College of Justice and Safety Facilitators

James F. Trusley, CSP is an Environmental Health and Safety Manager with Jim Beam Brands Co. in Frankfort, KY and has worked in the Environmental Health Safety and Security field for 14 years.

Katherine Trent is currently a Project Specialist for the Justice and Safety Center at Eastern Kentucky University. She has both on-line facilitator and instructor experience in the Safety, Security and Emergency Management field.

Lucas Tinsley is currently a firefighter with the City of Richmond Fire Department. His duties with the city are as a firefighter and apparatus driver/operator.

Branden Sobaski is a firefighter with the Iowa City Fire Department. Prior to taking a job with ICFD, he taught FSE 101 on EKU’s campus in Richmond, and worked as the Lab Coordinator for the FSE Program.

Travis L. Smith is the Director of Environmental Health and Safety for Ernst Enterprises of Georgia. Ernst is a ready mix concrete company whose home office is in Dayton, Ohio.

Brian Simpkins is the Associate Director of Research and Evaluation with the EKU’s Justice & Safety Center. Brian provides daily oversight of the JSC’s research and evaluation support to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Tara Rose is currently a part-time facilitator at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), bringing statistical analysis experience and research skills from her years with the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission, and the Justice and Safety Center at EKU.

William S. Ragland, Ph.D., is a structural engineer with Chad Stewart and Associates in Knoxville, TN. Dr. Ragland holds Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Science, and Bachelor of Science degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Tennessee.

David Oliver has been with General Motors Corporation for over 27 years holding various positions in Security, Fire Protection, Labor Relations and Safety. A native Kentuckian, he began his career at the Bowling Green Assembly Plant in 1981.

Thomas May earned his J.D. from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (2008) and his B.S. from the University of Cincinnati (2004). Thomas R. May provides consulting services to attorneys in matters related to fire and explosion through Fire Litigation Strategies L.L.C.

Michael Shane LaCount is the Assistant Fire Chief of Training, Safety and Risk Management where he coordinates department training activities and assists the risk management division in instruction and coordination of town wide safety programs for the Town of Mooresville, North Carolina.

Josh Kaylor currently works as a full-time Firefighter/EMT for Richmond, KY Fire/Rescue. He graduated with his B.S. in Fire Protection Administration and a Master’s in Safety, Security and Emergency Management from EKU.

Amy C. Hughes, MS is an online facilitator for the EKU Safety, Security and Emergency Management Master’s program and is Associate Director of Training Delivery & Operations for the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium at the EKU Justice & Safety Center.

Michael J. Fagel, PhD.,CEM has been involved in all phases of public safety since 1970, Law Enforcement, Fire/Rescue, EMS, Emergency Management and WMD training and support.

Lee Bradley, EKU Facilitator, works for Nike, Inc. at their world headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon as head of Nike’s Operational Risk Management which includes Global Environmental, Safety and Health, Risk Control and Business Continuity/Crisis Management programs.

Ryan Baggett serves as the Director of Homeland Security Programs within the Justice and Safety Center, housed in the College of Justice and Safety at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky.

Daniel Ashworth is currently employed as a Certified Fire Protection Specialist for Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc., located in Erwin, Tennessee.

Chelsea Adkins is a native of Richmond, Kentucky and a two-time graduate of Eastern Kentucky University. During her career, she has gained experience teaching online courses such as Emergency Planning, Emergency Management, and Terrorism & Homeland Security.