Police, Public Safety and Security Summit & EXPO

Ronnell Higgins is Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety at Yale University. He was recently selected as one of the “Most Influential People in Security” by Security Magazine. Chief Higgins holds a master’s degree from the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense & Security, as well as a bachelor’s degree in law enforcement administration from the University of New Haven. He is a graduate of the FBI’s National Academy and holds a certificate in law enforcement education from the University of Virginia. He successfully completed the Crisis Leadership in Higher Education seminar at Harvard’s Kennedy Graduate School of Education. Ronnell resides in New Haven, Connecticut. 

Anthony Callisto, Jr. recently retired as the Senior Vice President for Safety and Chief Law Enforcement Officer for Syracuse University (NY) where he led all law enforcement, security, fire safety, environmental health, emergency management, risk management, parking and transit services functions at the University. Prior to joining Syracuse University, Tony retired as Chief Deputy for the Onondaga Sheriff’s Office, where he served twenty-five years. Tony is very active in his professional associations and served as president of the following organizations; The American Jail Association, the Central New York Association of Chiefs of Police, the University Hill Public Safety Association and the Food Bank of Central New York. He is a police and corrections officer instructor as well as a criminal justice, conflict resolution and labor relations consultant. He often serves as an expert witness for various state and federal court case involving criminal justice matters. Tony holds a BA in Criminal Justice from Columbia College and a MA in Public Administration from Syracuse University. He is also an adjunct professor of Criminal Justice at Columbia College, where he has taught undergraduate and graduate criminal justice course for the past twenty years. Tony resides in Syracuse, NY.

Dr. Lorenzo M. Boyd is a nationally recognized expert in police-community relations and an authority on urban policing. Dr. Boyd currently serves as the Vice President for Diversity & Inclusion and former Director of the Center for Advanced Policing at the University of New Haven. His 14-year service as a deputy sheriff informs his 20-year career in higher education. Dr. Boyd is the former president of the Academy of Criminal Justice Science and a life member of National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE). He earned his Ph.D. from Northeastern University and masters and bachelor’s degrees from the University of Massachusetts.

Chuck Sczuroski is a retired Sergeant from the Pawtucket, RI Police Department. He was a master trainer with the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) for over 10 years and has developed and presented various crime prevention and CPTED curriculums throughout the US and internationally. Chuck resides in Connecticut.

Moses Robinson was recently promoted to a role focused on community engagement and violence reduction for the Rochester Police Department. Robinson joined the Rochester Police Department in December 1985. He has worked as a crime prevention officer in the department's Community Affairs Bureau and also served as a school resource officer for nearly two decades within the Rochester City School District. Moses holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Roberts Wesleyan College and is very active in a variety of community activities.

James VanBrederode is the Chief of Police in the town of Gates, NY. Chief VanBrederode graduated from Gates Chili High School in 1982. He continued his education and earned an Associate’s Degree in police science from Monroe Community College in 1984. In 1989, James received a Bachelor’s Degree in sociology from Roberts Wesleyan College, and in 1993 he earned a Master of Public Administration Degree from SUNY Brockport. VanBrederode is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

Samuel. A. Farina, Jr., has been the Chief of Police for the Village of Fairport Police Department since 2015. Chief Farina served as Deputy Chief of Operations with the Rochester Police Department from 2008 to 2011 and was a Commander with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office from 1988 to 2008. He was also a Special Agent with the FBI from 1997 to 1998.

Frank Pisciotta, CSC is an independent physical security design and management consultant with more than 30 years of experience. He has managed over 4,500 client projects, specializing in threat assessment, risk analysis, security design and security program development for the public and private sector. He holds a M.A., Public Administration and B.A., Criminal Justice and was board certified as a Certified Protection Professional in 1994. He is a past president and four term board-member for the International Association of Professional Security Consultants and continues to lead their technical standards committee. Finally, Frank is responsible to standing up numerous global security programs for clients with international operations in high threat locations.

Trooper Jason Klewicki is a 22-year veteran of the New York State Police. He spent most of his patrol time in the Adirondack & Rochester regions of New York. He is currently assigned to the Troop E School & Community Outreach Unit where he provides presentations, technical assistance, and support to educational facilities, businesses and community groups in a 10-county area. Prior to becoming a Trooper, Jason served 5 years (92-97) in the Active-Duty Air Force as Security Police both stateside and overseas. Jason then simultaneously joined the Army National Guard and accepted to New York State Police Academy in 1998. Jason served 7 years (98-05) as a Sergeant in 2^nd 108^th Infantry Division serving tours in NYC, as well as participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2008 Jason became a certified Defensive Tactics Instructor and lead Taser Instructor for Troop E.

Gary K. Rose is a security professional with more than 32 years of experience in corporate and educational settings. A specialist in school safety and security, he has trained security staff and students in emergency response plans across several districts. A solution-based manager, Gary has developed emergency response training protocols for special needs students; tailor-made to their abilities and comprehension. Gary is also a published author with his most recent article in The American Federation of Teachers Journal; AFT Voices (2/2019) titled "School Safety and Security, For Real" where he examines today’s safety concerns in our K-12 schools nationwide. An Instructional Program Manager for the Salus Partnership in Protection consulting group. He has been recognized in Campus Safety Magazine and was quoted in the national selling book “The Columbine Massacre-Murder in the Classroom.”