Kate Hession, Deputy Executive Director of the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), has been named Executive Director of the Maryland Center for School Safety (MCSS).
According to a press release:
Ms. Hession comes to MCSS after nearly nine years at MEMA in various capacities. In one of her final duties at MEMA, she helped lead the implementation and operation of the Safe Schools Maryland Tip Line, launched earlier this fall.
“There is no more important job than keeping our citizens safe – especially our children. Our administration has committed extensive resources, including statewide funding, the ‘Safe Schools Maryland’ tipline, and increased staffing for the Maryland Center for School Safety to help ensure that our students can learn in a positive, safe, and supportive environment,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “Kate Hession is an experienced leader with a proven track record in emergency management, and I am confident that she will further the Center’s mission to strengthen school safety efforts across our state.”
“Kate brings a unique blend of emergency management experience to her new role at MCSS, and we are excited she’ll be joining us,” said Dr. Karen Salmon, State Superintendent of Schools and chair of the School Safety Subcabinet. “Students cannot learn without a safe learning environment, and the Maryland Center for School Safety has led the way in bringing new safety ideas and information sharing to schools throughout our State.”
The Maryland Center for School Safety was created in 2013 by HB 453, and is an independent unit within MSDE. Ms. Hession succeeds Edward Clarke, who is leaving MCSS after five yearsto become safety director of Montgomery County Public Schools.
Read the full press release for more information.
Previous Conduit Street Coverage: Maryland Safe to Learn Act of 2018: What You Need to Know
Learn how county professionals in the public safety field are forming partnerships and working together to keep our students safe at the MACo Winter Conference session “The Lifesaving Power of Public Safety Partnerships.”
The MACo Winter Conference will be held January 2-4, 2019 at the Hyatt in Cambridge, Maryland. This year’s theme is, “Charting the Course.”
Learn more about MACo’s Winter Conference: