston, Texas, and now serves as on staff at Nova University in Florida while continuing to consult internationally.
Kirt Poulsen, BSO/RO, Safety & Industrial Hygiene Manager, Utah State University
Author, Mercury Spills; Science Lab Safety
Kirt Poulsen is the Safety and Industrial Hygiene Manager, BSO/RO, at Utah State University and has significant history as an expert trainer. His certifications include IAQ (Certified Indoor Environmentalist), CERT Trainer, EPA Asbestos Inspector, EPA Lead Inspector/Risk Assessor, MSHA Surface and Underground Instructor, OSHA 40-hour HAZWOPER, and more. Kirt’s areas of expertise include Industrial Hygiene, Laboratory Safety and Emergency Response. He also serves as a Biological Safety Officer overseeing the biosafety and select agent programs.
Richard Ramos, Author, Community Activist and Speaker
Author, Gang Awareness
Richard Ramos is one of America's leading experts on gang culture and remediation. Following 30 years of community service, he has received both Presidential and Congressional acknowledgement for his work in building stronger communities and steering youth from negative lifestyles. He is also the well-respected author of
Gang Prevention in Schools - The Ultimate Parent and Teacher Guide on How to Prevent Kids from Joining Gangs.
Lawrence W. Schneider, Ph.D.; Associate Director, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute
Author, Special Education Transportation: Wheelchair Securement
Dr. Lawrence W. Schneider is an award-winning research professor and head of UMTRI's Biosciences Group and serves as an associate director of UMTRI. Dr. Schneider's research interests focus on biomechanics in the automotive environment (including seating and occupant positioning during normal vehicle operation) and the study of human impact response and injury tolerance related to improving occupant protection in crash environments through crash investigations and laboratory testing. He has also served as principal investigator and/or project director on numerous projects concerned with biomechanics related to automotive design and restraint system design.
Mary Schoenfeldt, Owner Schoenfeldt & Associates
Author, Incident Command Systems
Mary Schoenfeldt is the author of several books on Crisis Response, has served as the subject matter expert for an acclaimed interactive software program called Aftermath; School Edition, and has written numerous magazine articles for publications such as National School Safety Journal, Student Assistance Journal, and Pittsburgh Parent Magazine. She has contributed to publications and acted as Advisor to U.S. Department of Education, State of California, State of Kentucky, State of Washington and has been interviewed by USA Today, the Good Morning America television show and various violence prevention and school safety newsletters and publications. She is a sought after speaker, trainer and consultant.
Sonayia Shepherd, Ph.D., Public Administration and Emergency Response Policy
Author, Crisis Response and Recovery; Emergency Operations Planning; Family Reunification, Pandemic Flu Awareness; Planning for Pandemic Flu; Tactical Site Surveys; Visual Weapons Screening
Sonayia N. Shepherd (or Sony for short) has authored and co-authored sixteen books on school safety and emergency management, including four books for Jane’s, the highly regarded British defense, intelligence and school safety publisher. She currently serves as an incident response team member for an international government terrorism response unit and has deployed across the United States as well as to numerous countries including Switzerland, Thailand, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Angola, South Africa, and India. With an extensive background including serving as a full time school safety practitioner in the nation’s largest state government school safety center, Sony has worked directly with hundreds of public and private schools across the nation and has provided crisis response and recovery support following many school crisis situations and major disasters around the world.
Graduating from high school at the age of 16, she has earned two graduate degrees in Clinical Psychology and Human Ecology from Cameron University in Oklahoma and earned her undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Spanish from Phillips University. She recently received her Ph.D. in Public Administration and Emergency Response Policy.
Robert J. Shoop, Ph.D., Educational Law Expert, Kansas State University
Author, Sexual Misconduct: Staff-to-Student
Dr. Robert J. Shoop, educational law expert at Kansas State University, is nationally recognized as a forensic expert in the area of school law, with a focus on sexual harassment, abuse prevention and risk management. He has appeared as a guest on CNN, the Today Show, 20/20, and MSNBC, among many other programs. Shoop is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for Educator’s Guide to Controlling Sexual Harassment and has served as a forensic expert witness in more than 45 court cases. He is the author or co-author of 16 books.
Karl Sommer III, M.S. Industrial Hygiene
Author, Back Injury & Lifting; Bloodborne Pathogens; Hazard Communications; Hearing Loss Prevention; Ladder Safety; Lockout/Tagout; MSDS; Office Ergonomics; Personal Protective Equipment; Slip, Trips and Falls; Transportation Safety
Karl Sommer III has over 14 years of safety experience including acting as Executive Director of the Columbus (OH) Chamber of Commerce Safety Council and the National Safety Council Central Ohio Chapter. His responsibilities included the coordination/presentation of numerous training courses and the Columbus Chamber of Commerce Workers' Comp group rating program. Karl holds a MS in Safety and Health Management from West Virginia University.
Randy Sprick, Ph.D. – President, Pacific Northwest Publishing
Author, Disruptive Student Behavior
Randy Sprick is an educational consultant and teacher trainer. He conducts workshops helping school staff set up classrooms that encourage responsibility and motivation, while effectively helping students learn to behave in more responsible ways.
William C. Stepien, Ed.D. - Director of Media Services, St. Charles North High School
Author, Copyright Infringement
William C. Stepien is a teacher of 18 years and the Director of Media Services at St. Charles North High School in St. Charles, Illinois. He is a veteran developer and instructor of staff development courses for teachers, and is a co-author of "The Internet and Problem-Based Learning" and "Pulling the Cat's Tail in Social Studies and History Classrooms" in the Handbook of Secondary Gifted Education. William holds an Ed.D. in Instructional Technology from Northern Illinois University.
Linda M. Stroud, Ph.D. - President, Science and Safety Consulting Services
Author, Hazard Communications: Right to Understand; Safety Data Sheets (SDS)
Linda M. Stroud is the President of Science and Safety Consulting Services. She is one of the nation's leading consultants to school systems regarding chemical hygiene. Dr. Stroud is a member of the National
Registry of Certified Chemists- Chemical Hygiene Officer; Manager of
Environmental Health and Safety; and an OSHA General Industry Outreach Trainer. In addition, she is an adjunct
professor of Science Education at UNC- Pembroke, author of the “Science
Laboratory Safety Manual” as well as an author of numerous articles for
professional publications.
Suzan Tibbitts, MSN, RN, Granite School District
Author, AED; CPR; First Aid; Health Emergencies: Allergies, Diabetes, Hemophilia, Overview, Seizures
Suzan Tibbitts is a school nurse in Utah. She is directly responsible for the health care of over 9,000 students, project manager of the Vaccine for Children program, and the School Nurse Services Webmaster in the Granite School District. As only one of a handful of nationally recognized School Nurse Asthma Management Program (SNAMP) trainers in the Western United States, she has presented SNAMP to over 100 school nurses. She also is employed by PEGUS Research, Inc., a Salt Lake City based research firm, where she is a Serious Adverse Event Clinician. Suzan graduated from Westminster College with a Bachelors degree in Nursing and received her Masters of Nursing in Health Care Administration and Education from the University of Phoenix.
Paul Timm, PSP, President of RETA Security
Author, Crime Prevention through Physical Security
Paul Timm is a board-certified Physical Security Professional through ASIS International. He was in the first group ever to test for and obtain this credential. Paul is a trained and experienced School Crisis Assistance Team (SCAT) member employing the methodology of the National Organization for Victims Assistance (NOVA). He currently serves on the Illinois Terrorism Talk Force (ITTF) and was an ASIS International Regional Certification Award winner in '04 and '05. Paul is certified in Vulnerability Assessment Methodology (VAM-CF) through Sandia National Laboratories.
James Vaughan, President, Today's Resources Inc.
Author, Back Injury and Lifting; Bloodborne Pathogens; Hazard Communications; Hearing Loss Prevention; Ladder Safety; Lockout/Tagout; MSDS; Office Ergonomics; Personal Protective Equipment; Slip, Trips and Falls; Transportation Safety
James Vaughan is president of Today's Resources, Inc. (TRI), a full-service safety and health consulting firm. Jim has over 30 years of direct OSHA compliance and loss-control experience and holds a B.S. in Industrial Technology from Eastern Kentucky University.
Bryan Visscher, Director of Maintenance and Operations, Wenatchee School District
Author, Confined Spaces: Electrical Safety; Energy Conservation;
Fall Protection; Lead Safety Awareness
Bryan Visscher is Director of Maintenance and Operations for the Wenatchee School District in central Washington. He is also a recognized leader in the area of Energy Efficiency for school districts, winning the coveted national Energy Star designation for his district. Bryan is also a skilled writer, and is also active in WASBO and WAMOA.
Jennifer Watson, MS, Educational Psychology; Consultant, genNOW Consulting, Inc.
Author, Sexual Harassment: Staff, Students, and Refresher
As an expert in Youth Development, School Safety and Training Development, Jennifer has trained, consulted, and presented to hundreds of schools and youth serving organizations throughout the US, and has developed numerous trainings and workshops.
Jennifer’s experience includes being a lead trainer and consultant for Safe Schools America, Inc. and the Youth Development Training Manager for Kentucky Child Now!, where she developed and led a wide variety of trainings across the state on topics including youth development, cross cultural understanding, youth/adult partnerships and fostering safe learning environments. Jennifer holds a Masters in Educational Psychology from the University of Kentucky and is currently a doctoral student in Instructional Systems Design there as well.
Robert Watson, Ph.D., President and Founder, Safe Schools America, Inc.
Author, School Intruders; School Violence and Weapons
Besides conducting training, consulting, and information programs throughout the country, Dr. Watson has authored numerous articles, videos, and books, including The School as a Safe Haven, which examines school safety from a historical perspective. Dr. Watson was a teacher and administrator for over 25 years, serving eight years as a school superintendent. His first book, Containing Crisis (a school safety planning book), was based on his experience from the 1988 school shooting in Greenwood, SC, where he was then superintendent of schools.
