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(Ret.) SA Jonny Grusing, F.B.I.
Jonny Grusing was a Special Agent (SA) with the FBI’s Denver Division from 1996 to 2021. For 23 years of his career, he worked violent crime matters to include missing persons, serial killers, federal jurisdiction homicides and mass attacks. From 2008 until his retirement, he served as the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) Coordinator for the division. SA Grusing received extensive training from the profiling unit during these years and employed that training in addressing the serious violent crime cases in Colorado. From 2013 through the present, he has taught hundreds of seminars on profiling serial killers and preventing mass attacks using the sound BAU principles. He is now Director of Security for the Douglas County School District in Colorado.
Former SA Grusing now addresses the daily challenge of keeping 63,000 students and 8,500 staff members safe in the 90 schools he supervises. He works closely with four different law enforcement departments, building leaders and mental health support to prevent students from continuing down Pathways of Violence through a variety of measures.
KOSTAS A. KATSAVDKIS, PhD, ABPP
Kostas A. Katsavdakis, Ph.D., ABPP is a Licensed Psychologist and Diplomat in Forensic Psychology with the American Board of Professional Psychology. He has extensive experience in Threat Assessment and Management, Forensic Evaluations, the Clinical Assessment and Treatment of juveniles and adults. Dr. Katsavdakis is retained by Prosecutors, Defense Attorneys and the State/Federal Court to evaluate defendants charged with violent offenses.
Dr. Katsavdakis conducts threat assessments/management across contexts, including at the request of the United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of New York for CT matters, workplace targeted violence, K-12 settings, stalking related and campus situations. Dr. Katsavdakis has presented nationally on topics such as Threat Assessment and Management and is currently an Associate Professor-Adjunct at John Jay College of Criminal Justice where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in psychology of criminal behavior, forensic psychological testing, assessment of psychopathy and psychology/law.
Dr. Katsavdakis earned his B.A. from Bernard M. Baruch College in 1991, and his Ph.D. from the California School of Professional Psychology, San Diego in 1996. He completed 2 post-doctoral fellowships, one at the Karl Menninger School of Psychiatry and Mental Health Sciences in Topeka, Kansas. He earned his Diplomate in Forensic Psychology under the American Board of Professional Psychology in 2013.
MATT NIECE, PhD
Dr. Niece is the Director of Counseling Services and Interim Executive Director of Health Services at Boise State University. He has over 10 years of experience as a Clinical Counselor and has served the communities of Boise, Meridian, and Nampa through work at various counseling agencies. He maintains a private practice in Boise.
Dr. Niece is a Certified Advanced Specialist in Grief and Loss Counseling and co-owns a consulting practice where he assesses the grief, loss, and trauma in wrongful death cases and provides expert witness testimony in these trials. He is a Counselor Educator who continues to adjunct at Idaho State University, and he presents frequently at the local, state, and national level on topics of grief and loss, trauma, and resilience.
Dr. Niece is also a member of the campus threat assessment and management team at Boise State University and has a deep appreciation for all first responders, law enforcement, and all other professionals on the front lines of crisis scenarios.
Scott Byrd, SWAT Commander
Scott has been a member of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department since 2000 and served in a variety of roles as an officer within the department to include Patrol Operations in South Precinct, Violent Crimes Reduction, and Intelligence – Gang Unit. In 2006, Scott participated in and was selected to become a member of the Special Weapons and Tactics Team as a collateral duty team member.
In late 2020, Scott was promoted to the rank of Commander and made the Director of Training for the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and asked to lead the Training Division which has the responsibility of training all new police recruits, the continued training of all existing personnel, and the development and implementation of training techniques for the department.
In 2022, Scott was asked to take on the challenge of creating the new School Safety Division which established and took on the mission of “promoting safe learning environments for education campuses across Nashville and Davidson County through the construction of empowering partnerships, meaningful deterrence, collaborative education, and effective response.” The work of the School Safety Division helped to improve school safety and services across the county and put into place systems to assist response to critical incidents to include the active shooter incident at Covenant School on March 27, 2023.
In mid-March 2023, Scott was asked to assume command of the Special Operations Division which is where he is currently assigned today. The Special Operations Division houses the department’s SWAT Team, Aviation Section, Animal Operations which includes both Canine and Mounted, as well as the Emergency Contingency Section which houses the Hazardous Devices Unit, Emergency Contingency Unit, and Urban Search and Rescue.
Scott has a heart for service to his community and department that he proudly serves and works to be proactive in helping others achieve the same success that he has experienced during his time with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.
Don Aaron, Public Affairs Director
Don Aaron is the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department’s Associate Administrator/Public Affairs Director and has been the agency’s primary spokesperson for three decades.
The Public Affairs/Media Relations Office is the point of contact for reporters who have questions about a case or program involving the Metropolitan Police Department. As Public Affairs Director, Aaron is responsible for overseeing, authoring and issuing media releases, arranging news conferences, coordinating the release of information in sensitive cases and assisting in crisis situations. He also advises members of the police department on media matters, serves as chairman of the department’s awards committee, and is a member of Chief John Drake’s executive staff.
Aaron holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Telecommunications, with minors in English and Management, from Middle Tennessee State University. He is a two-time past president of the National Information Officers’ Association (NIOA), an organization of spokespersons from primarily law enforcement and emergency services organizations at the local, state and federal level, and continues to serve on the NIOA’s conference planning committee. Aaron is married to Carla. They have one daughter, Alexandria (Allie)
Matt Talbot, PhD, LCSW, CCFC, CFMHE, CTM
Matt Talbot is the co-founder of Key Operational Insights, LLC (K.O.I.) and is an internationally acclaimed expert in behavioral threat assessment and management, violence risk assessment, forensic mental health, and workplace violence prevention, as well as a renowned keynote presenter. His extensive experience includes program development and evaluation and assessing and managing violent offenders and those at risk for violence in corporate, education, correctional, government, and healthcare environments, solidifying his leadership in the violence prevention industry. Dr. Talbot is a recognized Subject Matter Expert in BTAM and developed the first collegiate certificate program in BTAM for Alliant University in 2021, as well as supporting statewide BTAM strategies in Texas.
As a thought leader, he is one founder of a global nonprofit aiding risk management teams, serves as an instructor at the Gavin de Becker Advanced Threat Academy, and is President of the South Central Chapter of ATAP. He has been a keynote speaker at numerous prestigious events and has advocated legislatively for a national BTAM initiative. Academically, Dr. Talbot holds a PhD in Forensic Psychology, is a clinically licensed social worker in multiple states, and is certified as a Threat Manager, Certified Forensic Mental Health Evaluator, and Clinically Certified Forensic Counselor.
Taylor Cilke, Crime Analyst, FBI BAU CIRG
Crime Analyst Taylor Cilke has worked for the FBI for over a decade. She currently works at the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, where her day job is to prevent violent extremism attacks. Her expertise includes bystanders, online threats, and active shooter research. She created the FBI’s “Prevent Mass Violence” project, a first of its kind public education campaign. She has been published multiple times regarding bystanders, the pathway to violence, and active shooters. Taylor’s operational experience includes intelligence support to counterterrorism investigations, particularly homegrown violent extremism and international terrorism. Taylor is a proud alumnus of the College of William & Mary.
SSA Victor Nguyen
Victor Nguyen is a Supervisory Special Agent with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in San Diego, where he leads investigations into threats of mass violence. Victor’s work has explored the examination of digital behavior to provide further insights into suspect motivations, which have helped inform multi-disciplinary actions by local, state, and federal partners. Victor received his Master’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering from Boston University, and spent more than 20 years in government service at the FBI and Department of Defense. Victor is a former SWAT operator, FBI medic, recipient of the 2021 US Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement, the 2012 FBI Director’s Award for Distinguished Service to the Law Enforcement Community, and the FBI Medal of Excellence.
SSA Oscar Medina
Oscar Medina has been a Supervisory Special Agent with the FBI since 2016, and currently serves as a supervisor on the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in San Diego. SSA Medina has led teams in complex International Terrorism and National Security investigations to successfully mitigate imminent terrorist plots, disrupt threats to life, and identify threat actors. Prior to becoming a counterterrorism supervisor SSA Medina was a member of the Violent Crimes Task Force focused on violent crimes and gangs. SSA Medina is a former SWAT Operator, Helicopter Tactical Crew Chief, recipient of the FBI Medal of Excellence, and recipient of the United States Attorney’s Office Excellence in the Pursuit of Justice award.
Dr. Nicolas Beliz
Dr. Nicolas Rafael Beliz is a licensed, LPS designated clinical psychologist and supervisor at the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health School Threat Assessment Response Team. He currently responds to psychiatric crises in the community as well as provides psychological first aid during natural disasters and local tragedies in Los Angeles County, including the 2018 Woolsey Fire, 2019 Saugus High School Shooting, and 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires. He provides violence threat risk assessment and consultation to school districts, mental health providers, and local and federal law enforcement agencies and specializes in intervention with individuals on the pathway to targeted violence.
Dr. Beliz also trains professional staff, law enforcement, and parents locally and nationally on risk factors and situational awareness regarding targeted school violence, suicide prevention and warning signs, field safety, and de-escalation. In addition, Dr. Beliz is an instructor in the Los Angeles Police Department’s Mental Health Intervention Training Program as well as a co-responder in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Community College Bureau. Previous work experience includes serving as the lead therapist on the adolescent and pediatric unit of an inpatient psychiatric hospital.
Courtney Tassin, LPC
Courtney is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Threat Manager with a master’s in forensic psychology from the University of Denver. She currently serves as a Denver-based Domestic Security
Strategist for the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) where she oversees NTAC’s outreach efforts for seven states.
Prior to joining NTAC, she was the Crisis Intervention Program Manager for the City of Aurora, Colorado, where she oversaw five multidisciplinary crisis programs, to include an internationally recognized Targeted Violence Prevention program. She pioneered the Aurora Police Department (APD)’s integrated response for hostage negotiations and served as team member and clinical advisor for the APD Crisis Negotiations Team. She has additional clinical experience working within maximum security prisons and community mental health centers.
Courtney is a published author in peer-reviewed journals and has presented nationally and internationally about multidisciplinary approaches to behavioral threat assessment and management. Courtney has experience as a course developer, instructor and subject matter expert from her time with the National Center of Biomedical Research and Training’s Academy of Counterterrorism Education and through private opportunities such as international exchanges hosted by the U.S. State Department.