What K-12 School Administrators Need to Know About Security

Michael Niola
Principal and Co-founder
The Consulting Group

Michael Niola, PSP, CPTED, is the Principal and Co-founder of Consulting Group LLC, a security consulting and engineering firm specializing in delivering comprehensive solutions for the built environment. From data centers to healthcare campuses, he seeks to provide value directly within the fast-moving markets experiencing technological revolutions that impact how buildings are planned, designed, built, and operated.  

As an ASIS Physical Security Professional (PSP) and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) practitioner, Michael believes that good design begins with understanding the operational goals and that resilient environments are shaped early in the design process.

He regularly speaks at industry conferences, contributes to standards committees, and mentors emerging professionals. He is passionate about translating fast-moving technology trends—like AI and mobile—into real, human-centered use cases while increasing our appreciation for architecture to ensure that tech and the built environment seamlessly co-exist.

Guy Grace
Chair, Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS), National K-12 Director
ASSA ABLOY

Guy Grace is currently serving as the chair for the Advisory Council for Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) and has served as the director of Security and Emergency Planning for Littleton Public Schools in Denver, Colorado, for more than 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, American Red Cross, Security Industry Association (SIA), and NSCA.   

Guy 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.

Andy Phelps CRL, CAI
National Training Manager
NAPCO

Andy has a background in law enforcement with 11 years as a patrol officer and shift commander. He also worked as a security professional specializing in locking hardware and access control with more than 24 years of experience before being hired in September 2014 as the National Training Manager for Alarm Lock, a division of NAPCO Security Technologies. He completed the Associated Locksmiths of America instructor training and earned the designation of CAI. In September 2018, he was given the title of NAPCO Security Technologies School Sales Support Specialist were he assists schools from around the country assess their security.

Jill Lemond
Vice President of Education
Evolv Technologies

Jill Lemond is Evolv Technology’s VP of Education. She has more than 15 years of experience in education, serving the past twelve years at Oxford Community Schools in Oxford, Michigan. Previous positions include ESL and International Programs Coordinator, Director of International Operations, and Assistant Superintendent of Safety & School Operations. Jill has extensive school safety training and certifications and holds a Bachelor of Arts in English/Language Arts Teacher Education and TESOL from Michigan State University, as well as an MBA from Capella University.