Dr. Hall played an integral role in the
creation of the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security and
served as the Associate Director from 2006-2014. She continued to serve the
institution through various leadership roles, including Interim Associate Dean
of the College of Health, Chair of the Department of Economic Development,
Tourism, and Sport Management, and most recently as Executive Associate Dean for
the College of Business and Economic Development.
Dr. Hall's expertise is in the area of sport safety and security management. She
has published in leading international sport management, homeland security, and
emergency management journals and has co-authored two textbooks--Sport Facility
Operations Management and Security Management for Sports and Special Events. She has also authored several book chapters in sport facility and event management, crisis communications, and emergency response and recovery. Additionally, she has been invited to publish in national magazines such as Athletic Management, Athletic Administration, and Security Magazine. Dr. Hall has been referred to as one of the nation's leading experts in sport security with interviews in USA Today, ESPN the Magazine, CBS New York, and also appeared on a live national broadcast of ESPN's Outside the Lines. Dr. Hall was one of 150 experts from across the globe invited to attend the first International Sport Security Conference in Doha, Qatar. Dr. Hall has presented at international and national conferences, and conducted invited presentations for U.S. federal and state agencies, college athletic conferences, and professional sport leagues, including Major League Soccer (MLS).
Dr. Hall has been the principal investigator on external grant awards in excess
of $4M. Funded projects included awards from the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security to develop risk management curriculum for sport security personnel at
NCAA institutions, conduct risk assessments at college sport stadia, and develop
training programs for sport venue staff. Dr. Hall has also been involved in
several service projects including the development of a risk assessment tool for
U.S. sport stadia in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security and
International Association of Venue Managers; development of a disaster
mitigation plan post-Katrina for the Mississippi Regional Housing Authority; and
development of a sport safety and security system for a K-12 school district in
Houston, TX.
Dr. Hall teaches undergraduate and graduate sport management courses in
economics, finance, and security. She developed a graduate level emphasis area
in sport security management for the Master's program at Southern Miss. Dr. Hall
has completed threat/risk assessment training through the National Emergency
Response and Rescue Training Center; terrorist bombing training through New
Mexico Tech Energetic Materials and Testing Center; and special events
contingency planning for public safety agencies training through the FEMA
Emergency Management Institute.
Dr. Hall played soccer at Southern Miss from 1997-2001 and holds the record for
most goals scored. She was inducted into the Southern Miss Sports Hall of Fame
in 2013. She also captained the Northern Ireland International Soccer Team until
her retirement in 2008.
Lauren Cranford is the Director of Operations for the National Center
for Spectator Sports Safety and Security. Her role is to manage and coordinate
all NCS⁴ operations including, but not limited to, overseeing all grants,
projects, budgets and staff. She assists the director with development and
implementation of programs, special events and training sessions.
Cranford received her Master of Public Health Degree from The University of
Southern Mississippi with an emphasis in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. She
received her Bachelor's degree in Community Health Sciences with an emphasis in
Health Promotion. She is also a Certified Health Education Specialist through
the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing.
Mr. Ward is the Director of Training and Exercise at the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS⁴) at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM). In this role, he engages professional, collegiate, endurance event, and interscholastic safety and security professionals to meet industry training requirements, validate plans and processes, integrate solutions and implement best practices. Mr. Ward is responsible for ensuring the NCS⁴ effectively connects the academic and operational communities, preparing practitioners for the current, evolving threat environment.
In addition to his role at the NCS⁴, Mr. Ward has served in the United States Air Force since 2006. He has held a variety of roles in planning, incident management and emergency response. Mr. Ward has led organizational preparation, mitigation, response and recovery efforts for a wide range of natural, technological and human-caused disasters. He has also developed and led chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear response teams. In his 15-year career, Mr. Ward has supported preparedness and response efforts domestically and throughout Southwest Asia and the Republic of Korea. Most recently, he served in theater in support of Operation SPARTAN SHIELD as an Emergency Management Superintendent, where he oversaw emergency management efforts at three locations across the AOR.
Mr. Ward has developed and headed emergency management plans and programs for multiple disciplines and organizations, applying best practice and experience to a wide range of incident and event management. He is an Anti-Terrorism Officer, a Hazardous Material Technician, and was awarded the international designation of Certified Emergency Manager (CEM®) by the International Association of Emergency Managers in 2013. He has a Bachelor's degree in Emergency and Disaster Management and a master's degree in business administration.
Michael Finley is Curriculum Manager for the National Center for Spectator Sports,
Safety and Security at The University of Southern Mississippi. He provides leadership
and oversight for the development, implementation and strategies for the sport safety
and security in domestic and international curriculums. In the international program,
he is responsible for the development and implementation of the trainer's
certification program. In addition, he is responsible for executing the process
of consultation and drafting of all security best practices, policies, and
standards as well as compliance procedures and oversees the implementation of
e-learning training for security personnel.
Prior to joining NCS⁴, Finley was a member of the Dallas Police Department
where, for the majority of his career, he served in the Special Weapons and
Tactics (SWAT) Unit. During his time there, he developed various specializations
becoming a certified instructor in disciplines including less lethal,
sub-machine gun, hostage rescue, high-risk warrants and barricaded persons.
Finley helped create the Dallas Police Department's Use of Force policy on
less-lethal munitions, served as a Team Leader and received numerous
commendations and awards. He also served as President of the Texas Tactical
Police Officers Association (TTPOA), one of the largest SWAT associations in the
United States, which is committed to the training and safety of SWAT officers.
He also helped author the State of Texas certification standards for SWAT.
After leaving Dallas, Michael put his training experience to work serving as
Director of Training for a major manufacturer of police/military goods, as a
Program Director for a preparedness exercise known as "Urban Shield," and as a
Director of Corporate Training for a large provider of online services for
businesses. He is recognized as a top instructor and has conducted training
events and exercises at a local, state, national and international level.
Finley received his Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from The
University of Southern Mississippi.
Brooke Graves is a Training Manager at the National Center for Spectator Sports
Safety and Security at The University of Southern Mississippi. She provides
oversight for the training courses offered through NCS⁴. These duties include
course and instructor scheduling, ensuring all targets are met, and maintaining
the quality of each delivery. Before her current role, Brooke held a number of
first responder roles in both the criminal justice and emergency medical systems.
She was a Special Investigator for the state of Mississippi where she was deemed
a subject matter expert in sexual abuse cases in the state court system. Most
recently, Brooke served as the Law Enforcement and Public Safety Instructor for
the Hattiesburg Public School District. She was the mentor instructor for the
state of Mississippi and was involved in developing curriculum and assessment
material for the Law Enforcement and Public Safety curriculum. Brooke received her
Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and Behavioral Science from Tennessee
Wesleyan University and her Masters of Science degree in Criminal Justice from the
University of Cincinnati. She is a Nationally Registered Emergency Medical
Technician and a trained forensic interviewer. She is a certified trainer for
Community Emergency Response Teams.
Sara Priebe is the Event and Membership Manager at the National Center for
Spectator Sports Safety and Security at The University of Southern Mississippi.
In this role, she executes planning and logistics for NCS⁴ events. Priebe is the
contact for vendors interested in securing sponsorships and exhibits at all NCS⁴
events. She works to develop and implement membership plans, strategies and
initiatives for current member retention and new member recruitment. She also
provides customer service to vendors and Solution Partners as well as members
and event attendees. In addition, she provides graphic design for NCS⁴'s
communications pieces.
Jonathan Ruffin is a training manager at the National Center for Spectator
Sports and Safety and Security at The University of Southern Mississippi.
He provides oversight for the training courses offered through NCS⁴.
These duties include course and instructor scheduling, ensuring all targets
are met, and maintaining the quality of each delivery.
Before his current role, Ruffin served as Director of Internal Operations and
Facilities at East Carolina University. In this role, he oversaw daily
maintenance and management of multiple athletic venues and was the primary
game manager for multiple sports. Prior to that, he was Director of Facilities
and Events Management at the University of Louisiana Monroe. During his time
in athletics, Ruffin has been part of several conference/regional tournaments
and various on-campus special events.
Ruffin received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from The University of
Southern Mississippi. He then completed a Master of Science degree in Sports
Management with a Safety and Security emphasis from The University of Southern
Mississippi.
Tymika Rushing is the Business Affairs Manager for the National Center for
Spectator Sports Safety and Security. She is responsible for overseeing the
daily financial operations of NCS⁴, which includes coordinating processes in
budgeting and compliance for grants and externally funded projects, contractual
amendments, and various fiscal responsibilities. Her role is to provide
comprehensive financial management to include, but not limited to, budget
planning, forecasting, compliance, and financial reporting.
Before joining NCS⁴, Rushing was a Contracting Specialist at the NASA Shared
Services Center (NSSC) and for the past 6 years, worked as a Grants & Contacts
Coordinator within the Office of Research Administration at The University of
Southern Mississippi.
Rushing received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from The
University of Southern Mississippi. She received her Master of Business
Administration degree from William Carey University.
Joslyn Zale, PHD
Senior Research Associate and CSSP Manager, and Adjunct Geography Faculty
Dr. Joslyn Zale serves as the Research Associate at NCS⁴ and Adjunct Faculty
with the Department of Geography and Geology at The University of Southern
Mississippi. In this capacity, Dr. Zale contributes to research produced by
NCS⁴ Research Fellows and oversees the CSSP Program. Dr. Zale also produces
white papers and technical reports, and aids with product review and product
operational exercises.
In addition to her work at NCS⁴, Dr. Zale is an adjunct geography faculty
member with the USM's School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences.
Her research interests include modeling risk, vulnerability, and resilience to
hazard events, evacuation modeling, social media use related to hazard events,
geospatial big data sources and uses, multi-scale and spatio-temporal modeling,
citizen science, and location privacy. Her research has appeared in numerous
publications, including The Professional Geographer, the Journal of Emergency
Management, and Southeastern Geographer. She has presented her work at national
and international conferences and before U.S. Congressional delegations.
Dr. Zale has collaborated on more than $22 million of research funded by DHS,
NSF, Department of Education, and the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security,
and is a reviewer for the Journal of Emergency Management. She received her PhD
in geography from USM.
Grace Gremillion is a Graduate Assistant for the National Center for
Spectator Sports Safety and Security, where she assists in marketing and
registration for the many special events hosted by NCS⁴. Gremillion is
currently pursuing a master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) at The
University of Southern Mississippi.
Before joining the NCS⁴ staff, Gremillion received her bachelor’s degree in
Healthcare Marketing from The University of Southern Mississippi. During her
undergraduate career, she was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority, where
she served as Bid Day Coordinator. She also served the Panhellenic Community
as a Gamma Rho Chi, recruitment advisor, helping young women find their new
home in Sorority Life.
Ryan Kavanaugh is a Graduate Assistant for the National Center for Spectator
Sports Safety and Security, where he assists with gathering research, data
analysis, and the CSSP program. Ryan is currently pursuing a master’s degree in
Sport Management with an emphasis in Sport Safety and Security and a Sport
Security Management Certificate at The University of Southern Mississippi.
Prior to joining NCS⁴, Ryan received his Bachelor’s Degree in Sport Management
from USM. In addition to his degree, he received the Leadership in Sport
Management Award from the College of Business and Economic Development. While
obtaining his bachelor’s degree, Kavanaugh assisted NCS⁴ with various research
projects. He was responsible for gathering data and information from the
responsible authorities, analyzing the data, and keeping track of all data to
ensure tasks were completed.
Jonathan Stanford is a Graduate Assistant for the National Center for Spectator
Sports Safety and Security, where he assists in operations and logistics as it
relates to sports and special events. Stanford is currently pursuing a master’s
degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Sport Event Security
Management (MBA) at The University of Southern Mississippi.
Before joining NCS⁴, Stanford received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business
Management from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. During his time in
Colorado, he served as Philanthropy Director, Greek Life Programming Director,
and was a delegate on the Interfraternity Council for his fraternity of Alpha
Sigma Phi. With raising thousands of dollars and performing hours of community
service, his fraternity went on to win two Grand Senior President’s Cups, which
is the highest award a fraternity can achieve.
