EXECUTIVE TEAM
Michele Gay
Founder & Executive Director
Mother, educator, and co-founder of Safe and Sound Schools®, Michele Gay chose to take action after losing her daughter Josephine Grace on December 14, 2012 in the Sandy Hook School tragedy. Since that time, Michele has channeled her work as an advocate, improving safety and security in schools and communities across our country. With a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Towson State University, Michele earned a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from McDaniel College. Prior to the Sandy Hook tragedy, she taught at the elementary level in the Maryland and Virginia public schools. Now a nationally and internationally recognized public speaker and school safety advocate, Michele speaks to audiences and consults with all levels of community institutions — schools; municipalities; houses of worship; educational and public safety leadership; state and federal governments; law enforcement agencies; and top news media sources. Through her work, and always with a goal of helping others increase the safety within their own communities, Michele shares her personal experiences and the lessons she has learned. The recipient of numerous national awards, Michele is a regular contributor for print, radio, and television outlets. Visionary, author, and co-author of Safe and Sound’s programs and materials, Michele has served as a stakeholder voice in national legislative discussions. Through these works, Michele continues to build Safe and Sound Schools® as a national hub of school safety education, technical assistance, expert content, and best practices. Michele’s impassioned position on school safety hinges on every community taking a comprehensive and sustainable approach to safety. She works diligently to unite stakeholders of all disciplines and perspectives. As an educator, mother, and survivor of tragedy, Michele is uniquely positioned to help others prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from tragedies of their own. Michele remains inspired by Josephine, every day. She dedicates herself to honoring Josephine’s memory through this work to ensure that every school, every child, and every community is truly safe and sound.
Kim Vann
Kim joined Safe and Sound Schools in 2019 and currently serves as the Deputy Director where she works collaboratively with the executive director, the board of directors, the staff, and Safe and Sound partners to advocate for and provide research-based education, tools, and resources to ensure the safest possible learning environment for our students. Kim ensures Safe and Sound Schools operates effectively by providing strategic and operational leadership in their mission to reach every community, to utilize resources that support school crisis prevention, response and recovery, and to protect each and every student in each and every school. Her transition to Safe and Sound Schools was natural, because she had already served as Executive Director and Co-Founder of Bright Futures USA Network, where she continues working closely with communities across the country, bringing together businesses, faith-based organizations, parent groups, and human resources to meet the needs of each student so they can succeed in school and beyond. Kim also served with the Joplin R-8 school district as the Executive Director of Communication and Community Development, where she was responsible for overseeing district communication, district development efforts, and community engagement efforts. She is a past president of Soroptimist International of Joplin. Kim has been honored with many awards over the years, including one of Joplin Tri-State Business Journal’s 2007 “10 Most Influential Women,” Joplin Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, and Joplin’s 15 People to Watch. Kim is married to Joel, and they have two children. Prior to her work in education, she served as the Business Development Director for the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, where she was responsible for advocating for small business, and acted as the liaison between the Chamber’s small business members and Chamber leadership. Kim was responsible for many programs and services that served the Chamber membership. Kim sat on the US Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council for four years and also served on the American Chamber of Commerce Small Business Advisory Council.
Deputy Director
OUR STAFF
Dr. Joseph McKenna
Senior Director of Projects, Programs, and Training
Ben Fernandez
Director of Mental and Behavioral Health Programs
Kate Reynolds
Senior Director of Communications and Development
Dr. Frank Straub
Senior Director of Violence Prevention Research and Programs
Brittani Keel
Director of Special Events
Jessica Vann
Partnerships and Projects Manager
Martha Gonzalez-Corona
Visual Communications Specialist
Nancy Mango
Research Specialist
Jennifer Honeycutt
Bookkeeper
Missy Dodds
Speaker and Trainer
Megan Erdmann
Communications Manager
Brian JK Regan
Booking Agent
Marie Gay
Research and Special Projects Assistant
Ashley Shead
Event Support Specialist
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
DIRECTORS
Bob Gay | Bob Martin | Adam Safir, Esq. | Susan Sawyer, Esq.
CO-CHAIRS
Tina Cantu JD, MBA, RN | Jim Murtha, Ph.D.
TREASURER
Mark Santamaria
ADVISORS & PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTORS
Stephen E. Brock, Ph. D
Licensed Educational Psychologist Nationally Certified School Psychologist Author PREPaRE: Crisis Intervention and Recovery Lead Editor Best Practices in School Crisis Prevention and Intervention Professor and School Psychology Program Coordinator Graduate and Processional Studies in Education California State University, Sacramento Sacramento, CA
C.J. Huff Ed. D.
Retired superintendent, Joplin, Missouri Special Advisor for Education and Community Leadership to Safe and Sound Schools Founder, Bright Futures USA Expert: U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Healthy Students Expert: Missouri Center for Education Safety Senior Advisor for Education to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for Hurricane Harvey Recovery Joplin, MO
Mo Canady
Executive Director National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) Hoover, AL
Jin Kim
FBI (ret) Active Shooter Subject Matter Expert & Practitioner FBI/ALERRT & CRASE Tactical Instructor Law Enforcement Tactical Resolution Trainer FBI (ret) SWAT Operator and Observer/Sniper Founder & Principal of the PerSec Academy, LLC
Julia Cook, M.S.
Award-Winning Children’s Author Former Teacher and School Counselor International Speaker Parenting Expert
Melissa Reeves, Ph. D.
Senior Advisor School-based Mental Health and Behavioral Threat Assessment Nationally Certified School Psychologist Licensed Professional Counselor Licensed Special Education Teacher Co-Author: PREPaRE: Crisis Prevention and Preparedness Co-Author: Identifying, Assessing, and Treating PTSD at School Co-Author: Comprehensive Planning for Safe Learning Environments Lecturer, Winthrop University Rock Hill, SC
Frank DeAngelis
Retired Principal Columbine High SchoolSpecial Advisor for Education Leadership to Safe and Sound Schools Consultant for Safety and Emergency Management for the Jefferson County Schools Colorado High School Principal of the Year Finalist, National Principal of the Year Denver, CO
Jeff Allison
Senior Advisor Law Enforcement Coordinator
Jim L. Accomando
James L. Accomando is an Advisor to Safe and Sound Schools and an Advocate for Parents for Safer Schools Program. Jim believes that the Mission to support crisis prevention, response and recovery and to protect every school and every student, every day is not only relevant but a must for all parent groups. Jim was elected as the 55th President of the National PTA Board of Directors at the June 2017 National PTA Convention. Jim has been engaged in fulfilling the Mission of PTA since his oldest child began Kindergarten. For over 20 years, he has volunteered at every level and has had the pleasure of being President of his child’s High School PTA, the District’s PTA Council and the State of Connecticut Parent Teacher Association. Jim believes that family and community engagement is one of the key strengths of PTA in providing equity and quality in our educational system today. He advocates to look beyond the school community to develop partnerships with other educational stakeholders in order to further the Mission of the Association.
William Modzeleski
Former Associate Assistant Deputy Secretary Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools U.S. Department of Education Co-Author: The Safe School Initiative Co-Author: Threat Assessment In Schools Co-Author: School Associated Violent Deaths in the U.S. National School Safety Expert, Author, Lecturer
Shari Nacson, LISW-S
Child Development Consultant Clinical Social Worker Adult Educator, Editor Cleveland Heights, OH
Susan Payne
Special Advisor to Safe and Sound Schools Founder, Safe2Tell 28-year Law Enforcement Veteran Former Detective, Colorado Springs Police Department Former Special Agent Colorado Department of Public Safety, Homeland Security Subject-matter expert: school safety, prevention, response, and recovery Author, Consultant, Trainer Colorado Springs, Colorado
Scott Poland, Ed. D.
Licensed Psychologist Nationally Certified School Psychologist Author: Coping with Crisis Professor, The Center for Psychological Studies Nova Southeastern University Hollywood, FL
Paul Timm, PSP
Allegion Author: School Security: How to Build and Strengthen a School Safety Program Chicago, IL
Amanda Nickerson, Ph.D.
Professor and Director of the Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York Licensed psychologist in New York state and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist Lead author of Assessing, Identifying, and Treating Posttraumatic Stress Disorder at School Co-author of School Crisis Prevention and Intervention: The PREPaRE Model Co-editor of Handbook of School Violence and School Safety: International Research and Practice, 2nd Edition Co-author of Lockdown Drills: Connecting Research and Best Practices (2022, MIT Press)
Chief Jeffrey Yarborough
Chief of Police, Hutto Police Department, TX School safety expert with 28 years of law enforcement experience Author of The Four Pillars of School Safety and Policing: A Transformative Four Pillar Model
Sharon Newport, CAE
Organizational and Leadership Consultant, Diversity, Equity Inclusivity Subject Matter Expert
General Inquiries:
info@safeandsoundschools.org
Media Inquiries:
media@safeandsoundschools.org
