School safety is not the responsibility of a single person, department, or profession—it is a shared mission that thrives when schools and communities come together. That belief is at the heart of the Lower Columbia School Safety Summit, an annual event dedicated to fostering a united, proactive, and resilient approach to school safety by bringing together key partners. These partners include school and district leaders, law enforcement, emergency management, fire services, mental health professionals, and community advocates.
The summit’s mission is clear: "To build strong partnerships, share best practices, and create comprehensive strategies that ensure safe, supportive, and prepared learning environments for everyone. Together, participants commit to a culture of prevention, readiness, and rapid response, working side by side to protect and empower schools and the communities they serve.”
How It Began:
Four years ago, the idea for the summit was sparked by a chance meeting on a flight home from Arizona. I found myself sitting next to Mary Beth Tack, Superintendent of Kelso School District. While we knew each other’s names, it was our first conversation, and we spent the entire flight planning what would become the Cowlitz County School Safety Summit. At the time, Clark County hosted its own safety summit, but northern counties were not participating. By the time we landed, we had already pulled in our mutual friend Larry Hembree, Emergency Management Outreach Coordinator and my colleague on the SAFE Committee. Within a week, the three of us were meeting to map out our vision. Without a budget, only four months to prepare, and an ambitious goal of launching the summit that August, it was GO TIME! Thanks to personal connectionsin the safety field, the response was overwhelming.
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Lower Columbia College generously donated the space, a tradition that continues to this day, and Longview Public Schools, Kelso School District, ESD 112, PacTech, and Fiesta Bonita donated funding for food and supplies. Port of Longview and Kelso Foundation have since added to our donor list.
Over time, the event grew beyond county lines. With the addition of Pacific and Wahkiakum counties, the name officially changed to the Lower Columbia School Safety Summit.
How It’s Going:
From the beginning, our focus has been on more than just school administration. We wanted a community approach—a place where first responders, mental health professionals, and educators come together to problem-solve and plan.
Last week, we hosted our Fourth Annual Lower Columbia School Safety Summit, and it was our best yet! Over 200 participants attended, hearing from expert presenters and engaging in district safety planning.
Our planning team has grown to four: Mary Beth Tack, Superintendent of Kelso School District; Gunnar Guttormsen, Director of Student Services and Assessments; Larry Hembree, Emergency Management Outreach Coordinator; and myself, Lacey Griffiths, Assistant Principal at RA Long High School. We’ve also expanded our list of sponsors to help cover the growing costs of hosting such a large event.
Lessons Learned:
Building something from the ground up takes both risk and ownership. With a small planning team, there’s little opportunity for delegation—so embracing every task, from logistics to outreach, is essential.
Feedback from participants has been key to shaping the summit’s evolution. Over the years, we’ve implemented changes such as:
- Bringing back highly requested presenters;
- Adding dedicated district planning time at the end of the day;
- Featuring ESD 112’s vision for all schools;
- Selecting presenters whose expertise aligns with participant-requested topics.
These adjustments ensure the summit remains relevant, practical, and impactful for those on the front lines of school safety.
The Lower Columbia School Safety Summit began with a conversation between two people on a plane and has grown into a cornerstone event for our region’s school safety efforts. By uniting educators, first responders, and community leaders, we’re not just planning for emergencies—we’re building a stronger, more connected, and more prepared community.