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Safe and Sound Schools
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Our Team

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 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.

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Now a nationally and internationally recognized public speaker and school safety advocate, Michele reaches 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 and 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

Chief Operations Officer

Kim joined Safe and Sound Schools in 2019 and currently serves as the Chief Operations Officer 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.

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Her transition to Safe and Sound Schools was only natural because she had already grown the Bright Futures USA Network as Executive Director and Co-Founder, 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. 

Our Staff

Azia Celestino
Media Relations Specialist

Karie Currence
Director of Communications & Project Management

Martha Gonzalez-Corona
Design & Marketing Specialist

Susan Parziale
Administrative Assistant

Board of Directors

Directors: Bob Gay, Bob Martin, Adam Safir, Esq., Susan Sawyer, Esq. & Sharon Newport

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

Mo Canady

Executive Director
National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO)
Hoover, AL

Julia Cook, M.S.

Award-Winning Children’s Author
Former Teacher and School Counselor
International Speaker
Parenting Expert

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

Michael Dorn

Executive Director
Safe Havens International
Macon, GA

CJ 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

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

Melissa Reeves, Ph.D.

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

Rania Mankarious, J.D.

Public Safety Advocate
Chief Executive Officer
Crime Stoppers of Houston
Houston, TX

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

John Montes, NREMT

Emergency Service Specialist,
National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA)
Previous member of Boston EMS
Previous EMS Specialist & EMS Duty Chief, Santa Clara County, CA
Member DHS First Responders Working Group
Representative to National EMS Advisory Council
Responsible for NFPA standards related to:
Cross functional emergency preparedness and response
Emergency management
Fire Service Occupational Safety and Health
Hazardous Materials Response
Emergency Medical Services

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

Amy Shanler

Public Relations and Crisis Communication Expert
Associate Professor, Boston University College of Communication
Boston, MA

Jaclyn Schildkraut, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Public Justice
State University of New York at Oswego
Co-Author: Mass Shootings: Media, Myths, and Realities 
National author & expert on school/mass shootings (e.g., The Wall Street Journal, WORLD Magazine, Popular Science, NPR, Syracuse Post-Standard)
Oswego, NY

James R. Tartre, CDC, FDHI

Former President of the Door and Hardware Institute
Former President of the Door Security and Safety Foundation
Current Treasurer of the Door Security and Safety Foundation

Paul Timm, PSP

Facility Engineering Associates, PC
Author: School Security: How to Build and Strengthen a School Safety Program
Chicago, IL

Kevin Wren, MAEM

Director Risk, Security, Emergency Management
Rock Hill School District
Steering Committee: Partner Alliance for Safer Schools
Rock Hill, SC

GENERAL INQUIRIES: info@safeandsoundschools.org.

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MEDIA INQUIRIES: Azia Celestino acelestino@safeandsoundschools.org.

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