TUESDAY, JUNE 2
Kilimanjaro Ballroom "CHOICES" Marc Mero Marc’s message is making a powerful difference in the lives of students worldwide, and his inspiring story is more needed than ever to help address today’s challenges. He connects with students through his enthusiasm and former WWE Wrestling Champion persona while covering critical topics such as bullying, peer pressure, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and other issues important to school communities. Through his life‑changing Champion of Choices presentation, Marc empowers students to improve their lives and continues to receive hundreds of heartfelt messages from those he has inspired.
8:30 AM – 11:00 AM
OPENING GENERAL SESSION
Emily Torok - Ohio School Safety Center
Student Safety Advisory Council
Marc Mero - Inspirational Speaker / Author / Youth‑Family Advocate & Former Professional Wrestler
Inspirational Speaker / Author / Youth‑Family Advocate
& Former Professional Wrestler
TUESDAY, JUNE 2
Kilimanjaro Ballroom Enjoy a delicious, provided lunch to sustain you through the rest of your day. Take a stroll through our exhibit area to visit our vendors.
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Lunch & Learn
Emily Torok - Ohio School Safety Center
TUESDAY, JUNE 2
Kalahari Resort - Room TBD This session will explore how aligning Behavioral Threat Assessment and (BTAM) with multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) positions districts and schools to proactively support students whose behavior elicits concern for risk of harm to themselves or others. New guidance from the U.S. Secret Service's National Threat Assessment Center will be featured.
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Aligning Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management with a Multi-Tiered System of Support: Building a Continuum of Prevention and Intervention
Kelsey Morris, PhD - U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC)
TUESDAY, JUNE 2
Kalahari Resort - Room TBD This presentation will highlight the unprecedented challenges faced by East Palestine City Schools in the immediate aftermath of the February 3, 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment, which involved hazardous materials, prolonged fires, and controlled burns. Attendees will hear firsthand lessons learned regarding crisis decision-making, coordination with emergency management agencies, communication with families and staff, and maintaining student and staff safety amid uncertainty. The session will focus on practical insights that can help school leaders strengthen preparedness, response protocols, and community trust during large-scale emergencies.
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
East Palestine Train Derailment: Challenges Faced and Lessons Learned
Chris Neifer - Boardman Local Schools
TUESDAY, JUNE 2
Kalahari Resort - Room TBD This session, led by the Ohio School Safety Center, helps establish life safety priorities, implement a unified command structure, and complete an event action plan using Incident Command System (ICS) forms and relevant annexes.
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Event Action Plans for Large Scale Events and After School Preparedness
Douglas Smith - Ohio School Safety Center
TUESDAY, JUNE 2
Kalahari Resort - Room TBD This session highlights how Malabar Care Connect, a fully integrated school-based health center within Mansfield City Schools, strengthens school safety by addressing the physical, mental, and social-emotional needs of students and families. Through medical care, counseling, community health workers, and strategic family engagement, the model removes barriers to learning and improves attendance and student well-being. Participants will gain insight into building sustainable partnerships that create safer, healthier school communities.
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Every Student, Every Day: Building Safety Through School-Based Health Care
Gabrielle Yeater - Mansfield City Schools
Kendra Leigh Connell - Third Street Family Health Services
Amanda Elliott - Third Street Family Health Services
Britny Queen - Third Street Family Health Services
Angela Pinkston - Third Street Family Health Services
TUESDAY, JUNE 2
Kalahari Resort - Room TBD This presentation discusses Ohio CARES, a behavioral threat assessment model designed specifically for Ohio schools and communities. This model focuses on early intervention, preventing targeted violence, reducing suspensions, and supporting student mental health through multidisciplinary teams.
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Ohio CARES: A Behavioral Threat Assessment Model
Dale Gooding - Ohio School Safety Center
TUESDAY, JUNE 2
Kalahari Resort - Room TBD Regardless of your occupation, we often put everything and everyone's needs ahead of our own. This course reminds us why we need to take care of ourselves in order to be able to care for others.
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Personal Wellness and Self-Care for Law Enforcement and School Personnel
Steven M. Click - Ohio DPS, First Responder Recruitment and Wellness
TUESDAY, JUNE 2
Kalahari Resort - Room TBD Interested in hearing safety initiatives directly from students? The Student Breakouts will spotlight capstone projects from members of the Ohio Student Safety Advisory Council. These sessions elevate authentic student voices, giving you a firsthand look at the initiatives they’ve designed and implemented in their own schools. Each session features four students from across Ohio as they present fresh, student‑driven solutions on topics like academic burnout, digital safety, mental health, peer‑led programs, and more! Don’t miss this chance to hear directly from students shaping the future of school safety—join a session and be inspired by the next generation of safety leaders!
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Student Breakouts
Student Safety Advisory Council
TUESDAY, JUNE 2
Kalahari Resort - Room TBD This presentation summarizes qualitative research examining the lived experiences of school transportation supervisors in Ohio public school districts. Findings highlight persistent themes of isolation, limited voice in decision-making, leadership trust, and burnout, and offer practical recommendations for superintendents and central office leaders to strengthen organizational support for this critical role.
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Supporting Transportation Supervisors: Lessons for District Leadership
Andreas Johansson - Newton Falls Exempted Village Schools
TUESDAY, JUNE 2
Kalahari Resort - Room TBD At Upshift with Chad, I help bridge the gap between silence and support, empowering people to recognize struggles and connect with empathy. As a seasoned public speaker, I deliver education, inspiration, and entertainment. Having faced my own challenges, I share powerful messages on mental health, focusing on depression and suicide. I aim to make every event memorable with motivating content. Get ready to be authentically inspired to upshift your view, attitude, and life!
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Your View, Your Attitude, Your Life
Chad Dunlap - Upshift with Chad
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3
Kilimanjaro Ballroom The Response Effect: How Our Decisions Create Safety, Stability, and Hope William "Guy" Burney In everyday moments and in times of crisis, pressure, and uncertainty, it is not the situation itself that determines the outcome, it is our response. This keynote challenges school safety professionals, administrators, and law enforcement leaders to examine how everyday interactions either make deposits or withdrawals in relationships, culture, and trust. Through powerful storytelling, practical frameworks, and conflict reducing strategies rooted in the five basic human needs, participants will leave equipped to turn high stress moments into opportunities that build safety, connection, and lasting hope.
8:00 AM – 9:30 AM
MORNING GENERAL SESSION
Emily Torok - Ohio School Safety Center
William Guy Burney - CIRV - Youngstown
Executive Director of CIRV Youngstown
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3
Kalahari Resort - Room TBD Generative AI (GAI) is transforming our digital world—bringing exciting possibilities but also new safety challenges for kids and teens. How should internet safety evolve for today’s youth and their families? At the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, we’re seeing complex cases involving youth-created content and AI-generated child imagery. This interactive workshop will spark critical conversations on updating prevention messaging using a developmental and trauma-informed lens. You’ll leave with fresh insights, practical strategies for engaging youth, and free, ready‑to‑use resources to empower your school or community in navigating this emerging landscape.
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
AI, Sextortion & Safety: Updating Internet Safety Messages to Counter the Latest Threats
Casey Jones - National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3
Kalahari Resort - Room TBD In November 2023, the Tuscarawas Valley Local School District's high school band was involved in a fatal, multi-vehicle collision while on a trip to perform in Columbus at the Ohio School Boards Association Conference. Six people died in the crash, including three students on the bus and three adults; 18 others were injured. This presentation will provide an overview of how the district responded to the tragedy, lessons learned, and will provide participants with the district's crisis response guide that was created from this tragic event.
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Crisis Response Planning: Providing Support & Structure While Moving Through Grief
Derek Varansky, PhD - Tuscarawas Valley Local Schools
Jason Phillips - Tuscarawas Valley Local Schools
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3
Kalahari Resort - Room TBD This presentation will provide audience members with the latest intelligence and data regarding drugs that are being used by or are available to youth. The presentation will examine other relevant issues within the Ohio drug landscape such as the intersection of digital media and drug trafficking, the gray market, and factors that may increase the risk that youth may engage in substance use.
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Drug Trends Affecting Ohio's Youth
Alex Van Dyke - Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center (ONIC)
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3
Kalahari Resort - Room TBD This session, led by the Ohio School Safety Center, helps establish life safety priorities, implement a unified command structure, and complete an event action plan using Incident Command System (ICS) forms and relevant annexes.
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Event Action Plans for Large Scale Events and After School Preparedness
Douglas Smith - Ohio School Safety Center
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3
Kalahari Resort - Room TBD Moving beyond simple compliance, this interactive session provides school leaders with a practical framework for designing tabletop exercises that truly prepare staff for real-world emergency decision-making. The presentation bridges the gap between technical response principles and daily school operations. Participants will engage in a live activity and leave with actionable tools to facilitate engaging, Ohio-specific scenarios that translate into measurable safety enhancements for their buildings.
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
From Paper to Practice: Conducting Meaningful School Safety Tabletop Exercises
Robin Magyar - Polaris Career Center
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3
Kalahari Resort - Room TBD This presentation will discuss the importance of recognizing key signs of radicalization in schools and present resources that PERIL has developed addressing kids aged Kindergarten through College. The Prevent, Address, and Learn (PAL) Framework is a useful tool to help educators, school administration, safety officers, and other school partners think about how to support students in learning how to identify and avoid harmful online content and think through processes and resources that can help identify potentially concerning behaviors and prevent school violence.
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Preventing, Addressing, and Learning: A Framework for Identifying and Avoiding Harmful Content and Prevent Violence
Christine German, PhD - Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL) at American University
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3
Kalahari Resort - Room TBD Interested in hearing safety initiatives directly from students? The Student Breakouts will spotlight capstone projects from members of the Ohio Student Safety Advisory Council. These sessions elevate authentic student voices, giving you a firsthand look at the initiatives they’ve designed and implemented in their own schools. Each session features four students from across Ohio as they present fresh, student‑driven solutions on topics like academic burnout, digital safety, mental health, peer‑led programs, and more! Don’t miss this chance to hear directly from students shaping the future of school safety—join a session and be inspired by the next generation of safety leaders!
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Student Breakouts
Student Safety Advisory Council
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3
Kalahari Resort - Room TBD This presentation focuses on the importance of building strong relationships within and outside of your school building. Principals are tasked with many aspects of leadership; incorporating practices that are collaborative, focused on safety, understanding the importance of being trauma-informed are critical pieces of this process. Advocating at multiple levels as a school leader should no longer be an optional practice, it is a growing responsibility.
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Takeaways from Tragedy: Applications for Leadership Before, During, and After School Violence
Greg Johnson - NASSP Principal Recovery Network (PRN)
Andy Fetchik - NASSP Principal Recovery Network (PRN)
Andy McGill - NASSP Principal Recovery Network (PRN)
Michael Sedlak - NASSP Principal Recovery Network (PRN)
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3
Kalahari Resort - Room TBD This presentation will outline the global threat environment and highlight the unique traits of youth radicalization efforts by foreign terrorist organizations. The presentation will then transition to outlining behavioral indicators of radicalization and mobilization to violence to help assist educators to identify individuals in need to engagement, off ramping, and mitigation efforts.
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Youth Radicalization and Mobilization Indicators Briefing: Putting the 'Something' in See Something, Say Something
Mitchell Silva-Dennis - National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC)
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3
Kilimanjaro BR & Foyer Enjoy another delectable, provided lunch. Visit our exhibit area to connect with supporters. Interact with our MILO Virtual Simulator, which offers dynamic scenarios, graphics‑based firearms drills, and advanced tactical features.
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Lunch, Exhibit Break & Situational Awareness Simulator Experience
Emily Torok - Ohio School Safety Center
Alan Beadle - Ohio School Safety Center