West Liberty-Salem Middle School Principal Andy McGill was invited to serve as a featured speaker at an Incident Command Training hosted in Tennessee by the Rutherford County Schools Safety Department, alongside nationally recognized leaders in school safety and recovery.
The training included keynote presenters from PRN (The Principal Recovery Network) and focused on helping school administrators strengthen leadership, collaboration, advocacy, and safety planning in the aftermath of traumatic events. A central goal of the session was developing trauma-informed practices that support the rebuilding of school climate following tragedy.
The two-hour training is structured to allow participants to learn directly from the lived experiences of school leaders who have navigated critical incidents. During the first hour, presenters shared their personal experiences and the impact those events had on their school communities. The second hour allowed for a facilitated question-and-answer session for administrators to engage in meaningful dialogue and apply lessons learned to their own districts.
Guest speakers for the training included:
Kathy Gombos, Principal of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Sandy Hook, Connecticut
Andy McGill, Middle School Principal at West Liberty-Salem Schools in West Liberty, Ohio
Warman Hall, Former Principal of Aztec High School in Aztec, New Mexico
Mr. McGill’s invitation to participate reflects his leadership and experience in fostering safe, supportive, and resilient school environments. West Liberty-Salem Schools is proud to have its leadership contributing to important national conversations surrounding school safety, trauma-informed practices, and the long-term work of rebuilding and strengthening school communities.
