Keynote & Leadership Sessions

Jack Briggs, Associate Vice Chancellor for Public Safety Operations at the University of Colorado Boulder, delivered the opening keynote, “Madame Chancellor, We Have a Problem.” Drawing on survey results and real-world crisis experience, Jack explored what differentiates effective leaders when decisions must be made under extreme pressure. He emphasized that strong decision-making is grounded in principles, humility, and decisiveness – and that leaders must prepare their teams well before a crisis unfolds.

A central theme of Jack’s remarks was the importance of inviting challenge. He warned the room that if everyone around the table agrees with you, that’s a bad sign, urging leaders to be “disagree-able” and to surround themselves with people who are willing to respectfully disagree, raise concerns, and test assumptions before decisions harden. In high-stakes moments, he noted, the absence of dissent often signals hidden risk rather than true alignment.

Jack also encouraged leaders to reframe crises as solvable problems, reducing drama and enabling clearer thinking. By breaking complex situations into manageable issues, defining roles and priorities in advance, and clarifying what “good,” “better,” and “best” look like, leaders can avoid paralysis and focus on making the “least-worst,” most defensible decision available at the time. He reinforced that decision quality – rooted in a disciplined, transparent process – matters more than hindsight-driven outcomes when trust, credibility, and resilience are on the line.

Paul Owens, Chief of Police at Case Western Reserve University, followed with a session on Proactive Threat Assessment. Paul emphasized that effective threat assessment is about prevention, not prediction, and that early, coordinated intervention can significantly reduce risk. He described how Case Western has intentionally built a multidisciplinary approach that extends beyond campus police, with shared responsibility across public safety, behavioral health, administration, and campus partners.

Paul walked through the mechanics of how the model works in practice, including multiple reporting pathways, clear triage processes, and consistent information flow to the right stakeholders. Campus police play a central role in assessing risk, distinguishing between emergency and non-emergency situations, and ensuring concerns are addressed early. He stressed the importance of discipline and documentation, including the use of precise language and regular after-action reviews to continuously improve the process.

Through case examples and audience discussion, Paul addressed common challenges such as differentiating concerning behavior from personality conflict, determining how long individuals should remain under assessment, and avoiding overreaction while still catching real risk. He reinforced that trust, communication, and adherence to process are what make proactive threat assessment effective – and that building these relationships before a crisis occurs is essential to maintaining safety and confidence on campus.