Michele Gay

Michele Gay, founder and executive director of Safe and Sound Schools, is an internationally recognized leader in comprehensive school safety. After the tragic loss of her daughter, Josephine, in the Sandy Hook School shooting, Michele turned her grief into action, dedicating her life’s work to protecting and educating school communities. As the primary author of the Safe and Sound Schools Comprehensive Framework for Safety Planning and Development, she provides a practical guidance across six key pillars: emergency management, community engagement, physical safety, mental and behavioral health, school climate, and overall wellness. A trusted subject matter expert, Michele’s voice and inclusive approach foster collaboration among administrators, multidisciplinary teams, school resource officers, parents, and leaders at the local, state, and federal levels.

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Molly Hudgens

In 2016, Molly B. Hudgens made national headlines for her courageous intervention in preventing a mass shooting at Sycamore Middle School, where she successfully talked a student with a loaded handgun out of committing the act. Her bravery, faith, and deep understanding of the student’s needs during the 90-minute encounter, earned her the Congressional Medal of Honor Citizens Award for a single act of heroism. With two decades of experience in education and extensive studies on school shootings and those who commit these acts, Hudgens offers schools and organizations practical, evidence-based strategies for navigating crisis situations. Her powerful story and expert insights resonate deeply with audiences, empowering them to foster strong support systems, resilience, and safe environments for both staff and students. In addition to inspiring audiences through her presentations, Hudgens continues to serve as a school counselor at Sycamore Middle School.

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Adam Infante

Sheriff Adam Infante is a competent and highly-committed leader whose resume includes a 26-year law enforcement career in the Dallas County Sheriff's Office where he has been dedicated to the people who live and work in Dallas County. Prior to being appointed Sheriff in 2022 and subsequently elected Sheriff in 2024, he was active as a Patrol Deputy, Investigator, Task Force Officer, and supervisor. He is engaged in the lives of his loving family and the betterment of his community. On the morning of January 4, 2024, Sheriff Infante was pulling into his office when an active shooter call was broadcast over the police radio. The efforts of Sheriff Infante and the entirety of law enforcement in Dallas County, before, during, and after, helped mitigate the negative impacts of the shooters actions and aid in the recovery of the students, staff, and community impacted by the events inside Perry High School.

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Adam DeCamp

Adam DeCamp currently serves as a Special Agent in Charge for the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, bringing over 30 years of law enforcement experience to the role. While he has spent several years in leadership at headquarters, including a stint as Bureau Chief of the Professional Standards Bureau, Adam has dedicated most of his career to the Major Crime Unit (MCU). For the past seven years, Adam has overseen a team of MCU agents serving the south-central region of Iowa. On January 4, 2024, a lone shooter inside Perry High School killed a student and a school administrator, injured six others, and terrorized an entire community before taking his own life. In the moments immediately following the shooting, Adam was the on-scene supervisor, leading the investigation into not only the incident itself, but also the pathway to violence the shooter traveled. Since the Perry High School shooting, Adam has remained committed to sharing the insights and lessons learned throughout the investigation. His goal is to support law enforcement agencies, officers, and investigators in strengthening their preparedness and response —before, during, and after critical incidents.

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John-Michael Keyes

John-Michael Keyes has represented the "I Love U Guys" Foundation to districts, departments, agencies and organizations regarding school safety. Prior to that, his career spanned graphic design, communications, software and database development. The death of his daughter, Emily, at the hands of a gunman at Platte Canyon High School compelled Mr. Keyes to bring his professional expertise to the arena of school safety. As a founder and former Executive Director, Mr. Keyes now serves as the Strategic Initiatives Director of the “I Love U Guys” Foundation.

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Texas School Safety Teen Ambassadors

The Texas School Safety Teen Ambassadors are a group of high school and college students who are passionate advocates for school safety and are dedicated to representing the Texas youth voice in all school safety initiatives. Ambassadors lead educational events and projects on drug prevention, teen mental health, violence prevention, and preparedness. They host podcast episodes and star in educational videos and virtual summits for the youth audience. Ambassadors also collaborate with TxSSC staff to identify school safety training, resources, and activities for youth to engage with.