University Department of Public Safety

Gov. Spencer J. Cox is a husband, father, farmer, recovering attorney, and Utah’s 18th governor. He’s also currently serving as 2023-2024 chairman of the National Governors Association. Gov. Cox has a long track record of public service, serving as a city council member, mayor, county commissioner and state legislator before being appointed as Utah’s lieutenant governor in 2013. He was sworn in as governor on Jan. 4, 2021. During his first term in office, Gov. Cox has cut $1.1 billion in taxes, implemented landmark changes in water law, water conservation and infrastructure planning, locked in record funding for education and teachers, enacted universal school choice, and secured funds for affordable housing. A long-time advocate for suicide prevention and mental health resources, he’s become a national voice on protecting youth from the harms of social media. He also signed early education and workforce program funding, launched the One Utah Health Collaborative, and expanded opportunities for women, diverse communities and those living in rural parts of the state.

With a focus on solutions, Gov. Cox promotes respect in politics and innovation in government, works across party lines to find common ground, and regularly participates in hands-on service projects. These elements are the foundation of his NGA Chair’s Initiative, “Disagree Better: Healthy Conflict for Better Policy.”

A sixth-generation Utahn, Gov. Cox was born and raised in Fairview, a town of 1,200 in the center of the state. He met First Lady Abby Palmer Cox at age 16 and they married after he returned from serving a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico. He attended Snow College, Utah State University, and the Washington and Lee University School of Law, then clerked for U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart and worked at a Salt Lake City law firm. Several years later, Gov. Cox and First Lady Cox moved back to Fairview to raise their four children – Gavin, Kaleb, Adam, and Emma Kate – on the family farm. The governor, first lady and Emma Kate currently reside in the Kearns Mansion, also known as the Governor’s Mansion, in Salt Lake City.

As Chief Safety Officer of the University of Utah, Keith Squires is responsible for the oversight and coordination of all campus safety initiatives, as well as supervising the university's public safety divisions. He served in Governor Gary Herbert’s cabinet as the Utah Commissioner of Public Safety, retiring in September 2018 after 31 years of service as a law enforcement officer. He served as the homeland security advisor for Governors Huntsman and Herbert. Keith has served the state in many other capacities, including as director of the State Bureau of Investigation, assistant superintendent of the Utah Highway Patrol, and director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. Keith served as a state and local law enforcement advisor to U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. He holds a master’s degree in homeland defense and security from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and a bachelor’s degree in administration of criminal justice. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and FBI National Executive Institute.

Max Schachter is a national school safety advocate. His son Alex is one of the 17 victims murdered in the Parkland school shooting on Valentine’s Day 2018. Max is the founder and executive director of Safe Schools for Alex 501(c)(3). Their mission is to provide most current school safety best practices and resources to students, parents, school districts and law enforcement so that all children can learn in a safe environment.

Since the heartbreaking day that changed Max’s life forever, he has been advocating for policy change at the highest levels of the United States government. He has worked alongside members of congress, leaders of all major federal agencies, and Presidents of the United States to make schools safer. Max has testified as a subject matter expert before the United States House and Senate and multiple state legislatures. In August 2018 he advocated for the creation of a federal agency to house national school safety best practices. In June 2019, Max’s vision became a reality when President Trump created the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse at SchoolSafety.gov. In July 2022 Max attended the White House ceremony where President Biden announced the most significant gun safety legislation in 27 years, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which made SchoolSafety.gov permanent and law.

Max has also worked to improve the safety and security of Florida’s 2.4 million students through his appointment to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas (MSD) High School Public Safety Commission. The MSD commission, established by former Governor Rick Scott, was tasked with leading the statewide investigation into the Parkland school shooting and developing recommendations to protect Florida’s children.

Max has advised the Federal Bureau of Investigation Behavioral Threat Assessment Center, the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center, and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office on threat assessment policies and procedures. He is a member of the National Sheriffs’ Association School Safety and Security Committee and the International Association of Chiefs of Police Mass Violence Peer-to-Peer Advisory Team. In June 2019, Max was awarded the U.S. Department of Justice Attorney General Citizen Volunteer Service Award by Attorney General William Barr.

Max has been interviewed by many local and national media outlets including CNN, MSNBC, Fox, ABC, NBC, CBS, and Dr. Phil. He has given keynote presentations to many school districts, law enforcement organizations, and local, state, and federal agencies detailing the lessons learned and best practices developed in the aftermath of the Parkland school shooting along with his journey from anguish to advocacy.

Todd M. Justesen serves as the inaugural Associate Director of Clery Programs & Compliance at the University of Utah in the Department of Public Safety. He obtained both his Masters of Education and Masters of Legal Studies at the University of Utah and his Masters of Business Administration at Saint Leo University. In his first year as the Associate Director of Clery Programs & Compliance, he led the Clery Act program to receive the 2023 National Association of Clery Compliance Officers and Professionals (NACCOP) Most Improved Clery Program. His career in education has spanned three states and two decades as he continues to embrace new challenges, his most recent accomplishment is becoming a Certified Clery Compliance Officer. He values the consumer protection that compliance offers by the disclosure of decision- making data. When not a work, you will find him on the lake with his family where they run a fishing charter company in the state of Utah.

Dr. Annie Isabel Fukushima is the associate dean of Undergraduate Studies overseeing campus-wide efforts on undergraduate research across the 18 colleges and an associate professor Ethnic Studies at the University of Utah. Prior to joining the University of Utah, Dr. Fukushima was a Mellon post-doctoral fellow at Rutgers University and earned her doctoral degree from University of California, Berkeley. She is the author of the award-winning book, Migrant Crossings: Witnessing Human Trafficking in the US (Stanford University Press, 2019). She serves as the project lead and Co-PI for the Gender-Based Violence Consortium.

Mr. Mark Camillo is a well-known and respected subject matter expert in critical infrastructure protection and emergency preparedness, with several consulting clients in the commercial facilities sector associated with sporting events, public venues, and outdoor entertainment events.

Mr. Camillo began his career in law enforcement as a Special Agent in the U.S. Secret Service where he completed a distinguished 21-year career that included three separate assignments at the White House. Specialized assignments at the White House required protecting four U.S. Presidents and family members in various capacities and ultimately being head of the White House Security Branch, which encompassed the supervision of daily security, emergency preparedness and all- hazards operations at the White House Complex.

Following his final White House tour of duty, Mr. Camillo continued his advancement in the Secret Service being appointed to the position of Deputy Assistant Director, detailed to the headquarters of the newly created Department of Homeland Security. He continued working in critical assignments until his return to Secret Service headquarters where he was appointed the Chief Technology Officer for the agency until his retirement in February 2004.

Mr. Camillo held several key positions during his career in major event planning, but the most notable was being appointed the Olympic Coordinator for the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics. Under his direction, the Secret Service executed its mission through Presidential Executive Order to design, plan and implement the Federal operational security plan for the Games. The successful execution of this carefully designed preparedness and prevention plan was later identified by the White House Office of Homeland Security as an excellent model for future security designs at Events of National Significance known as National Special Security Events.

Camillo was appointed in 2013 to chair the Public Assembly Facilities Subsector Council, part of the Commercial Facilities Sector and later chaired the DHS-sanctioned Commercial Facilities Sector Coordinating Council with primary goals include reducing risk to the sector, improving coordination, and strengthening security and resilience capabilities.

From 2015 to 2017, Mr. Camillo served in an appointed position of Distinguished Lecturer at the CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York City, serving as a professor and mentor within the department of security, fire, and emergency management.

Chief Ken Wallentine is the Chief of Police for the City of West Jordan. He is a Life Member and past member of the Board of Directors of the NAACP, Salt Lake City branch. In his role as Senior Legal Advisor, Chief Wallentine helped craft operational policies for thousands of agencies in the nation.

Chief Wallentine consults on use of force issues nationally and has served as an expert witness in numerous state and federal courts. He has served as a Special Master in both state and federal civil rights consent decrees and currently consults for the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Civil Rights. He is a founding member of the League of Cities and Towns Listen, Love, Learn Task Force, creating strategies for police reform and relations with communities of color. He is also a founding member of First Steps to More Trust, an initiative to join young persons in the BIPOC community with young public safety professionals in leadership training and community engagement. He is a facilitator for the Outward Inclusion workshops of the Arbinger Institute.

Chief Wallentine is a recipient of the Governor’s Leadership in Public Service award. He was named as the “Utah Public Safety Officer of the Year” the Best of State Foundation. Chief Wallentine has also been honored by the Utah Sheriffs Association as an Honorary Sheriff, and by the Utah Chiefs of Police Association as Chief of the Year.

Chief Wallentine is the editor of Xiphos, a national monthly newsletter now in its 25th year, educating officers on criminal procedure and liability issues. His desk book on criminal procedure, Street Legal: A Guide for Police, Prosecutors & Defenders, 2nd edition, was published by the American Bar Association Publishing Company and is widely used in law schools and criminal justice programs. His most recent book is Preparing for an Active Shooter Threat.

Chief Wallentine comes from a line of sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, city police officers and deputy U.S. Marshals stretching back to 1869. He is the father of a deputy sheriff and a federal special agent. He can often be found riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle throughout the West.

Michele Ballantyne is a lawyer in the University of Utah Office of General Counsel. She advises the University on a variety of legal issues, including free speech and academic freedom issues. Prior to joining the University of Utah Office of General Counsel, Michele was in private practice at Van Cott, Bagley, Cornwall & McCarthy, and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Michael R. Murphy on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, and the Honorable Christine M. Durham on the Utah Supreme Court. Michele has been, and remains involved serving a number of educational and community organizations, including, among others, as President of the Board of Trustees for the SJ Quinney College of Law, the Appellate Judicial Nominating Commission, the Admissions Committee for the Utah State Bar, And Justice for All, and the Judicial Conduct Commission for the State of Utah.

Dr. Sarah Projansky has served as AVP for Faculty since the summer of 2019. She also holds a joint appointment as Professor of Gender Studies and Professor of Film and Media Arts and has been at the University of Utah since 2012.

Muskan Walia is a fourth-year student at the University of Utah, studying math and philosophy. She is currently serving as the co-lead of the Presidential Internship in Higher Education Leadership in the Office of the President. Last year, she served as the Presidential Intern in the Chief Safety Office.

Jason Ramirez is a member of the Student Affairs Leadership Team and provides supervisory oversight to the Office of the Dean of Students, Student Leadership and Involvement, Fraternity & Sorority Life, and the Bennion Center for Community Engagement. He has worked in Higher Education for over 20 years serving at both public and private institutions in similar roles. Jason serves as a Deputy Title IX Coordinator, is a member of the President’s Leadership Council, and many other University committees.

John Mejia joined the ACLU of Utah in January 2012. He grew up in Salt Lake City and attended Brown University, where he majored in English and American Literature. At Brown, John served as president of the Latin American Student Organization.

After graduating from Brown, John worked for one year as a supervisor of intake volunteers at Utah Legal Services with a grant from AmeriCorps. John then attended the University of Chicago Law School, where he graduated with honors in 2003. In law school, he was honored with the Tony Patiño Fellowship, a merit-based scholarship awarded to law students based on demonstrated leadership, public service and achievement.

For four years after law school, John was a litigation attorney in the insurance group at the law firm of Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago, Illinois. During his time at Sidley, John was actively involved in serving the community, including teaching constitutional law to elementary school children and coaching high school mock trial teams. In 2008, John returned to Salt Lake to serve in the federal courts as a law clerk.

Marina Baginsky Lowe is Policy Director for Equality Utah, advocating for and advancing the rights of the LGBTQ community in Utah. In this role, she cultivates relationships with elected officials from U.S. congress members and senators to state legislators to local city council members across the state to further LGBTQ equality in Utah.

Over the years, she has successfully drafted and passed numerous bills in the Utah State Legislature on topics including: a prohibition on conversion therapy for LGBTQ youth, bail and policing reform, prison and jail conditions, strengthening 4th Amendment protections in the face of new and emerging technologies and many more.

Ms. Lowe has also worked with the Salt Lake Legal Defenders Association in the Appellate Division and at the international law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP in San Francisco, concentrating on commercial litigation as well as intellectual property counseling and litigation.

Ms. Lowe grew up in Northern California and before graduating from the University of California Hastings College of the Law, spent two years working in marketing at Hewlett- Packard in Grenoble, France.

Dawn M. Bates, Ph.D. (she/her) is an embedded psychologist in Residence Life and Coordinator of After Hours Services at Utah State University. She has worked at several university counseling centers and loves providing services and support to college students. She was excited to join the staff at USU to create the after hours mental health support program this past summer. She is a strong advocate for embedded therapists on college campuses, especially after spending 4 years as an embedded psychologist in University Housing at the University of Iowa. Her passion is outreach and she enjoys creating new and exciting programs and events to provide students mental health information, resources, and skills. She also loves baking, reading, and cats.

Colin Rogers is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has worked professionally in hospital emergency departments and inpatient units throughout the nation before joining the Counseling and Psychological Services team at Southern Utah University. He is a SAMHSA Behavioral Health Fellow and current coordinator of the Mobile Crisis Outreach Team for Southern Utah University. He is enthusiastic about providing support to individuals living with mental health diagnoses, suicide prevention, and an advocate for evidence based practice.

Dr. Torrence Wimbish is a native Marylander, but heard the call from the Utah mountains. He completed his doctoral training in counseling psychology at the University of Utah and spent years working as a generalist therapist with the young adult college population in a university counseling center setting and with adolescent girls in residential treatment centers. His clinical interests are LGBTQIA+ concerns, identity development, trauma issues, social justice/diversity/multiculturalism, eating disorders/body image issues, and mindfulness-based practices. He enjoys spending time with family and pets, exercising, hiking, traveling, and listening to podcasts.

Shannon Henry is the President and Founder of SASS Go, a 501c3 nonprofit making women and girls safer against assault, abuse, and trafficking globally, and an adjunct professor at The University of South Carolina. Her expertise in violence prevention and response has been utilized by the US State Department, our military, the World Health Organization, the US Embassy, as well as businesses, universities, and first responders in some of their darkest hours. At her core, she is a pattern finder, strategist, and hope dealer who is honored to help protect the most precious thing we have in our communities- lives.

Brett Brown is the Executive Director of SASS Go and an Adjunct Professor at the University of South Carolina, Aiken. For more than 20 years, Brett has worked alongside survivors of violence and the professionals that serve them in multiple capacities including crisis intervention, prevention education, and best practices training and development. Her wisdom and ingenuity have partnered her with agencies like the CDC, US Department of Justice, US Embassy, and US Army. Attorneys, advocates, law enforcement, emergency medical personnel, and victims of crime welcome her generous spirit and collaborative approach making our communities safer across the globe.

Veronica Timbers, PhD, LCSW, MDIV (she/they) is the Assistant Professor, University of Utah, College of Social Work. She completed her Ph.D. at the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work at Baylor University with a focus in social work and clinical practice with trans and gender expansive clients in rural areas. Veronica has taught social work in higher education for a total of 10 years at Appalachian State University, Baylor University, Boise State University, and recently joined the University of Utah, College of Social Work. Her research and teaching is informed by her 16 years of clinical mental health practice and community advocacy. Her clinical practice was in specialized mental health assessment, intervention, and crisis response in prisons/jails, hospitals, schools, and community mental health centers. She was also a participant, turned leader, of the Juvenile Justice Treatment Continuum in Western North Carolina for 5 years and has provided trainings to correctional officers, police officers, probation officers and other first responders related to mental health and trauma-informed approaches to de-escalation (i.e. CIT). In addition to her social work education, Veronica also has a Master of Divinity degree, which she uses in research, teaching, and advocacy to support the ethical integration of religion and spirituality in clinical practice and policy change. Outside of work, Veronica is an avid rock climber, hiker, skier/snowboarder, and mom. The combination of physical and intellectual activities keeps her in balance for the important work of teaching and scholarship.

Ginger Cannon currently serves as the Active Transportation Manager for the University of Utah. She is an experienced project manager, environmental planner and public administrator. Ginger is dedicated to educating and inspiring others to shift their travel behavior to sustainable transportation choices that improve our health and air quality along the Wasatch Front. Cannon earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Redlands, Executive Master of Public Administration from the University of Utah and has completed the Women in Leadership I and II Certificate through the David Eccles School of Business.

Jen Campbell, MPA, is the Executive Director of the statewide Utah Domestic Violence Coalition. This statewide nonprofit specializes in advocacy, collaboration, and technical support for all the agencies offering shelter and supportive services to individuals impacted by domestic violence. She also serves as a co-chair of the Salt Lake Valley Coalition to End Homelessness, which aims to render homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring through a system-wide commitment of resources, services, data collection, analysis, and coordination among all stakeholders. Previously, she served at South Valley Services, a domestic and sexual violence crisis shelter, for 11 years, six as the Executive Director. Jen is steadfastly committed to empowering survivors through education, advocacy, and policy.

Jen Faumuina is a Sergeant with the Utah Department of Public Safety. Jen has been with DPS since 2013 where she began her career as a Trooper in Weber and Morgan Counties. She transferred to the State Bureau of Investigation in 2015 and has held positions with the Alcohol Enforcement Team, Major Crimes, Threat Management Unit, and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force where she served since 2017. Jen played an intricate role in building the state’s crime scene team by becoming an expert in 3D scanning. Jen is a certified FARO 3D instructor and has taught many agencies across the state on this technology and implemented it in their departments. She has assisted FBI and other agencies throughout the state on crime scenes utilizing the FARO 3D scanner and creating reconstructions for them. She’s had a wealth of case experience having successfully investigated and helped to convict offenders in crimes of homicide, crimes against children, sex assaults, violent crimes, and terrorism-related offenses.

Taylor Keys is the outreach coordinator for the Utah Statewide Information and Analysis Center (SIAC). Taylor started her career with the Department of Public Safety in 2014 at the Peace Commented [A1]: Officer Standards and Training (POST). She has worked as an evidence technician and a support service coordinator at the State Bureau of Investigation. Taylor has a bachelor's degree in Communication and is currently engaged in her Master's in Public Administration from SUU.

New York Times bestselling author Dan Schilling, Lt. Col., USAF (ret.) spent more than 30 years in special operations, primarily as a Combat Controller and Special Tactics Officer, but began military service as an infantry paratrooper. His numerous combat, clandestine, rescue, and humanitarian missions have taken him around the world and include Operation Gothic Serpent, popularly known as Black Hawk Down, where he is credited with saving the lives of a Ranger and Team Six SEAL while under heavy enemy fire. He later conceived, founded, and then served as the first commander of two special operations squadrons, one of which’s name and purpose remains classified. His military certifications include HALO and staticline master parachutist, Special Forces combat diver, parachute rigger, and Combat Control pipeline instructor. His final military assignment was the Joint Special Operations Command weapons of mass destruction U.S. interagency and intelligence community director.

A serial entrepreneur and patent pending inventor, Dan’s pursued a renaissance existence by authoring books, screenplays, viral video content, and articles, serving as an adjunct professor and managing a university campus, worked as a movie stunt coordinator, recovered historical artifacts, in addition to songwriting and forming a studio band. Based on his groundbreaking personal safety book, The Power of Awareness, he founded The Power of Awareness Institute, to empower individuals worldwide to prevent crime, improve resilience, and combat hate.

A purveyor of adrenaline-fueled endeavors, Dan holds the Guinness World Record for most BASE jumps in 24 hours (201), a feat he conducted to benefit children who’ve lost a parent in special operations through the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. He is also a pro-rated demonstration skydiver, speedwing pilot and ski instructor with Wasatch Adaptive Sports, helping others experience the thrill of downhill skiing while maximizing their independence.

In 2023 Dan was inducted into the Air Commando Hall of Fame and received the Freedom Foundation’s national medal for public service. He is also a 2022 U.S. Air Force Gathering of Eagles inductee. His book Alone at Dawn is a New York Times and Amazon #1 international bestseller. He and his wife Julie, a retired NSA cyber warfare specialist, live in Utah.

As Chief Safety Officer of the University of Utah, Keith Squires is responsible for the oversight and coordination of all campus safety initiatives, as well as supervising the university's public safety divisions. He served in Governor Gary Herbert’s cabinet as the Utah Commissioner of Public Safety, retiring in September 2018 after 31 years of service as a law enforcement officer. He served as the homeland security advisor for Governors Huntsman and Herbert. Keith has served the state in many other capacities, including as director of the State Bureau of Investigation, assistant superintendent of the Utah Highway Patrol, and director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. Keith served as a state and local law enforcement advisor to U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. He holds a master’s degree in homeland defense and security from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and a bachelor’s degree in administration of criminal justice. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and FBI National Executive Institute.

Marlon C. Lynch is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Public Safety at the University of Colorado Boulder. Marlon leads the university’s new Division of Public Safety, including the police department, administrative services, emergency management, event management, and flight operations. Marlon’s career progression includes 30 plus years of police and public safety experience in the municipal and public and private campus environments to include health systems. He received a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Michigan State University and earned a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Boston University. He is also a graduate of the 216th Session of the FBI National Academy and the 256th Class of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff & Command. He is an accomplished police and public safety professional that currently serves as the Chairperson and Commissioner for the Commissioned Agency on Law Enforcement Accreditation (CALEA) and is a past president of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA).

Shannon Henry is the President and Founder of SASS Go, a 501c3 nonprofit making women and girls safer against assault, abuse, and trafficking globally, and an adjunct professor at The University of South Carolina. Her expertise in violence prevention and response has been utilized by the US State Department, our military, the World Health Organization, the US Embassy, as well as businesses, universities, and first responders in some of their darkest hours. At her core, she is a pattern finder, strategist, and hope dealer who is honored to help protect the most precious thing we have in our communities- lives.

Brett Brown is the Executive Director of SASS Go and an Adjunct Professor at the University of South Carolina, Aiken. For more than 20 years, Brett has worked alongside survivors of violence and the professionals that serve them in multiple capacities including crisis intervention, prevention education, and best practices training and development. Her wisdom and ingenuity have partnered her with agencies like the CDC, US Department of Justice, US Embassy, and US Army. Attorneys, advocates, law enforcement, emergency medical personnel, and victims of crime welcome her generous spirit and collaborative approach making our communities safer across the globe.

Dr. Alysha Teed earned her PhD in Psychology from Arizona State University. She is employed as a private consultant as well as serves in a Workplace Prevention Program for a major hospital network where she leads multidisciplinary teams assessing and managing reports of disruptive behavior and threats. She has provided consultation, training, and education on use of evidence-based practice including application of structured professional judgement guides in risk assessment. She obtained her Certified Threat Manager certification and is the current Vice President and Membership Coordinator of the Desert Southwest Chapter of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals.

Kevin Curtis, LCSW is an operational leader at Huntsman Mental Health Institute and University of Utah Health. He has 18 years of experience working in social services with most of that work focusing on programs that serve those in mental health crisis. He oversees the Salt Lake County receiving center pilot program and is working on the design and implementation of the Kem & Carolyn Gardner Mental Health Crisis Care Center, set to open in early 2025.