Join us online to celebrate our incredible volunteers and achievements from the past year. We’ll discuss our growth, milestones, and financial stability from 2024 and reflect on our collective successes. This discussion will offer a glimpse into our strategic plans and future projects designed to boost engagement and benefit our community. We value transparency and open communication as essential components of our success, and we look forward to keeping everyone informed.
We also have a few big announcements we cannot wait to share, including a preview of Version 7 of the PASS Safety & Security Guidelines. Some of the updates include:
Jim Crumbley
President & CEO of Risk Response Team, Inc
Jim Crumbley is the president and CEO of Risk Response Team, Inc. (RRT), an Atlanta-based risk mitigation and security systems integration firm and a Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) partner. Crumbley has over 30 years of experience providing risk consultation, crisis management, project management, and investigative services to the public and private sectors in the United States, Europe, Middle East, and South America.
Crumbley’s firm is a crucial liaison between public safety, corporate security, and the IT department, ensuring seamless support for security technology systems. Over the past two decades, Crumbley has primarily focused on supporting the healthcare and education sectors and currently serves on the PASS Advisory Council as the Technical Committee co-chair.
Michael Garcia
National End User Manager of HID Global
Michael Garcia is the national end user manager of HID Global’s K-12 Safe Schools and an Advisory Council member of the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS). Since 2005, Garcia has assisted K-12 districts nationwide in setting up Unified Physical Security Command Centers, school district hardening initiatives, and district-wide mobile credentials for law enforcement and Emergency Medical Services during lockdown situations. In 2003, he also helped develop automated cybersecurity vulnerability testing and a district-wide risk management framework for schools.
Last year, Garcia was named one of the Most Influential People in the Security Industry by Security magazine. He’s also received the Security Technology Executive magazine’s Security Industry Innovator Award for combining behavioral intervention, school hardening, emergency response, and cybersecurity practices for K-12 schools. Garcia currently serves on the Institute for Rural Mental Health Initiatives (IRMHI) board at Texas A&M University, focusing on prevention programs and community support in times of tragedy.
Guy Grace
K-12 National Security Program Manager of ASSA ABLOY
Guy Grace served as the director of Security and Emergency Planning for Littleton Public Schools in Denver, Colorado, for over 30 years. His outstanding contributions earned him the 2020 Campus Safety Director of the Year award, and he has received numerous other national and security industry accolades, including from the Association of School Business Officials International, Security Technology Executive magazine, Security magazine, American Red Cross, Security Industry Association (SIA), and NSCA.
Guy Grace currently serves as the K-12 National Security Program Manager for ASSA ABLOY. Grace is a regular speaker at school safety conferences and a commentator for various trade magazines and media outlets. He possesses hands-on experience in school safety technology and processes and emergency response, providing valuable insights on deploying life safety technology in K-12 schools. He also serves in various advisory roles, including chairing the Advisory Council for Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS).
Will Knehr
Senior Manager of Information Security And Data Privacy of i-PRO
Will Knehr is the senior manager of information security and data privacy at i-PRO Americas Inc.
He is responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive cyber defense program for i-PRO and determining applicable laws and standards and industry best practices for the company’s information security controls, cybersecurity, data privacy, and cloud services at the federal, state, and municipal levels, as well as within the private sector. Will also consults on i-PRO’s product development to ensure all products and solutions meet market security demands.
He began his career in information operations as a cryptologic warfare officer (CWO) for the U.S. Navy in 2004. As a CWO, Will conducted cyber defense missions for the National Security Agency (NSA), Cyber Mission Force, Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, and Defense Information Security Agency (DISA), where he helped to defend, accredit, certify, and provide digital forensics and incident response on the nation’s most sensitive and secure networks.
Will also worked for the aerospace and defense technology company Northrop Grumman, supporting special projects for the NSA and DISA, building virtualized environments for malware analysis, and managing their cybersecurity program and data brokering.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in information technology and security concentration, a Master of Science in information assurance and cybersecurity, and a Master of Business Administration in IT management, along with several industry-leading certifications, including Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Security Industry CyberSecurity Certification (SICC), and many more.
Scott Lord
Solutions Consultant of ECC
Scott Lord has been in the life safety industry for over 25 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in fire science and is a certified ALICE trainer, NICET Fire Alarm II certified, and a technical committee member for NFPA 730/731. Lord is currently a solutions consultant for Electronic Contracting Company (ECC) and a founding member of Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS), where he serves on the Advisory Council as Co-Chair of the Technical Committee. He’s dedicated his life to utilizing his expertise to keep people safe.
Rami Michael
President & CEO of CareHawk
Rami Michael is the President & CEO at CareHawk, where he leads the company in developing innovative life safety communication systems designed for various sectors, including education, healthcare, corrections, and commercial facilities. Prior to this, Rami held executive roles in fast-growth organizations in the communications and AI space. With a career rooted in technological entrepreneurship, Rami also has an engineering degree and an Executive MBA, which provide him with a strong foundation in both technical and business disciplines. With a proven track record in leadership and strategic vision, Rami takes great pride in inspiring teams and motivating purpose-driven results.
