Amanda Williams is the CCTV Deputy Program Manager for the MView Program where she specializes in stakeholder training, leadership and development and overall program management. She is passionate about relationship management, governance, and the overall mission of the MView Program.

Brad Engel is the School Engagement Specialist in the Division of Student Support and Federal Programs at the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) where he has worked since 2019. Prior to serving in his current role at MSDE, Mr. Engel enjoyed a 30-year career with the Queen Anne's County Public Schools where he held several positions including classroom teacher, school administrator and district level supervisor.

 With Mr. Engel's extensive background in school leadership, he is able to use this knowledge to support district leaders in their efforts with bullying prevention, student engagement, school climate and student discipline.

Mr. Engel is a graduate of the University of Maryland Baltimore County and holds a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University. Mr. Engel was honored as the Kent Island High School Teacher of the Year in 1999, the Queen Anne's County Public Schools Teacher of the Year in 2004 and was named by former Maryland State Superintendent Nancy Grasmick as the Maryland State Teacher of the Year in 2005.

Carly Pick, PT, DPT is the Manager of the Center for Injury Prevention and Policy at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, MD.   She oversees the Injury Prevention Program and Violence Prevention Programs for Shock Trauma.   She brings over 12 years of bedside acute care experience as a physical therapist at University of Maryland Medical Center.   In her current role she oversees the Hospital Violence Intervention Program where she has taken on an active role in helping to strengthen the greater Baltimore City hospital community violence ecosystem.   She also has oversight of our teen injury prevention programs, community falls prevention program, and Trauma Survivors Network.  She leads a team that is dedicated to preventing injuries across the state of Maryland and educating the community on the life-saving work that the Shock Trauma Center provides.  In addition to these programs,  Carly also has oversight of the statewide STOP THE BLEED® program, assisting in educating the public, equipping communities and schools, and integrating into high school curriculums.  

Deanna Thomas is a Community Health Specialist for the STOP THE BLEED® Program in the Center for Injury Prevention and Policy at UM R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center since February 2025. Prior to her current role, Deanna has spent 17 years in Shock Trauma in various roles realizing her passion for teaching others and educating the public to avoid life threatening injuries. She started her community outreach in 2008 as a volunteer in the Trauma Resuscitation Unit (TRU). She then became a Trauma Analyst in 2010; subsequently, transferring to the Critical Care Resuscitation Unit in 2013 as a Lead Secretary. Ultimately, Deanna returned to the TRU in 2018 as the Lead Secretary prior to joining the STOP THE BLEED® team.

Dr. Scott Poland is a Professor at the College of Psychology and the Director of the Suicide and Violence Prevention Office for NSU Florida in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

 The presenter, a licensed psychologist and is an internationally recognized expert on school safety, youth suicide, and school crisis prevention/intervention. He has authored or co-authored seven books and many chapters and articles on these subjects.

 He previously directed psychological services for Cypress-Fairbanks ISD in Texas for 24 years and is dedicated to prevention and has testified about the mental health needs of children before the U.S. Congress on four occasions. He has developed statewide suicide prevention toolkits for Texas, Montana, Maryland and Florida and is currently working on one for New Jersey. He was a founding member of the National Emergency Assistance Team and has personally assisted school communities after many tragedies including school shootings, acts of terrorism, natural disasters and youth suicide point clusters. He has received many awards including being named the most outstanding psychologist in Texas. Dr. Poland also has received the Houston Wage Peace Award, the NASP Crisis Award, Parkland Helping the Community Heal Award and the APA Division 16 Distinguished Career Award.

Indu Radhakrishnan (she/her/hers) is the Suicide Prevention Policy Analyst for the Maryland Department of Health’s Office of Suicide Prevention. Within her role, Indu manages a variety of policy and data projects, including leading data management and analysis for Maryland’s Suicide Fatality Review Team. She previously served as a Mental Health First Aid Program Coordinator for the Mental Health Association of Maryland, administering a diverse statewide grant portfolio. Throughout her career, Indu has supported public health academic research initiatives, mental health non-profits, and state and local government program implementation in Maryland. Indu has a deep passion for suicide prevention through approaches that are innovative, community-driven, and results-based.

Mr. Julian Albizo serves as a Program Specialist for the School Safety Task Force at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The School Safety Task Force was established to support the Federal government's efforts in strengthening the safety and security of kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) schools across the country.  In this role, Mr. Albizo enhances the safety and security of the K-12 school community across the country by providing program management support to help facilitate resource development, stakeholder engagement, and federal coordination as it pertains to disseminating school safety guidance to our nation’s schools. In addition, Mr. Albizo has supported the development of SchoolSafety.gov, including the foundational data collection and analysis process during the launch and executing stakeholder engagement efforts to garner community feedback and support ahead of the development of SchoolSafety.gov. He also assisted in the creation and coordination of the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse.  

Justin Graves, MS, MBA, RN
Justin Graves is the Director of Trauma Programs at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, University of Maryland Medical Center. With 20 years of experience in clinical trauma care and program leadership, he oversees a comprehensive portfolio of trauma initiatives, including trauma quality and performance improvement, injury and violence prevention, training and simulation, and military training partnerships . A former critical care nurse and experienced healthcare leader, Justin brings a mission-driven approach to trauma system development, quality improvement, and public health collaboration.

Ms. Megan Floyd serves as a Program Analyst for the School Safety Task Force at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The School Safety Task Force was established to support the Federal government's efforts in strengthening the safety and security of kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) schools across the country.  In this role, Ms. Floyd contributes to the advancement of the School Safety Task Force mission by: supporting the activities of the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse and helping manage the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse External Advisory Board.

Ms. Floyd holds a Master of Arts in History, a Bachelor’s of Science in Secondary Social Studies Education, and a Certified Scrum Master (CSM) certification.

Mike Comegys is the Stakeholder Relationship Manager of the MView program, working with the program since 2020. He has over 12 years of CCTV and video software support experience. He manages the outreach and partnerships of the MView program as well as an SME for video support. 

Phil Blaylock is a full time School Resource Officer with Morrilton Police Department and retired FireFighter with the Morrilton Fire Department.  He is the owner of Sentinel Educational Safety and Security Consulting LLC. As a school safety expert, he instructs for the Criminal Justice Institute on topics such as school safety, communications, and active shooter classes.  He has also instructed on a national level in different states.  As a board member of the Arkansas Safe Schools Association, National School Safety Advocacy Council and the International School Resource Officer Association, his commitment to school safety and community policing is top priority.  Social media is a major platform he uses, in building relationships and “highlighting young and old citizens” of the community. Phil Blaylock has been featured on The Ellen Show, NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt and many other numerous national and statewide news stations, in regards to his viral videos and debriefs after mass shootings.  In previous years he has been awarded the Law Enforcement of the Year for Conway County by the 100 Proof Board, the Conway County Law Enforcement of the Year by the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office, and the National School Resource Officer of the Year by the National School Safety Advocacy Council. This past summer, he was the recipient of the National School Safety Award given by the SSAC. As an instructor in responses to an active killer, he presents on the proper response a civilian would take, as well as workforce violence to corporate America.

Rachel Cockerham, NREMT, is a Community Health Specialist for R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, coordinating and teaching STOP THE BLEED® Classes throughout Maryland. Our mission is to get every Marylander taught in the techniques of pressure, packing, and tourniquet use to stop life threatening bleeding and save lives.

Rachel has been an EMS LT at Level Volunteer Fire Company since 2011 and has been a career EMT at Aberdeen Fire Department for 8 years. She has a bachelor’s degree in Geography and an associate’s degree in emergency medical technology for Paramedic at CCBC.  On top of these degrees, she carries multiple classes through the University of MD Fire and Rescue Institute in EMS, Fire and Instructor. 

Ryan Defibaugh is a dedicated mental health professional and educational leader with a career spanning across school counseling, community mental health, college athletics and higher education. Currently serving as the Coordinator of School Counseling for Frederick County Public Schools, Ryan oversees more than 200 school counselors, shaping programs that support student wellbeing and post-secondary readiness. Ryan is also the founder of MBS Performance Counseling, LLC, a private practice where he blends his counseling expertise with his background in athletics to support adolescents and young adults in mental performance and emotional resilience. His unique approach integrates behavioral assessments, team dynamics, cognitive behavior therapy and positive psychology; reaching athletes through individual counseling, workshops, online courses, and his authored workbook, Perform with Purpose.

Prior to his current roles, Ryan served as an adjunct professor at McDaniel College in their Clinical Counseling program as well as a collegiate soccer coach at Penn State University, Mount St. Mary’s University and McDaniel College.

Thasia Palmieri, PT, DPT, is the Supervisor of the STOP THE BLEED® program at UM R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, MD. With 17 years of clinical experience as a physical therapist, she has worked across acute care, home care, and community-based settings, gaining a well-rounded understanding of patient needs and education in diverse environments. Thasia earned her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Ithaca College in 2007, where her passion for clinical excellence and community education first took root.

A dedicated educator, Thasia is committed to empowering patients, families, colleagues, and the broader community with life-saving knowledge. In her current role, she leads efforts to train every Marylander in STOP THE BLEED®, aligning her professional expertise with her deep passion for teaching. Her work bridges the gap between healthcare and public outreach, reflecting her lifelong dedication to improving lives through both compassionate care and impactful education.

On November 19, 2022, Tamia and Timothy Woods lost their only child. James Timothy  Woods was an innocent 17-year-old high school student that fell victim to cybercrime and lost his life in the process. In a short period of time since James’ passing, The Woods started a foundation in his name with the focus of informing and teaching anyone who would listen about this relatively new evil that is attacking our youth today. Year to date, they have already engaged in over 140 activities to help spread awareness on sextortion inclusive of, three documentaries with one on HULU, multiple news interviews including CBS  Evening News, Dr. Phil Primetime, and ABC News Nightline, was front page on USA Today, had speaking engagements in different avenues in addition to middle schools, high schools, and other special events. The Do It for James Foundation sought to create a  Sextortion Tip Card to help children and trustworthy adults navigate through tough times if they are ever in the same or similar predicament as James. They have also sponsored track and cross-country students in Ohio and Tennessee and had their first annual walk/run day of fun with the ability to give away over $12,750 in scholarships. Timothy and Tamia of the Do It for James Foundation have received five awards and recognitions since the birth of their foundation in honor of their son James, made up of the Cleveland  Cavaliers Community Diff Maker, an award from the Mac Athletic Conference, The  Destination HBCU Honorary Drum Majors of Education, the Making A Difference Award presented by the town of Stow, Massachusetts, and the Director’s Community Leadership  Award presented by the FBI. Their goal is to have a place that can provide betterment for our youth, and it starts with awareness, education, and the Do It for James Foundation.

Mrs. Wesley LeCounte is a Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical (LCSW-C) specializing in leadership, child welfare, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Currently, she serves as the Day Treatment Coordinator at RICA Baltimore, where she provides supervision to school social workers and therapy to students managing mental and behavioral challenges. Mrs. LeCounte is dedicated to upholding the NASW Code of Ethics and COMAR regulations while advocating for and supporting vulnerable children, families, and communities.

As a Baltimore City native, Mrs. LeCounte has a deep understanding of the trauma that many residents of the city experience. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Bowie State University (2013), graduating with honors, and a Master’s in Social Work from Morgan State University (2015). She is also a proud member of The National Society of Leadership and Success and Psi Chi, The International Honor Society in Psychology.

Mrs. LeCounte’s extensive background in child welfare includes experience in Out of Home Placement, Family Preservation, and Child Protective Services. She has provided intensive case management services to children and adults dealing with mental health and substance use disorders. Previously, Mrs. LeCounte served as Clinical Director at Change Health Systems, where she played a pivotal role in implementing the organization’s mission, vision, and values. Additionally, she served as a clinical child protective services supervisor at DHS, leading her team to maintain zero overdue cases for over a year.

Mrs. LeCounte is a passionate leader who focuses on finding solutions, not just identifying problems. She utilizes creative therapeutic interventions to help children, adolescents, and families address and reduce problematic behaviors, emotional challenges, and relational issues. Her approach to therapy is holistic, focusing on the whole person—physically, mentally, and emotionally—while considering the broader social factors that influence their well-being.

Dr. Kristin Barron has been with the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center since 2015, following her graduation from the University of MD with her Doctorate in Physical Therapy. She developed a passion for supporting individuals with critical illnesses and traumatic injuries through her extensive experience working as a physical therapist on the hospital’s critical care units, including the neurotrauma ICU and the multi-trauma ICU. In late 2023, after nearly a decade of bedside care and leadership, Kristin transitioned into her current role as the supervisor for the Shock Trauma Injury Prevention Program. Guided by the three main reasons for admission to Shock Trauma (which are motor vehicle crashes, falls, and violence), Kristin leads and coordinates trauma prevention outreach programs throughout the state, including those aimed at addressing distracted driving, impaired driving, teen risky behavior, falls, head injuries, spinal cord injuries, and bleeding-related mortality. Additionally, Kristin oversees the Trauma Survivors Network Coordinator for Shock Trauma, where she thrives on creating opportunities that connect the worlds of trauma prevention and trauma survivorship. 

Ian Lopez has served as Director of Safety & Security for Cherry Creek School District (CCSD) since 2019, overseeing physical security, emergency preparedness, safety investigations, and staff training across 80 schools and facilities serving over 55,000 students. He leads a team of 10 armed Security Coordinators, 125 unarmed Security Specialists, and 12 dispatchers operating a 24-hour dispatch center. Prior to joining CCSD, Ian completed a 20-year career in municipal law enforcement, retiring as a Commander. He brings extensive expertise in emergency response from both school and public safety perspectives.

Jason Stoddard is the Director of School Safety and Security for the Charles County Public Schools (MD). He is responsible for sustaining a safe learning and work environment for over 27,000 students and nearly 4,000 staff members. Since coming to the public schools in April of 2018, he has created the Office of School Safety and Security, been awarded millions of dollars in grant money, implemented major evolutions such as revolving backgrounds for all employees, options-based active shooter response, the “I love u guys” Foundation Standard Response Protocols, a state of art radio communication system with public safety interoperability, first its kind intelligence unit, drone program and most recently launched a project to install Gun Detect, an artificial intelligence driven solution for surveillance cameras in all the system schools. Originally from a small town in Iowa, Mr. Stoddard came to the Washington, DC area while serving as a Security Police Officer in the United States Air Force. After completing his service obligation, he embarked on a career in civilian law enforcement. He spent over 20 years with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office rising to the rank of Lieutenant. His executive command assignments include tours within the Patrol Division, Special Operations Section (overseeing the SWAT team, K-9, Marine, Traffic, and Civil Disturbance), and Homeland Security and Intelligence Sections.  He has a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership. He is a graduate of the Northwestern University, School of Police Staff and Command, and the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Program. Mr. Stoddard also serves as an adjunct professor at three universities, teaches executive-level leadership for the Maryland Police Training Commission, has authored several articles for magazines on topics ranging from school safety to organizational leadership, serves as a consultant for the Department of Justice and National Institutes of Justice, sits on several advisory boards, and has often traveled the country teaching active assailant response, leadership, data/evidence-based decision making, and crisis communications, and incident management. 

Kimberly Muniz is a passionate educational leader and mental/behavioral health advocate with over two decades of experience in school psychology and student services.  She currently serves as the Supervisor of Mental Health and Psychological Services for Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS).  Kimberly leads 40 School Psychologists, working closely with the Coordinator of Psychological Services, ensuring appropriate support for all students.  Additionally, she participates on the Threat Assessment and Management Oversight Team (TAMOT), collaborates with staff regarding a variety of issues including appropriate social/emotional and behavioral supports, and provides consultation for administrators regarding preK to second grade suspensions.  Kimberly also collaborates with school-based staff and community partners to provide support and interventions for students experiencing anxiety-based school avoidance.  Kimberly strives to bring a thoughtful, data-informed approach to leadership and student support systems. 

Prior to joining FCPS, Kimberly served as a Supervisor of Student Services for Carroll County Public Schools from 2013-2022.  She began her career as a school psychologist, providing direct and indirect services to students, staff, and families for nine years.  She earned her BA in Psychology and Deaf Studies from Towson University in 2001 followed by an MA and Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) from Towson University’s School Psychology Program in 2004.  She is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist and earned Administrative I Certification from McDaniel College in 2010.

Lauren Holmes is an experienced education leader and the Executive Director of the Division of Student Support and Federal Programs at the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). In this role, she oversees statewide initiatives that promote equitable access, student well-being, and improved academic outcomes, while driving cross-office collaboration and strategic alignment. 

A proud graduate of Howard University, Lauren brings extensive experience in navigating education policy, systems-level strategy, and multi-agency coordination. She previously served at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education, where she led national initiatives focused on teaching, learning, and assessment. In that role, she partnered with school districts and state education departments across the country to design and implement strategic plans, facilitate professional learning, and guide continuous improvement efforts.

Lauren is a passionate advocate for equity and anti-bias education, committed to fostering inclusive learning environments where all students can thrive. Her expertise includes leveraging data for actionable insights and creating professional learning structures that translate research into sustainable practice. 

With prior roles as a classroom teacher, math content coach, and staff development leader in both the District of Columbia and Montgomery County Public Schools, Lauren brings a practical, student-centered perspective to every facet of her work. She is recognized for her ability to connect vision to impact and empower educators to lead meaningful change.

Matt Tripp is the CCTV Senior Program Manager of the MView program, working with the program since 2015. He has over 10 years of CCTV and video software support experience. He manages the day-to-day operations as well as the overall big picture of the MView program while working with both private and public partners about video interoperability.

Nancy Schertzing, MS, directs the Restorative Approaches in Education Program at the Center for Dispute Resolution at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law (CDRUM). She has a passion for restorative approaches nurtured over nearly two decades of working in this field. 

Ms. Schertzing brings a wealth of practical experience to C-DRUM, including: 

• Directing restorative discipline projects at schools from K-12 through the university levels 

• Training thousands of educators in restorative approaches  

• Advising the Michigan and Maryland State Departments of Education in integrating restorative approaches into policies and practices. 

In her role at C-DRUM, Schertzing has expanded and built on her experience. Now she:

• Directs, develops, and implements C-DRUM’s initiatives, trainings, and grant-funded projects regarding restorative justice and conflict resolution education in schools and youthserving organizations.   

• Designs and conducts trainings, provides consulting services, develops resources, and works with other programs to support school leaders and educators in building their capacity to integrate restorative approaches into discipline, conflict resolution, peer mediation, and relationship-building in their learning communities.   

• Collaborates with law school faculty to train and assist in supervising law students to use restorative approaches and other conflict resolution models in schools.   

• Coordinates with the Director of the Erin Levitas Initiative to Prevent Sexual Assault to support the delivery of the ERIN Talk Levitas curriculum in middle schools.  

• Advocates for restorative approaches in education on the state and national levels and supports local initiatives when appropriate.  

• Instructs undergraduate students in restorative justice and its applications at the University of Maryland College Park campus. 

Nancy’s passion drives her to help schools and organizations embrace the restorative philosophy and practices. She would love to help your group harness restorative approaches’ healing power for the people you serve. 

A native Houstonian, Michelle Piña spends time volunteering for different passions. She currently is a State Leader and YSC TourdePink fundraiser for the Young Survival Coalition, the only national organization that supports young breast cancer survivors diagnosed under the age of 40. Previously, Michelle sat on the Houston Medical Advisory Adjunct Committee with Susan G. Komen for Greater Houston (2019-2021). As a 19-year, triple negative breast cancer survivor, Michelle enjoys connecting people and organizations to ensure everyone has what they need to reach success - whatever that may look like; both in work and in life.

Max Schachter is a national school safety advocate and founder of Safe Schools for Alex, a nonprofit created in honor of his son Alex, who was tragically killed in the 2018 Parkland school shooting. Since that day, Max has dedicated his life to ensuring no other family experiences the same loss. His organization provides up-to-date school safety best practices and resources to students, parents, educators, and law enforcement.

Max has worked tirelessly with U.S. Presidents, Congress, and federal agencies to enact meaningful change. He played a key role in establishing the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse at SchoolSafety.gov, a vision realized in 2019 and later made permanent under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in 2022.

Appointed to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, Max helped lead the investigation into the shooting and develop safety recommendations for Florida’s 2.4 million students. He also advises the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, and state officials on threat assessment policies.

Max is a member of the National Sheriffs’ Association School Safety and Security Committee and the International Association of Chiefs of Police Mass Violence Advisory Team. In 2019, he received the U.S. Department of Justice Attorney General Citizen Volunteer Service Award.

A frequent national media voice, Max delivers powerful keynote presentations to school districts, law enforcement, and government agencies, sharing lessons learned from Parkland and his journey from grief to advocacy.