Senior Director of Projects, Programs, & Training at Safe and Sound Schools
Having served in various positions focused on improving school safety and student wellness, Joe McKenna brings a wealth of expertise and experience to his thought leader contributions.
Joe has served as a Technical Assistance provider for the National Center to Improve Social & Emotional Learning and School Safety, a Senior Research Associate with WestEd’s Justice & Prevention Research Center, and a leader in Detection & Prevention at Navigate360. In these roles, Joe was responsible for leading research and evaluation efforts, providing technical assistance and overseeing the implementation of best practices to ensure a safe and healthy learning environment.
Joe has also held several leadership positions in the school safety industry, including Executive Director of Safety and Student Support for Comal ISD in Texas, where he oversaw the district’s safety, student support and health service departments. Joe also spent seven years at the Texas School Safety Center as the Associate Director, where he managed operations of both the research and education divisions and served as project director for many federal and state-funded research and technical assistance grants.
Joe received his MS and PhD from Texas State University in Criminal Justice and his BS from Roger Williams University.