Contact Information
Mailing Address:
National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security
The University of Southern Mississippi
118 College Drive #10013
Hattiesburg, MS 39406
Physical Address:
College Hall Room 310
Tel: 601-266-6183
Fax: 601-266-6125
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Center Staff
Director
Lou Marciani Ed. D 601-266-5675
Lou.Marciani@usm.edu
Lou is presently the Director of the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety & Security. His extensive administrative role in sport provides him great insight into addressing the issues constituting potential and actual threats and risks to the ongoing security and safety of fans at sporting events and venues. His background includes an extensive career in sport administration serving as athletic director at several universities and executive director of several national sports governing bodies. He served as athletic director at Western Kentucky University, Drexel University, East Stroudsburg University and Salisbury University. He held positions within the United States Olympic Committee, serving as executive director for two sport governing bodies.
He is the principal investigator of four externally funded grants through the Office of Homeland Security to conduct vulnerability assessments and game day audits of university sport venues, develop a simulation system for stadium evacuations, implement a national pilot for sport venue safety and security and design, develop and implement a national risk management certification for sports events. He has also completed threat/risk assessment training through the National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center. Dr. Marciani is an active speaker on sport safety and security at international and national sport organization annual conferences. He has presented at the Annual NASCAR Security Summit and the International Sports Security Summit in London, England.
Associate Director
Stacey Hall Ph.D. 601-266-4616
Stacey.A.Hall@usm.edu
Stacey is presently the Associate Director of the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety & Security and an Assistant Professor of Sport Management at Southern Miss. She has earned a Bachelor's degree in Management, an MBA, and Ph.D. in Human Performance and Recreation with an emphasis in sport management. Her dissertation project focused on identifying and assessing the degree of importance of standards for effective security management of university sport venues. Stacey has presented and published widely in the sports event security area and has been the co-principal investigator on several external grant projects funded by the Department of Homeland Security. She has also developed graduate courses in the sports event security area. Stacey has completed threat/risk assessment training through the National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center, and terrorist bombing training through New Mexico Tech Energetic Materials and Testing Center.
Research and Development
Walter Cooper Ed. D. 601-266-4117
Walter.Cooper@usm.edu
Walter's experience includes teacher/coach in public schools, faculty member/administrator in higher education, and management trainer/facilitator in organizational development. He is presently the Training Director in the Southern Miss Center for Spectator Sport Security Management. He has completed training at Sandia National Laboratories; The National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center (NERRTC/TEEX) and New Mexico Tech's Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center (EMRTC). Among his achievements with colleagues are: assisting in achieving Office of Homeland Security funded grants; the development of the Sports Event Security Aware (SESA) seal of approval system; and participation in numerous conferences and training sessions including the 2005 NASCAR Security Summit and the 2006 International Sports Security Summit, London England. Cooper has also published in several research and trade journals and has assisted in doctoral dissertation projects related to sports event security management.
Program Coordinator / Outreach Specialist
James A. McGee 601-266-6734
James.A.McGee@usm.edu
Prior to joining the faculty at The University of Southern Mississippi, James A. McGee was employed as a Supervisory Special Agent by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He retired from the FBI after 21 years of service. During his career with the FBI he addressed Counterterrorism matters to include United States Government Crisis Response preparations for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, multiple Super Bowls and other Special Events both domestically and internationally. Mr. McGee has a Master of Science degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Bachelor of Science degree from California Polytechnic State University. Mr. McGee is certified by the FBI as a Crisis Management Coordinator, Weapons of Mass Destruction Coordinator and Special Events Management Coordinator. Mr. McGee is married and has four daughters.
Project Manager
Lauren Cranford 601-266-5758
Lauren.Cranford@usm.edu
Prior to joining the Center, Lauren has worked in program management for over 7 years in various organizations that include the Executive Master of Public Health Program at Southern Miss, The Partnership for a Healthy South Central Mississippi and the American Lung Association. Her role in the Center is to manage and coordinate all aspects of grant operations and budgets. In addition to her work at the Center, she also teaches public health classes for the Department of Community Health Sciences. She received her Master of Public Health Degree from The University of Southern Mississippi with an emphasis in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. She received her Bachelors degree in Community Health Sciences with an emphasis in Health Promotion. She is also a Certified Health Education Specialist through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing.
Program Coordinator
Corey Berry 601-266-6186 corey.berry@usm.edu
A graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a major in Computer Science and a minor in Software Engineering. I am currently working with the Center for Spectator Sports Security Management on the implementation of a security oriented simulation system that involves the planning of events, training of personal and assessment of emergency response capabilities. My position also involves the ongoing creation of an user-friendly graphical user interface for the simulation system, creation of user manuals for help on using the simulation system and linking of software components for integration in future applications. I am familiar with many computer languages and have experience in implementing graphical user interfaces that are easy to use. I am thankful to be involved with this project and hope to substantially grow my skills while working for this department.
Program Coordinator
Robert McDavid 601-266-4975
Robert.McDavid@usm.edu
Prior to joining the Center, Robert was a Disaster Recovery Field Director for Asplundh Environmental Services where he planned, supervised and coordinated recovery efforts in a number of natural disasters to include hurricanes, ice storms and floods. His experience is in safety, planning, and evacuation, identifying hazardous conditions and materials, and providing a proper response. He also has nine years experience as a security consultant with The Jericho Group, a security consulting firm that specializes in providing services to sporting events and entertainment groups. In this position he had a wide range of experience to include site security surveys, threat analysis, response procedures, intelligence, CCTV implementation, emergency procedures, crowd control and medical response. His pervious assignments have included being the security coordinator for the GMAC Bowl, Hendricks Racing, National League Football Combines, and The Kenny Stabler Golf tournament; He attended the University of South Alabama where he received a Bachelors Degree in Political Science.
Program Coordinator
Nick Nabors 601-266-4694 Nick.Nabors@usm.edu
Prior to joining the Center, Nick was a graduate student pursuing a dual masters degree in business and sports management at the University of Southern MIssissippi. Nick now holds a Master of Business Administration degree in Marketing and Management, a Master of Science degree is Sports Management and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Insurance and Risk Management. His role in the Center is the Project Logistical Coordinator on the National Risk Management Training Grant.
Program Coordinator
Rickey Bradley 601-266- 6546
Rickey.Bradley@usm.edu
Rickey is presently a project coordinator in the Center. He is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a major in Criminal Justice and an emphasis in law enforcement. He has a minor in Coaching and Sports Administration. Rickey has over seven years experience in law enforcement on the local level with county and city municipalities. In the Center, he will be responsible for identifying and testing the essential competencies needed for a professional sports security director. The goal is to establish the critical duties and responsibilities of a sport security director that will address the challenges of homeland security in the sports industry. He will be working with the USM Athletic Department to serve as a test bed in establishing these competencies.
Marketing / Web Design
Luca Giardino 601-266-5985
Luca.Giardino@usm.edu
Prior to joining the Center, Luca attended the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa where he completed his undergraduate work with a Bachelor's degree in Consumer Marketing and a Minor in Computer Technologies. Luca is working toward his Masters of Business Administration at the University of Southern Mississippi concentrating in the area of Sport Risk Management.
Administrative Assistant
Linda Jackson 601-266-6183
Linda.Jackson@usm.edu
Linda is presently the Administrative Assistant in the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security. Prior to joining the Center, Linda attended Alcorn State University in Alcorn State, MS where she completed her undergraduate work with a Bachelor of Science majoring in Political Science with a minor in Pre-Law. She completed her graduate studies at The University of Southern Mississippi with a Masters of Science in Public Relations. Linda is currently working toward a second Masters in Speech Communication. It is her hopes to evolve and grow administratively in the Center where she is surrounded by a plethora of amazing opportunities. Aside from her work in the Center, Linda is also a member of the Public Relations Association of Mississippi.
Assistant Program Coordinator
Joslyn Zale 601-266-4876
Joslyn.Zale@usm.edu
At the Center, Joslyn manages geospatial data analysis and modeling for projects funded through grants from the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Education. She is completing graduate work in Geographic Information Technology at the University of Southern Mississippi. Her study area involves the use of remote sensing, geographic information systems, and cartography in hazard analyses and risk assessments. She collaborates frequently with Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Joslyn received a M.S. in Sport Management from Southern Miss while supervising the campus’s aquatics programs, facility, and staff, and serving on the Department of Recreational Sports’ risk management committee. Part of her research included completing NIMS training to determine the feasibility of incorporating it into the curriculum for the M.S. in Sport Management with the Sport Event Security Emphasis.
Joslyn is a Health and Safety Instructor for the American Red Cross and was an adjunct instructor for USM’s School of Human Performance and Recreation. She volunteers as an assistant instructor with the university’s scuba program.
