Aurora University Names Director of Emergency Preparedness

AURORA, Ill.—Roy Garcia, director of Campus Safety at Aurora University , has been named director of Emergency Preparedness, a new position with accountability for the university’s Aurora campus and the George Williams College campus located in Williams Bay, Wis.

Rebecca L. Sherrick, president of the university, said, “One of our highest priorities at Aurora University is to ensure the safety and security of our campus environments. I am proud of the work that Roy has done in behalf of the AU community and students throughout the State of Illinois , and I am grateful for his willingness to accept a new leadership post at AU.”

Garcia, born in Chicago , has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience. Prior to joining AU in 2003, he served as a federal screener manager for homeland security with the Transportation Security Administration at O’Hare Airport from 2002 to 2003.

He also served as chief of police for Sycamore from 1998 to 2001. From 1978 to 1998, Garcia was a special agent sergeant with the Illinois State Police, Division of Criminal Investigations. In that position, he specialized in high-intensity drug investigations and high-profile criminal investigations.

One of the most decorated Illinois State Police officers, Garcia received the Governor’s Award for Achievement from former Gov. Jim Thompson in 1987. In the same year, he received the Police Officer of the Year citation from the International Association of Chiefs of Police and Parade Magazine, one of the nation’s highest honors. He has also received awards from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the U.S Marshal Office, and from local law-enforcement agencies.

Since joining AU, Garcia has managed the university’s Campus Safety department to meet the safety and security needs of the university. Under his leadership, Campus Safety officers have worked closely with the campus community, including students, to identify the safety and security needs of the university. Garcia has also established crime prevention training on campus.In 2006, Garcia received the Student Advocate Award presented by the Aurora University Student Association.

Garcia has also established partnerships with state, county, and local public safety organizations. The partnerships include a variety of programs to cross train members of these agencies with the university’s Campus Safety officers.

Since 2006, Garcia has served as head of the Illinois Campus Law Enforcement Executives Association. Identifying a need to develop training for college and university campus public safety departments, he worked closely with Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police to pass legislation to include training for campus public safety departments, for public and private universities.

When the University of Illinois at Chicago Institute for Public Safety Partnership received a federal grant to establish training standards for campus public safety throughout the country, Garcia was chosen with members from other schools and states to identify and establish training standards.

In 2007, Garcia was named by Gov. Rod Blagojevich to the State of Illinois Campus Safety Task Force . Garcia has been instrumental in providing input and awareness for state wide standards to address emergency management for college and university campuses throughout the state.

In January of this year, Garcia was appointed chairman of the college and university committee of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.

A certified law enforcement instructor, he has taught at Northwestern University , the Illinois State Police Academy and local law enforcement training centers.

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