Authors
SafeColleges courses are authored by leading practitioners with safety expertise. You can be confident that our content is tested and accurate.
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, Conflict Management: Staff-to-Staff
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, 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 three month FBI National Academy, Dartmouth
College’s Advanced Russian Language Immersion Program and Bachelor’s
and Master’s programs at Mercer University, Michael also received
fourteen days of intensive antiterrorism and counterterrorism training
from the Israel Police, Israel Defense Forces and the Mossad through the
Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange Program at Georgia State
University.
Art Dunham, Doctorate in Food Service (NAFEM/Purdue); M.S. Food Service Management
Author, Food Safety & Kitchen Sanitation; Food
Service Equipment: Safe Use; Food Service Equipment: Sanitation; Foodbrone Illnesses; HACCP
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; First Aid; Health Emergencies: Asthma Awareness, Diabetes, Hemophilia, Life-threatening Allergies; 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.
Patrick Fitzpatrick, President, Compass Driving
Author, City Driving; Defensive Driving; Road Rage; Van Safety: Winter Driving
Patrick
Fitzpatrick is a fifteen-year 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. Currently serving as
Director of Risk Management, Safety, and Security Services for the
Northshore (Washington) School District, Patrick is President 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.
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, President, Alcohol & Drug Abuse Prevention Association of Ohio
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
Jeffrey K. Hafen, Ph.D., Director of Support Staff Training and Development, Clark County School District
Author, Diversity Awareness
Dr.
Hafen is currently the Director of Support Staff Training and
Development for the Clark County School District. His professional
experience encompasses three decades in the training field. Dr. Hafen
has a liberal arts undergraduate degree and earned his Master’s Degree
in Public Administration from the Marriott School of Management. Dr.
Hafen continued his formal education completing a Ph. D. in Educational
Administration in Business, Industry, and Government at Brigham Young
University.
Patrick Hancock, Risk Manager, Baltimore County Public Schools
Author, Reasonable Suspicion for Drug & 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, Conflict Management: Staff-to-Staff
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., Scenario Learning, former Publisher - Computer Education, South-Western Educational Publishing
Author, Dating Violence
Steve
Holland is the founder and president of Holland & Associates, a
Georgia-based consulting firm that provides safety &
communications services to schools and businesses 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.
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, HIV/AIDS Awareness
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.
Catherine Mattice, President, Civility Partners, LLC
Author, Discrimination: Avoiding Discriminatory Practices; 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.
Jeremy Norton, CEO, Affordable Safety Training LLC
Author, Forklift Safety; Respiratory Protection; Trenching & Excavation 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 a
Masters in Business Administrations and is currently the CEO of
Affordable Safety Training LLC.
Eve Pearl, M.Ed., Executive Director, Council on Child Abuse of Southern Ohio
Author, Child Abuse: Identification & Intervention
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 Dept. Investigator; President, Peterman & Associates
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 & 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. Additionally, he has
participated in numerous training programs, both as an attendee and as
an instructor, and was instrumental in bringing about much-improved
communication and cooperation between fire, police, and insurance
investigators in auto fire and auto theft investigations. 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.
Scott Poland, Ed.D.
Author, Youth Suicide: Awareness & 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 is the former Executive Director of National School
Psychologists Association.
Sonayia Shepherd, Ph.D., Public Administration and Emergency Response Policy
Author, Pandemic Flu Awareness; 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 & Emergency Response Policy.
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; PPE; Slip, Trips and Falls
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.
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: Asthma Awareness, Diabetes, Hemophilia, Life-threatening Allergies, Overview, and 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.
James Vaughan, President, Today's Resources Inc.
Author,
Back Injury & Lifting; Bloodborne Pathogens; Hazard
Communications; Hearing Loss Prevention; Ladder Safety; Lockout/Tagout;
MSDS; Office Ergonomics; PPE; Slip, Trips and Falls
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, Electrical Safety; Energy Conservation: All Staff; 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, Doctoral Candidate – Consultant, SafeSchools America, Inc.
Author, Sexual Harassment: Staff-to-Staff
Jennifer
Watson has designed and presented sexual harassment training for school
districts in three states and has worked to facilitate the development
of a comprehensive sexual harassment policy in numerous school
districts. Jennifer has also coordinated and conducted numerous two-day
trainings in many states on crisis response, safety and security, safety
planning, and bullying for school administrators, district office
personnel, guidance counselors, teachers, emergency community
responders, and business executives.
Jennifer
holds a Bachelors degree in Communications from the University of
Kentucky and serves as a consultant for Safe Schools America, Inc. She
is currently a candidate for the doctoral program in Educational
Psychology at UK.
