School Security Status Report
Join us on Thursday, October 4, 2018, at 11:30 a.m. for our Press Club of Southwest Florida luncheon at the Tiburon Golf Club.
Following the tragic mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last February, concern, discussions and laws have been the norm on how to protect our students and teachers from further violence. What to do, and how to pay for it have been the basis for state, county and local officials. Discussing this will be our guest panelists, Dr. Kamela Patton, Collier County Superintendent of Schools, and Staff Officer Scott Griffith of the Lee County Sheriff’s Dept.

Dr. Kamela Patton is in her eighth year as Superintendent of Collier County Public Schools (CCPS). During that time, she has enhanced existing programs, instituted new technological tools, improved internal and external communications, and initiated new programs that resulted in a direct increase in student achievement. Under Dr. Patton’s direction, CCPS has improved its district ranking to tied for third in Florida from 33rd just seven years ago. This success is clearly seen in the number of students who have increased their performance on state tests. The percentage of students exceeding the state average has skyrocketed 61% in seven years to 90% in 2018 from 30% in 2011. The district graduation rate has also increased 15.7%, jumping to 88.2% in 2017 from 72.5% in 2011. Dr. Patton and the district have won far too many awards and accolades to mention here.

Scott Griffith is a Staff Officer with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, responsible for teaching/training civilian and sworn personnel on Active Shooter Response. He has a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management, is an FBI National Academy graduate, and a senior Executive Leadership Instructor for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Scott is also a senior instructor trainer in leadership, defensive tactics, and firearms at the Southwest Florida Public Service Academy and is the co-author of Gridiron Leadership: Winning Strategies and Breakthrough Tactics with the foreword written by Art Rooney II, President of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Buffet lunch served. Cost: $30 members, $40 guests, $10 students
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Please do not hit “Reply” to this message to reserve for NPC events. Instead, reserve through Eventbrite or send an email to rsvp@naplespressclub.org. Use this email to indicate if you have special dietary requests (vegetarian, gluten-free). Should you reserve and later discover you cannot attend, notify Rhona Saunders at rhonanaples@gmail.com or call 239-450-1215. If you fail to cancel prior to the event, you will be billed for the lunch you reserved. Tiburon Golf and Country Club is located at 2620 Tiburon Drive, Naples.