June 22, 2022 — HOOVER, Ala. — Michele Gay, who co-founded a school safety organization after losing her daughter Josephine Grace in the 2012 attack on Connecticut’s Sandy Hook Elementary School, will deliver the closing keynote address at the National School Safety Conference in Aurora, Colorado on July 8.
Gay will present “Beyond Tragedy: A Parent’s Perspective” as the final conference event at 9:30 a.m. at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center.
“Michele is a compelling speaker who wonderfully expresses her firsthand experience of a terrible tragedy in a way that never fails to inspire listeners to do all they can to protect our children,” said Mo Canady, executive director, National Association of School Resource Officers, which will host the conference.
Nearly 10 years after the tragedy that changed her family forever, Gay will share her personal perspective on Sandy Hook response and recovery efforts. Based on her own experiences and years of work in school safety, Gay will outline challenges, successes and lessons learned in the aftermath of tragedy and loss to better prepare others to respond and recover from emergencies, crises and disasters. Gay’s perspective, as the mother of a special-needs child and former elementary school teacher, will provide unique insight and inspiration for parents, administrators, school staff, emergency responders and community members who strive to make their schools safer.
Gay co-founded Safe and Sound Schools in 2013 as a national hub of school safety education, technical assistance, expert content and best practices. The organization offers a variety of tools for crisis prevention, response and recovery that are available to schools nationwide.
The annual National School Safety Conference, July 3 – 8, offers attendees an opportunity to complete on-site NASRO training courses at no additional charge; visit an exhibit hall with the latest in products, technologies and innovations; and interact with SROs, school administrators, sheriffs and chiefs of police from throughout the country and world. Available training includes NASRO’s Basic SRO Course, ideal for law enforcement officers who are newly assigned to work in schools. In 2021, more than 1,200 people attended the NASRO National School Safety Conference. More information about the conference, including a complete agenda and online registration, is available at www.nasro.org/conference/.
Journalists are welcome to cover this and other conference presentations. NASRO issues and requires credentials and NASRO escorts for journalists who wish to cover the conference. Please contact Jay Farlow, using the information below, as soon as possible to reserve press credentials and advise on coverage plans.
About NASRO
NASRO is a nonprofit organization for school-based law enforcement officers, school administrators and school security/safety professionals working as partners to protect students, school faculty and staff, and the schools they attend. NASRO’s national offices are in Hoover, Alabama. The organization was established in 1991. For more information, visit www.nasro.org.
Media Contact:
Jay Farlow
Jani Spede Public Relations
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