Friend, 

Summer’s here (or almost here anyway!). You've made it through what I've heard has now been upgraded to the '1,000 days of May.' Transitions are in the air. And if you’re anything like us, you’re taking a deep breath—looking back and looking ahead.

We’re in one of those moments, too; a turning point. And I want to share it with you.

Looking Back

Over the last few years, we’ve worn a lot of hats.

We stepped into health and pandemic response beyond what we ever imagined. We pivoted hard into school security as a combination of factors led to a surge in concern in that space. We stood (and today stand) beside you in emergencies—some literal fires, some metaphorical ones. None of it followed a blueprint, but all of it was real. The world changed overnight, and we changed with it. 

I’m proud of how we responded—not perfectly, but with presence. We didn’t wait for every answer. We just showed up.

There’s a chart I’ve been looking at lately that tracks our revenue as a company. At first glance, it looks chaotic, but what it really shows is this: we've dramatically shifted in response to our school's needs. And, while not clearly illustrated, our business has grown 5x in the same timeframe. One year, the largest driver is emergency management. The next, health services. The next, security.

Looking Ahead

That adaptability? It’s powered by our people. The reality is, we've needed different people in senior roles to navigate key moments. And we’re in the middle of some key team changes I want you to know about:

New Faces, New Energy

• Meredith Gordon has joined us as our new Associate Director, National Security Operations. She brings tactical clarity and operational strength to our frontline work.
  
• Julia Yzaguirre, our new Head of Finance, will sharpen how we operate behind the scenes.
  
• Alex Soltero, who has been on the Joffe Senior Leadership Team for 3+ years as our National Director of Event Safety, is broadening his reach by also becoming our Interim California Director of School Services. His expertise in staffing and Responder growth is being expanded to our school teams, too, and we’re so excited for this cross-divisional support. 

Celebrating Departures

• Lisa Garcia-Stewart, whom you may have known as our former head of school safety and security, brought a mental health lens to the work we do every day.
• Cat Cecere, who has supported our consulting and content development nationwide, and one of the most capable leaders I’ve worked with, is stepping into a new role that merges operations and purpose.

To both: thank you. You’ve left your mark on us, and we’re better for it.

The Details

I’ve been sitting with a new kind of question—what if thriving now is about refining our scope and coming back to our original mission?

We’ve gotten good at building the plane while it's flying (some of you know that a pilot would never recommend this!), and at being there for schools in those crucial moments when they need us most. But our roots? They weren’t about doing everything. They were about doing the work only we could do. And that work is deep. It's consultative. It's relationship-based. And it's built for the long haul.

So we’re doubling down. Here’s a preview of what's ahead:

• We’re relaunching our membership-based consulting model: Because safety shouldn't be DIY. If you were part of our Foundations Program this year, that was V1. This V2 will be even more tailored to individual roles, and building skills and community within those networks. 

• We’re expanding certification pathways: Helping safety officers, ops leaders, and school admin level up with real tools and real growth. Over the past year, we’ve run two charter school ops certification courses - that was V1 of this type of learning. In V2, we’re excited to expand to more types of schools and roles. 

• I'm taking over the consulting division directly: I haven't managed this part of our organization directly since about 2012, but as both a leader and a consultant myself, I've developed about 200x since then. I'm remarkably excited to get closer to that work and to drive the strategic side of the business more closely and more purposefully. 

Let me be clear: This moment isn't about stopping the incredible security services work that we're doing across our six key cities; this isn't about slowing down our Health Coordinators. Those bodies of work will continue, and I trust you'll even see them improve over the years ahead. This shift, though, does represent the revenue stability we've seen over the last 18 months (not pictured in the chart above!) and a readiness to drive consulting's growth back to be the leading part of the Joffe portfolio. 

We’re ready to roll out membership now. If you want to be one of the first members of the 2025 - 2026 school year, book some time on Colleen’s calendar,  and we’ll explore options together.

The value we bring isn’t just in expertise. It’s in our presence. Our steadiness. Our ability to bring calm into complexity. That’s what we’re recommitting to. That’s what we’re here to do. It’s not a pivot away. It's a pivot back!

Thanks for walking this path with us. However we’ve crossed—during a crisis, a training, a call—you’ve shaped who we are.

And we’re just getting started.

With gratitude,

Chris Joffe

Founder and CEO 

Twitter: @JoffeChris

Safety Spotlight: Building Stronger Teams This Summer

One of our clients asked,"With teachers off for the summer, we finally have time for small group PD with our ops and leadership team. What should we focus on?"

For insights on this question we turned to Liz Rupert, a Joffe Safety Consultant. 

"Summer is the perfect time to strengthen your staff's foundation. Our team recommends faculty/staff safety orientation, CPR/AED/First Aid training, and tabletops as some of the foundational back-to-school learning (the table that outlines this from Chris's book, All Clear, is on this month's Simple School Solutions resource page). Before all staff return is a perfect time to:

• Build team dynamics—especially if you have new members
• Review and refine your safety and emergency protocols
• Run a tabletop exercise to practice real-time decision-making together

To help you get started, this month’s Simple School Solutions includes a ready-to-use tabletop for your leadership team!"

June 9th Webinar: Join us on June 9th as we wrap up our 24-25 webinar series. Cat Cecere, Alex Soltero, and Meredith Gordon will discuss how operations and leadership teams can make the most of the summer months. They’ll explore how to build team skills, boost confidence in new staff, and get ahead on safety planning. From debriefs to tabletops to scenario prep—it’s all on the table. 

Add our Webinar Series Spring 2025 schedule to your calendar

Planning to attend or have questions about any of the events? Let us know!

Resources

Wearing the "Safety Hat": In this thoughtful reflection, Cat shares a personal and professional update about stepping into a new chapter that brings her full circle in her work supporting school communities. 

Chromebook Challenge Toolkit: A dangerous online trend is putting students and devices at risk. We've created a Chromebook Challenge Toolkit to help schools and families respond quickly and effectively have safe and informed conversations.

Leadership Bundle: This bundle equips school leaders with the tools they need to navigate today’s safety challenges. From crisis communication and debriefing strategies to violence prevention and cyberbullying response, these self-paced courses are designed to support proactive, informed leadership.

Staff deeply value his dependable nature and are confident in his commitment to keeping the school community safe. Officer Nash is truly an asset to our team and a shining example of what it means to serve with R.O.G.E.R!

Get CPR Done: Fun, Fast & Certified For Schools

At Get CPR Done, we make lifesaving training something your staff will actually enjoy. Our CPR and First Aid classes are upbeat, hands-on, and built to keep schools compliant without putting anyone to sleep. Whether you’re training teachers, admin, or your entire team, our certified instructors bring the skills—and the good vibes. We partner with schools across the country to make safety training simple, stress-free, and unforgettable. Let’s get your team certified the fun way.

Follow us on social media!

We regularly post updates, blog posts, and resources designed to support school health, safety & security.

X: @JoffeChris & @Joffeemergency

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