Educational Facilities - Schools Consultants: 12

John Hatcher is an industry leader in Building Systems Engineering including, Information Technology, Audio Visual, Security, Building Automation Systems, Fire Alarm Systems, Intelligent Building Concepts and Commissioning. He has worked on some of the most prestigious facilities in the world including the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Russia, India and Southeast Asia. 

R. L. Nichols & Associates, LLC specializes in the Protection of Children within Schools and other Youth-Serving Organizations. We develop practical, sustainable strategies for organizations to improve their safety, security and emergency preparedness by identifying the organization's vulnerabilities to a wide range of risks that are specific to youth-serving organizations, such as:

• active shooters and weapons violence
• acts of terrorism
• sexual abuse, bullying and harassment
• workplace violence and street crimes
• fatalities and severe injuries from common hazards and conditions

We consult with organizations in three ways:

1. Telephone and video consultations.   We offer any school or youth-serving organization a free, no-obligation, consultation to discuss your needs. 

2. Safety Master Plans.  Working with your organization, we develop a true roadmap for continued child and staff safety improvements over multiple years.  Our comprehensive Safety Master Plan typically includes:

• An audit of your existing safety-related policies, procedures and other documentation
• Interviews with key staff who are responsible for various aspects of safety
• On-site assessments of your buildings and grounds
• Photographic and written documentation of your organization’s safety efforts that should remain
• Photographic and written recommendations for improvement
• Timeline for executing proposed changes
• Cost projections for physical safety and security improvements

3. Procurement Strategies.  We can facilitate the competitive procurement of security technology, software systems through security-related vendors and we can consult with your architects and engineers on the security aspects of new construction and renovations.

 View Les Nichols' Expert Witness Profile.

Virginia Rhodes, EdD has over 35 years experience in Urban School District Policy, School Development, Administration and Teaching. Dr. Rhodes' specialties include persistently failing city schools, new school start-ups, intentional school design 

Consulting Focus:

• District and individual school strategy for equity
• Replacing factory model district & school structures with highly engaging models
• Replacing punitive discipline with developmental systems
• *STEM start-ups and environmental school design 
• Innovative teacher hiring, and teacher-led school models, including in districts with collective bargaining
• Replacing toxic district or school culture with human-friendly models
• Effective school security and safety--beyond electronics to the human side
• Collaborating with community grassroots organizing partners

Background - Dr. Rhodes has provided consulting services to an international firm on certain aspects of U.S. public school practices prior to their exploration of a related market sector. She acted as a consultant to the University of Cincinnati Career Center assisting in the development of pre-service teacher hiring expectations. Dr. Rhodes was retained by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center to co-investigate a study for mental health and achievement factors related to excessive student mobility. 

As a consultant on AdvancedEd School Accreditation Teams, she has evaluated high school performance. Dr. Rhodes has researched and written numerous articles on school mobility, achievement, culture, and STEM (NSF). She has conducted numerous training workshops and spoken on urban school district policy and other related topics to various community groups and national educational organizations.

View Dr. Rhodes' Expert Witness Profile.

Risk and Threat Analysis Management, LLC is a recognized leader providing Investigations, Security, Emergency Management, Executive Protection and Fire Safety consulting services. Their services have helped law firms, healthcare facilities, educational institutions and and individuals mitigate risk, and ensure regulatory compliance with Federal and State agencies. 

Risk and Threat Analysis Management professionals possess years of investigative, executive protection, law enforcement, private security, fire safety and emergency management within project management experiences that guide clients as they manage threats around the world. They are prepared to provide proactive threat analysis, protection, consulting, investigations, and security training.

Consulting Services:

Principal, Alan J.  Robinson, brings over 35 years of Security / Law Enforcement experience to the  security, safety, fire safety, emergency management field. Mr. Robinson is a former Supervisor, Protection Services for Disney-ABC, Inc. in New York, where he coordinated the security of millions of dollars in equipment for both Reagan Presidential Inaugurations. While at Disney-ABC, he was credited with creating the first hostage negotiation training class after an incident at ABC News in Washington, D.C.

For  the past 25 years, Mr. Robinson has been the Director of Protection and Security Services/Emergency  Management for Atlantic Health System; a hospital system based in New Jersey where he manages: Public Safety and Security, Fire/Life Safety, Emergency  Management, Investigations, and Special Events for a healthcare system that approximately 10 million square feet of physical plant and campus, spread  throughout New  Jersey. 

Mr.  Robinson directly and indirectly manages over one-hundred (100) security  officers, investigators, fire safety officers, emergency management officers, and contract law  enforcement officers. He  has successfully navigated numerous external agency regulatory compliance  surveys including those from the “Joint Commission,” State Department of  Health, New Jersey Office of Homeland Security, and New Jersey Office of  Counter-Terrorism.

View Alan J. Robinson's Expert Witness Profile.

Timothy A. Dimoff, CPP, is a nationally recognized authority, consultant, author and trainer offering total package solutions relating to employee issues including workplace violence, substance abuse, management training, FLMA /discrimination issues, bullying, sexual harassment, documentation procedures, liability reduction, hiring/firing and pre-employment screening procedures, corporate investigations, internal theft, and security analysis/vulnerability assessments. 

As founder and president of SACS Consulting & Investigative Services, Inc., one of the nation’s leading security consulting firms, Mr. Dimoff has over 40 years of experience in Security and Human Resource matters serving both the public and private sectors. He is multi-certified in the security field. He is board certified by ASIS as a Certified Protection Professional (CPP?) which is internationally recognized as the “gold standard” certification for security management professionals, demonstrating their knowledge and competency in seven key domains of security. 

Mr. Dimoff is also an A.L.I.C.E Certified (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) Training instructor; a member of InfraGard, a joint professional organization between the FBI and security professionals to work collectively against crime, terrorism and to improve educational abilities and knowledge for the private sector; a member of NOITR, a joint professional organization between the Secret Service and IT security professionals to work collectively against crime, terrorism and improve educational abilities and knowledge for the private sector with emphases in the IT and internet areas; and is a member of the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS). 

Mr. Dimoff has written dozens of security-related articles and has authored four books. He also provides media commentary and profiling analysis for TV, radio, internet and print media worldwide. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology with an emphasis in Criminology from Denison University. 

Areas of Expertise: 

View Timothy A. Dimoff's Expert Witness Profile.

SecureLaw LLC is a Security & Legal Consultancy providing substantive, corrective strategies, designed to address, and remedy criminal acts and problematic behaviors along with limiting liability exposures. SecureLaw’s cutting edge, dynamic and effective solutions are tailored to specific needs, combining legal, financial, and organizational implications associated with each remedy.

Dr. James F. Pastor, Ph.D., JD, CPP, Principal at SecureLaw LLC, brings a unique and remarkable decades long year career in Policing, Public Safety, and Security, starting as a tactical officer in Gang Crime Enforcement for the Chicago Police Department, one of the most active policing units in the country.

As a security expert, author, attorney, and former professor, Dr. Pastor merges security methods, academic theories, and legal principles; providing an exceptional level of depth and breathe to any case. As an attorney, he served and advocated for police unions, and for both security guard and electronic security firms, providing broad experience into the security industry and public safety. 

Augmented with a doctorate in Public Policy Analysis, he understands that policies create incentives and drive human behavior. As these directly impact public safety and crime, few possess his experience, his unique insight and his security sense.

Consulting Services:

• Security Law Counsel - Dr. Pastor provides support to corporate counsels, or in some cases directly to corporate decision makers, depending upon the circumstances. His deep understanding of both legal principles and security methods couples with an intuitive security “sense” derived from decades of public safety and security experience provides a unique perspective that deliver results results that are concrete, actionable and effective.
• Terrorism & Extremism / Lawlessness: Indicators & Assessments - Through his experience as a tactical police officer in the gang crime unit in Chicago that provided a perspective few possess, Dr. Pastor has also devoted thousands of hours studying, training and researching this crucial and timely threat and tactic. He has written extensively on this topic, including two books foreshadowing today’s disruptive environments: Terrorism and Public Safety Policing  and You Say You Want a Revolution: A Compelling & Cautionary Tale of What Lies Ahead.
• Risk Management & Security Liability - Dr. Pastor utilizes performance-based and industry-specific risk assessment methodologies designed to deter, detect, delay and response criteria for protecting assets. His timely and appropriate security policies and protocols, security technologies and risk management techniques  reduce liability exposure and enhance the protective environment. Significant Projects.
• Private Police Consulting - SecureLaw LLC tackles the problem left when municipal governments are faced with difficult budgetary decisions along with increased fear and crime. Those who are ready to respond with innovative, thoughtful solutions like private policing, are the change agents who will lead the way during this transition in policing and public safety. The Privatization of Police in America
• Accomplished Speaker - Dr. Pastor has broad and deep expertise on a variety of security and public safety issues. As an accomplished author, he is also a gifted, passionate speaker. If you are interested in engaging, please view a List of Topics.

View Dr. James F. Pastor's Expert Witness Profile.

Roy G. Taylor is a current Chief of Police with over 40 years of experience in a wide-range of federal, state, local, and private criminal justice positions. He delivers comprehensive and intelligent Law Enforcement and Security Services to federal, state, and local governments, and is authorized to work on private or government properties including parks, any government owned buildings, land, public housing communities, hospitals, schools, or similar areas. 

Dr. Taylor's experience and expertise includes use of force and firearms instruction; recruiting, selection and assignment; employee supervision, evaluation and retention; curriculum development; policies and procedures design and implementation; canine utilization; budgeting; public relations; and emergency management. 

Current Positions:

• Chief of Police Blue Ridge Public Safety (2014)
• President/CEO Signal 88 Security of Charlotte (2012)
• President/CEO Capitol Special Patrol (2012)
• Chief of Police Capitol Special Police (2002)
• LT. Colonel – Provost Marshal, Army National Guard (2000)
• Antiterrorism / Emergency Management Branch Chief DoD (2007)
• Provost Marshal Joint Civil Support Task Force, Joint Chiefs of Staff (2014)

Specific Services:

View Roy Taylor's Expert Witness Profile.

David Wolowitz, JD is an Education Law Attorney with 40 years of extensive experience advising schools on the current and past standard of
care for protection of students from harm by other students, educators, and third parties.  

Mr. Wolowitz regularly presents to national organizations, including the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) ,the Association of Boarding Schools (TABS), and the National Business Officers Association (NBOA).  He has presented to international organizations, including the European Council of Independent Schools (ECIS) and the East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools (EARCOS).  

In 2018, Mr. Wolowitz gave over 30 presentations and trainings in 10 states and advised international schools in Japan, Taiwan, Jordan, Italy, Spain, France and Liberia. He is the author of numerous articles relating to creating a safe school culture and is known for his practical approach to complex issues.

Mr. Wolowitz often serves as a consultant to schools and organizations, including K-12, sports clubs, camps, and churches experiencing critical incidents relating to misconduct which has harmed students. Consulting services include:

• Coordinating and overseeing of third-party investigations
• Advising administrators and boards on how to respond to complaints of misconduct responsibly, giving consideration to transparency, accountability, and equity
• Conducting child safeguarding audits to help schools and their boards determine whether a school is meeting current standards of care for child protection
• Recommending improvements for safer school cultures

View David Wolowitz's Expert Witness Profile.