Joseph Wright has helped give peace of mind to thousands of Lincoln Public Schools students who know they are safe behind their desks every single day.
Wright will retire June 30 after 13 years as LPS director of security. He will cap a decorated career that has led to many life-changing moments for Lancaster County residents. He served more than two decades at the Lincoln Police Department (LPD) before spearheading many essential LPS security initiatives.
LPS Superintendent John Skretta and LPS Director of Student Services Ryan Zabawa both said Wright has transformed the school district with his work. He has created a nationally-respected behavioral threat assessment program, emphasized the importance of mental health services for students and established key relationships with local, state and national safety experts.
“Joe’s leadership has been visionary, in that he really helped to craft LPS as a model for partnership in how we work with law enforcement and through a dedicated threat assessment team, our school resource officers and our school administrators,” Skretta said. “In addition, Joe has a relentless focus on the importance of training and education to improve outcomes and strengthen safety.”
Over the years, Wright developed a holistic threat assessment team that includes a security coordinator, violence prevention psychotherapist, LPD investigator and two safety social workers.
“Joe built the safety and security department from the ground up, and the depth of what he and his team do for the LPS community is truly staggering,” Zabawa said. “While much of their heavy lifting happens behind the scenes, their dedication protects and supports our students, families and staff every single day. Joe’s vision and implementation have been so impactful that he has successfully established a national model for K-12 school safety.”
Wright said he is grateful to have formed impactful relationships with people from across the country. He has built communication lines with LPD, the Nebraska Information Analysis Center (NIACC), Region 5 Systems, Lancaster County Emergency Agency, the Nebraska Public Policy Center and public and private mental health providers. He has served as president of the Great Plains chapter of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP), and he has numerous national safety leaders logged in his smartphone.
“I think the biggest accomplishment is that I’ve been able to partner with a lot of other people,” Wright said. “The catchphrase in threat assessment is ‘No one does this alone,’ and so really, even as a school district, we can’t do threat assessment alone.”
LPS Associate Superintendent for Educational Services Mike Gillotti said Wright’s calm demeanor has led many LPS students, staff and families through challenging situations. That steady approach has filtered down to other people who handle each incident.
“Everything related to the safety of others comes with a degree of stress and emotion for those most directly impacted by what might be happening and those responsible for managing the situation in the moment,” Gillotti said. “Joe is always available and always grounded in a way that helps instill confidence in others to do the right thing at times when it would be easy to become elevated and anxious.”
Gillotti and Zabawa both saw the daily impact of Wright’s work in their former roles as LPS building principals. They said Wright’s talent for analyzing current conditions and planning for future needs made him someone they could always count on.
“What sets him apart is his masterful ability to de-escalate situations with a high level of empathy,” Zabawa said. “Joe also brings a unique perspective coming from outside of education. His deep background in law enforcement, combined with the fact that he is a phenomenal listener, makes him an incredible asset to us all.”
“What I found to be the most reassuring was knowing that Joe’s approach towards school security wasn’t to put some things in place and call it good, but rather, Joe was always staying connected to state and local trends and looking for ways to improve our work,” Gillotti said. “This mindset and approach is a big reason why Joe was a great fit for the director of security position in our district to begin with."
LPS Student Services Supervisor Sara Jones-Salak and LPS Safety Team Social Worker Allyson Headrick said Wright’s desire to put others first has made a difference for thousands of people. He increased the size of the threat assessment team during his tenure because he knew it would keep both children and adults safe.
“Joe is a very selfless human,” Jones-Salak said. “He will go above and beyond for anyone, and that has been shown through his work and dedication in LPS. In looking at where we are currently with threat management, LPS has grown leaps and bounds under Joe’s leadership and guidance.”
“Joe leads with a deep sense of responsibility for all students, staff and the community,” Headrick said. “This permeated into his leadership at LPS, which helped cultivate a culture of safety in our school district that positions safety as everyone’s responsibility. Caring for one another is at the core of keeping our district safe.”
People outside Lincoln have noticed Wright’s achievements as well. Denise Bulling is president of the ATAP’s Great Plains chapter and works for the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center. She and Wright are both certified threat managers (CTM), which is ATAP’s premier professional credential. Only 266 people in the United States currently own that designation.
Bulling said Wright has garnered national respect for his ability to help people understand the core principles of threat assessment in school systems. She said he has built a team culture at LPS that values both safety and the role of education in every child’s life.
“The LPS safety and threat assessment program is held up by many in the threat assessment community as a model,” Bulling said. “The team he has assembled is one of the best in the nation, and his legacy of professionalism and safe schools is in good hands.”
Wright said he feels comfortable handing the baton to teammates who will continue that philosophy on safety and security.
“I really look forward to seeing what the team and our district and our police department are going to do in the next ten years,” Wright said. “We’ll be doing a lot better in ten years than what we do now. I can’t wait to see it.”
Wright said his time at LPS has been rewarding because of the personal connections he has formed with so many others.
“It’s been really gratifying,” Wright said. “The relationships I’ve made with people over the past 13 years have been fantastic.”
Skretta summed up the feelings of many LPS stakeholders who have found peace of mind from Wright’s leadership.
“I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Joe,” Skretta said. “He is a model of personal integrity and professional expertise. While Joe’s vigilant commitment to school safety will be missed, the reality is that he has been the architect of the model we have established, and so his legacy will continue to serve and support our LPS students, staff and families.”
Learn more about enjoying a long and rewarding career at LPS by viewing our current employment opportunities.
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