2024 Presenters

With a 24-year law enforcement career, Mikelshan Bartschi (Michael-Shawn Bar-Chee) is a law enforcement administrator currently over the Cache County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Division, which includes investigations and school resource officers. The CCSO contracts with the Cache County School District for law enforcement services. Mikelshan has worked in patrol, corrections, investigations, and as a first-line supervisor. He has been a SWAT operator and the SWAT team commander. He is NASRO (National Association of School Resource Officers) basic certified, as well as a certified Force Science Analyst. Mikelshan is a executive board member of the county-wide Child Abduction Response Team (CART), where he was the CART commander during a five-day investigation and search for a missing child in Cache County. He is trained in the Cognitive Interview, Forensic Interview for Children, the Reid Technique and P.E.A.C.E. models of interviewing. He has attended the FBI Intermountain Law Enforcement Executive Command College. He is a Level 1 instructor for Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT). He currently chairs the countywide active attack committee to coordinate 1st responders’ multi-disciplinary responses with other entities. He sits on the Cache County School District’s Safety Team that oversees 17 elementary school safety teams, three middle school safety teams, four high school safety teams, and one alternative school safety team, serving just over 18,000 students. He is a member of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals and is trained in multiple models of threat assessment, including the State of Utah’s Board of Education-approved Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG). Mikelshan is also trained in Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) through TEEX practitioner course. He sits on the Cache Valley Unified Response Team which is a multidisciplinary team that identifies persons in crises, assesses them, and then offers resources to those individuals. His spouse and two of their adult children are educators in the State of Utah.

Guy Bliesner began his career in education in 1994 as a high school teacher and coach. Moving into administration in 2006 as the Safety and Security Coordinator for the Bonneville School District. While serving in that position he was named to the Idaho’s Governor’s School Safety Task Force. Also, during his Bonneville tenure, he was named a finalist for the 2011 Campus Safety Magazine’s national Campus Safety Director of the Year Award. In 2013 he left the district to form, with a partner, the School Safety, Security, Risk Management consulting firm of Educators Eyes. This firm developed and implemented Idaho’s first statewide school safety and security condition assessment. In 2016 he dissolved the firm to join, as a founding member, the then newly created Idaho Office of School Safety and Security.

He currently serves as the School Safety and Security Analyst assigned to schools in Southeast Idaho. He also serves a board member for the National School Safety Center Asso. (NSSA), a President-Elect and board member for the National Council on School Facilities (NCSF), a member and sub-committee chair for ASIS International’s Technical committee for the development of School Safety Standards and a founding member of the National School Safety Directors Association (NSSDA). His passion and mission is to advocate nationally on issues of school safety and security and to support the public and charter schools of southeast Idaho to help to bolster school safety through assessment, training, and planning assistance.

Former EMS SRO, Butte Police Department

Cole Conway is a second-generation police officer, native, and lifelong resident of Butte, Montana. He attended Butte Schools and graduated in 2008. In high school he was a standout athlete in football, basketball, and track. Cole became a police officer in Butte in 2014, graduating from the Montana Law Enforcement Academy in 2015. In 2020, Cole was assigned the duties of the Student Resource Officer for the Butte School District and completed National Student Resource Officer training. His office was housed at East Middle School, but his work encompassed all of the elementary schools in Butte. During his tenure at East Middle School, the school underwent a complete remodel in which significant safety and security features were brought to East Middle School. Cole was an essential member of the team that trained the staff, administration, and his colleagues on the force, in the safety features that were the center piece of the renovation project. Cole was also an instrumental member of the active shooter training team in the Butte School District. Cole was promoted to the position of Detective in 2023 and, even though his office and his job has changed, he continues to be a reliable resource for the Butte School District on matters of safety concern. Cole is married to Taelor Conway, an elementary school teacher in the Butte School District. Together, they have two great sons in Noah, age 5, and Cooper, age 3. In his spare time, Cole spends his time as a t-ball coach, and as a volunteer football coach at Butte High School. He is an avid basketball player and has laid claim to winning the MVP award of this year’s East Middle School Student-Staff basketball game.

Principal | Partner
SMA Architecture + Design

As a Principal and Partner of SMA Architecture + Design, P.C., Jason’s twenty-year career has included K-12, higher education, commercial and historic projects. Jason is involved in every step of project development from pre-bond planning, educational specifications and conceptual design to the resulting elementary, middle school, high school and athletic facility construction. Jason’s experience and passion for educational design, 21st century learning environments, and school safety and security are an integral part of the successful delivery of school projects that achieve a school district’s programmatic needs, budget and schedule objectives. Jason has worked with the Butte School District, East Helena School District, and Clancy School on their recent school planning and construction projects.

Dr. Freeman has over 20 years of experience in public education at the K-12 and higher education levels. She is currently an associate professor in educational psychology at the University of Connecticut, and a technical assistance director for the Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). Her work focuses on applying multi-tiered systems of support such as PBIS to improve overall school climate and a sense of belonging for students and educators. She is particularly interested in improving graduation rates for students with behavioral and/or mental health disorders. She also studies professional development methods for improving teacher’s use of evidence-based classroom management strategies and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the special education program. Dr Freeman leads a national crisis preparation response and recovery workgroup within the Center on PBIS and has 10 years of experience supporting schools, districts, and states in recovery efforts following incidents of school or community violence. This work focuses on supporting short- and long-term recovery efforts as well as prevention and preparation efforts at the district and state levels.

Joe Frohlich serves as a Cyber State Coordinator (CSC) for Montana, Region 8 (UT, CO, MT, WY, ND, SD) of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in the Department of Homeland Security. He is based out of Helena. CISA works with public and private partners to defend against today’s threats and build more secure and resilient infrastructure for the future. The CISA Cybersecurity Advisor program includes promoting cyber resilience through various engagements and performing risk and resilience-based assessments.

Prior to joining CISA, Joe was the IT Director at Ravalli County, Montana for nine years. During his time at Ravalli he co-founded Montana’s Local Government IT group and served on the executive board for the Multi State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, better known as MS-ISAC. In 2015 he moved to Helena to work for the State of Montana as the Enterprise Security Manager for the Department of Administration. In this role, he assisted in the creation and management of the Governor’s appointed Montana Information Security Advisory Council (MT-ISAC) whose primary focus was cybersecurity in State and Local Government. Joe directed the State Government enterprise security policy, managed the security and awareness campaign, and supervised a team of IT risk management professionals. Early in 2021 Mr. Frohlich transitioned to DHS/CISA in his current role as a CSA for Region 8.

Curtis Herring, MEd, is a School Safety Technical Assistance Specialist with the WestEd Justice and Prevention Research Center. He supports local, regional, and state education agencies in their implementation of evidence-based violence prevention strategies. Herring began his work in education in 2013 as a high school science teacher and progressed to the Director of Counseling and Student Support for Comal ISD (Texas) before coming to WestEd. His work has included several notable projects, such as the development of a campus mindfulness room, the introduction of processes and procedures related to Behavioral Threat Assessment, the development of a campus-based mentorship program, and the institution of school counseling data collection and analysis methods. In his more recent role serving as the Director of Counseling and Student Support, Herring oversaw certified school counselors, licensed social workers, and licensed professional counselors at 34 campuses, leading the continual development of a robust school-based mental health framework and comprehensive school counseling program. Curtis received his MEd in educational psychology from Texas A&M University and his BS from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Marilyn King is currently the deputy superintendent and the safety coordinator for the Bozeman Public Schools. She received her doctorate from Montana State University. She possesses building administrative experience at the elementary and middle school levels and K-12 and university teaching experience. She is the local education agency representative for Montana on the National Forum on Education Statistics and served as Chair of the National Education Statistics Agenda Committee. Her doctoral dissertation focused on impacts of instructional leadership on student achievement. Additional interests include change processes in education, school safety, school culture and climate, instructional technology and privacy considerations, and consensus. She is a former Champion of School Safety awardee.

Tammy Tolleson Knee, LCSW, EdS is the School Support Liaison for the Montana Safe Schools Center (MSSC) located in the Department of Education at the University of Montana. Tammy coordinates the VAST (Virtually Assisted School Team) program, trains in the areas of standard response protocol, threat assessment and crisis response and conducts school safety, security, accessibility, and emergency preparedness assessments. Tammy also serves as a member of Missoula’s behavioral health committee. Over the last three decades, Tammy’s professional work as a Licensed School Counselor and Licensed Clinical Social Worker has spanned three states, seven K-12 schools, and one university. Tammy’s work in schools has focused on identifying, developing, and implementing prevention and treatment interventions that support students’ mental health, positive behavior, and physical/emotional safety. At the University of Montana, Tammy supervised graduate level social work students completing internships in a variety of agencies around the state of Montana. She has also taught nine separate undergraduate and graduate courses. When Tammy is not engaged in her work at MSSC or playing jokes on co-workers, she spends time with her family, hikes around Montana, and convinces her husband to join her latest remodeling project.

Kevin Larsen is a seasoned emergency management professional with over two decades of experience in search and rescue, law enforcement, and emergency operations. His roots run deep in Montana, having grown up in the Flathead region where he volunteered with Flathead Search and Rescue from 1994 to 1998. Kevin began his career as an EMT with American Medical Response from 1998 to 2001. He then joined the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, serving from 1998 to 2018 in various roles including Firearms Instructor, Search and Rescue Coordinator, member of the Special Response Team, Patrol Sergeant for approximately 8 years, and Domestic Violence Response Instructor.

In 2019, Kevin transitioned to Gallatin County Emergency Management as the Operations and Training Manager. He currently serves as a Liaison Officer with the Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 2. His vast frontline experience coupled with his training expertise makes him a valued asset in preparing for and responding to emergencies. Kevin Larsen’s dedication to public safety spans his entire professional career in Montana.

Lora LoDuca was born and raised in Helena, Montana. She earned her BA in psychology/sociology from UM Missoula and her MA in Clinical Psychology from California School of Professional Psychology. She worked in adult mental health settings for several years in San Diego before moving back to Montana in 2004 to focus on family. Lora became a Licensed Professional Counselor for the state of Montana in 2013. She worked as a K-6th CSCT Therapist for three years before obtaining her School Counselor credential through MSU-Northern’s M.Ed. program in 2016. She has worked as an elementary school counselor for the past 8 years (in Great Falls and Billings) and maintains her LCPC license. As part of her current job, Lora helps to develop and teach social skills and safety lessons to the approximately 300 students of Independent Elementary, a Yellowstone County school located just outside Billings city limits. She regularly interacts with parents, teachers, administrators, the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Department, and Billings Child Protective Services to help ensure safety to her students.

Chris Lueck is a School Resource Officer with the Hamilton Police Department. Chris has been employed with the Hamilton Police Department for just over 5 years. Along with being a police Officer, Chris has been enlisted in the Montana Army National Guard as a firefighter for nearly 19 years. Chris is married to his wonderful wife Kacey, and they have three beautiful children together. He enjoys golfing, hunting and spending time with his family. Chris has spent one school year as the SRO where he oversees the safety of 5 campuses in Hamilton. He enjoys working with the youth and learning their slang words. He looks forward to building positive relationships where the students aren’t afraid to say hi when they see him out in public.

Associate | Architect
SMA Architecture + Design

As part of the leadership team at SMA, Ali has been involved in many K-12 and higher education projects while at SMA. She is passionate about creating inviting and safe communities in the school environment that promote learning and student well-being. Recent educational projects include East Middle School, Butte Elementary School Safety and Security Upgrades, East Helena High School, Central Elementary School, Monforton School Master Plan, and the Helena School District Facilities Master Plan.

Dr. Kira Mauseth consults with organizations, state agencies, and educational groups about disaster preparedness and resilience building within local communities. Her work and research focus on disaster behavioral health, resilience, and recovery from trauma as well as small and large-scale critical incident response and preparation for organizations. She has worked abroad extensively with disaster survivors and refugees and has trained first responders, educators, and health care workers throughout Puget Sound the United States, and currently serves in the adult mental health clinical seat on Washington State’s Disaster Medical Advisory Committee (DMAC). Dr Mauseth owns Astrum Health, LLC and provides training to community groups and professionals both regionally and abroad as the co-developer of the Health Support Team© program. She is a practicing clinical psychologist and a Teaching Professor at Seattle University. Dr Mauseth also served as a co-lead for the Behavioral Health Strike Team for the WA State Department of Health during the COVID response and is part of the mental health group for the PPN (Pediatric Pandemic Network), a national HRSA funded initiative comprised of 10 Pediatric Hospitals across the US.

Scott McCormick is a 16-year veteran of the Bozeman Police Department, where he currently serves as the School Resource Sergeant. Prior to joining the Bozeman Police Department, McCormick graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor’s degree in History. His law enforcement career began as a park ranger in Rocky Mountain National Park. He went on to serve as a park ranger in Yellowstone National Park for several years. In 2008, McCormick was hired by the Bozeman Police Department as a patrol officer. After several years on patrol, he transitioned into the role of School Resource Officer at Bozeman High School. McCormick later transferred to the Detective Division, where he was assigned to the Special Victims Unit and served on the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force

In 2020, McCormick was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. He initially supervised a patrol team before returning to the Detective Division as the Detective Sergeant. In 2023, he assumed his current position as the Sergeant overseeing the School Resource Program. McCormick’ diverse experiences, ranging from federal land management to criminal investigations and school safety, have prepared him well for his leadership role in coordinating the Bozeman Police Department’s efforts in local schools.

Implementation Coach
University of Washington School Mental Health Assessment, Research, & Training (SMART) Center

Mari Meador is an implementation coach at the University of Washington. She works in collaboration with Schools to support implementation efforts of proactive systems of support. Mari joins us from the University of Washington Tacoma where she worked in collaboration with Tacoma Public Schools to support implementation efforts of the Tacoma Whole Child Initiative. Mari has served as a PBIS State Facilitator and Assistant Coordinator for the Northwest PBIS Network providing training and technical assistance, coaching, and ongoing supports to build local and district capacity to implement, sustain, and scale PBIS, and she began her career as a school support counselor and school-based mental health associate. Her professional interests include systems change, culturally responsive positive behavior support and social emotional learning, and fidelity of implementation. Her research interests include equitable and inclusive school discipline practices, implementation science, and effective teaming practices in schools.

As the Associate Vice President of Implementation at Sandy Hook Promise, Sara is dedicated to the effective rollout and sustainability of the Know the Signs and Anonymous Reporting Systems programs. She collaborates closely with Sandy Hook Promise Trainers, the Partner Success Team, students, and adult advocates to promote inclusivity and violence prevention to young people across the nation. Sara holds a bachelor's degree in education from the University of South Florida. Although she has spent most of her life in Miami, her extensive career has involved educating at-risk youth in Miami, Tampa, New York City, and Chicago. Sara is deeply passionate about empowering youth, adults, and Sandy Hook Promise partners to lead and disseminate the organization’s life-saving Know the Signs messages.

EMS Principal

Keith Miller is a second-generation educator from Butte, Montana. Born and raised in The Mining City, he graduated from Butte High School in 1986. Keith received his Bachelor’s Degree from UM-Western in 1991, and he continued to add his Special Education endorsement and his Master of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of Montana. Keith’s thirty-year education career includes eight years as a Special Education Teacher in Cascade, Montana, and at East Middle School in Butte. Following in his father’s footsteps, Keith taught Social Studies at Butte High School for four years. In 2005, Keith was named as the Vice Principal at East Middle School, a position he held until 2018. In 2018, Keith was named the East Middle School Principal, and he continues to serve in that position today. During his tenure as a Vice Principal, Keith was an essential member of the administrative team that implemented the Olweus Anti-Bullying Prevention Program at East Middle School in 2007. The program’s impact on the culture of East Middle School can still be seen in the everyday operation of the school to this day and is a model for other schools. From the start of the campaign to secure the funding to the completion of the East Middle School renovation project, Keith has been fortunate enough to have a seat at the oversight table for the entire project. He guided the school through the renovation project as well as the Covid epidemic concurrently. In 2023, East Middle School was named as a National Unified Champion School by Special Olympics International and as an ESPN Honor Roll School in recognition of the school’s commitment to inclusion of all students in its school culture. Along his education journey, Keith also worked in the mental health field for the AWARE Group Homes in Butte for twenty years. In his spare time, Keith also serves as a District Administrator and the Montana State Director for Little League Baseball & Softball, Inc., a position he has held since 2005. Keith is the proud parent of his son and daughter-in-law, Brad and Caitlin Stevens of Butte. He is also the proud Grandfather of his two most favorite people in the world, James and Shea Stevens, both age 4 and soon to be entering the Butte School District.

Dr. Jason Neiffer is the Executive Director of Montana Digital Academy, Montana’s state virtual school. For over 25 years, Jason has pursued innovative ways to combine technology and pedagogy to make learning engaging and meaningful for students of all ages and circumstances. His professional interests include distance learning, media literacy, digital productivity, artificial intelligence, social studies, and humanities education. His first work in educational technology was in 1984, when he set up all of the Apple IIe computers at Roosevelt Elementary School in Great Falls as a rambunctious 4th grader. He has been chasing the thrill of Lemonade Stand and Oregon Trail ever since!

Christina Pate is a Senior Program Associate on WestEd’s Resilient and Healthy Schools and Communities team, directing Safe and Supportive Learning Environments and professional learning projects for Oregon and Maryland’s Departments of Education.

Pate collaborates to design innovative strategies and inclusive workplaces, focusing on human-centered leadership, engagement, and belonging. She partners with leaders to build high-performing, healthy teams through strategic planning, learning and development, and systems thinking.

With over twenty years of experience, Pate’s expertise includes social-emotional development, mental health, leadership, change management, and organizational culture. She has held various leadership roles, including Deputy Director of the Center to Improve Social & Emotional Learning and School Safety and Director of the Equity Accelerator.

Pate holds an MEd in Counseling and a PhD in Psychology. She completed a clinical postdoctoral residency at the University of Missouri and was a National Institute of Mental Health Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

Dr. LaVonne Fox Peltier, PhD, OTR/L, is a Technical Trainer with the Mountain Plains MHTTC as well as a Research Assistant Professor at the University of North Dakota’s Bureau of Evaluation & Research Service, part of the Department of Education, Health, and Behavioral Studies. She is a member of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Tribal Nation, deeply committed to creating culturally relevant interventions informed by Indigenous practices to address mental health issues. Dr. Fox Peltier focuses on children, youth, and young adults dealing with mental health challenges in both rural and urban settings. She advocates strongly for strength-based approaches, challenging deficit-based practices commonly used in education and mental health care. Her work aims to bridge the gap between cultural understanding and mental health care, particularly for Indigenous peoples, while also exploring the impact of historical, generational, and intergenerational trauma within communities and populations.

Wes Peters has dedicated 33 years to education, with 4 years in Blackfoot, ID, and 29 years at Butte School District #1. He holds a Master’s in Education from Lesley University and a Bachelor’s in Education from Western Montana College. For the past 12 years, he has served as the Dean of Students at Butte High School, where he manages student behavior, attendance issues, medical issues in support of the school nurse, and assists with emotional crises. Additionally, Wes is an integral member of both the School District #1 Safety Team and the Butte High School Safety Team.

School Mental Health Training Coordinator
University of Washington School Mental Health Assessment, Research, & Training (SMART) Center

Rayann Silva’s career has spanned various roles in education from: Classroom Teacher, ABA Therapist, and District Administrator, and State/Regional School Mental Health Training and Technical Assistance Provider. In her current role, she supports state, local education agencies, and individual school districts with promoting workforce capacity to deliver research and evidence-based strategies, policies, and practice models that foster social-emotional and behavioral well-being for all.

Lauren Trout is a Senior Program Associate for the Resilient and Healthy Schools and Communities team at WestEd, leading restorative practices work. Trout provides training, coaching, and technical support to schools and communities, focusing on equity, climate, culture, harm prevention, and sustainable change.

As a restorative justice practitioner, Trout integrates trauma-informed practice, social-emotional well-being, and relationship-centered learning into organizational culture. Using restorative justice and critical pedagogies, Trout transforms systems of power to create inclusive, safe, and culturally responsive environments.

Previously, Trout led restorative justice programs for the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office and Public School System in Louisiana, facilitating victim-offender dialogues and overseeing school district implementation. With over a decade of experience, Trout has worked with youth, communities, and systems at local and national levels.

Trout holds a BA in political science and international studies from Saint Louis University and resides in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Mike Van Vuren is a seasoned educator with over 20 years of experience in the field. He began his career as a teacher and later served as a principal, honing his leadership skills and dedication to student success. Currently, Mike holds the position of Deputy Superintendent for the Bozeman School District, where he plays a crucial role in ensuring school safety. With his vast experience and commitment to creating a secure learning environment, Mike addresses school safety concerns on a regular basis, working tirelessly to implement effective strategies and protocols to protect the well-being of students and staff alike.

Todd Wester has worked with Livingston Public Schools for 23 years and is currently Curriculum Director. Over his lifetime he has made his living as a fishing outfitter, commercial fly-tier, woodworker, and author. He is past president of the Livingston Baseball Association and of the Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana. He is a native of Billings, MT, and attended Stanford University (B.A. Philosophy) and Montana State University (B.A. Elementary Education, M.Ed. Educational Leadership). He enjoys fishing, hunting, gardening, old pickup restoration, cooking, sports, and music, especially when spending time with his three children and two grandchildren.

As a Program Associate with Resilient and Healthy Schools and Communities, Krystal Wu (she/her) provides technical assistance, designs professional learning, and develops resources to create safe and supportive learning environments.

Specializing in culturally responsive education, co-design, and school climate, Wu prioritizes the voices of marginalized community members. She is an expert in anti-oppressive education and race-centered equity, creating curricula and professional development to help educators transform their ideologies.

At WestEd, Wu designs and leads professional learning courses on racial equity and belonging through the Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety and the California Center for School Climate.

Previously, Wu was an equity coach, instructional coach, and award-winning secondary English Language Arts teacher with over 10 years of experience. She developed an antiracist curriculum and led an equity-focused professional learning series for faculty and staff.

Wu holds a BA in English and women’s and gender studies from Santa Clara University and an MA in education from UC Berkeley.