Schools
Stow Resident Dave Licate to run for School Board Seat
Race for school board culminates in November election
Stow resident David Licate is among the several candidates running for the Stow-Munroe Falls Board of Education in November.
Licate, who ran unsuccessfully for Stow City Council in November 2011, recently sat on Stow Mayor Sara Drew’s Safety Task Force, which recommended a 0.25 percent income tax increase to add officers to the police force.
Licate issued the following press release on his school board candidacy:David Licate is seeking one of two open seats on the Stow-Munroe Falls Board of Education. Licate, a Professor of Criminal Justice, Emergency Management and Homeland Security at the University of Akron, believes his sixteen years of experience in higher education and training in public safety will be an asset to the Board.
Licate was motivated to run for school board after serving on Mayor Sara Drew's School Safety Task Force. Father of a third grade son at Woodland and a daughter who will begin Kindergarten next year, Licate is strongly invested in the education and safety of the children of Stow.
"I have had the opportunity to visit every school in the district and meet many of the teachers and administrators who are willing to literally give their lives for the children in their care. I have spent multiple shifts with the Stow Police Department and have questioned several officers about school security. I have a strong desire to continue the work begun by the Task Force and I believe my
background will be useful in making strategic decisions regarding the security of our children."
Licate teaches courses in security administration and feels that improvements can and should be made to the physical security of each building. "An increased police presence is just one part of the school safety equation. Any plan must begin with prevention."
Licate notes that emergency preparedness training should be expanded at every school and situational awareness protocols that recognize and provide services to at-risk staff and students implemented. As a task force member, Licate prepared a grant application for funding of emergency preparedness training and gave a presentation on available training resources.
Licate has received three teaching awards, including the top award for his college. "I advise and educate hundreds of undergraduates every year. I understand the preparation that students have coming out of high school. I know what students need to succeed after high school. Students must not only have a strong foundation in the fundamentals, but understand how to find and use information, solve problems, communicate effectively, and think critically. High school graduates should be equipped with the tools for lifelong learning and be prepared to civilly participate in democracy, productively enter the economy, and appreciate life enriching components of culture such as music, art, and literature. This is a process that begins in the primary grades. As someone with degrees in Criminal Justice and Political Science, I believe that it is important for our children to be educated in their Constitutional rights and liberties, and how to participate in a democracy in a civil and dignified manner."
Licate has been invited to train thousands of police officers in policing strategies at the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy and the Police Executive Leadership College. He has evaluated and consults for several policing agencies in Northern Ohio. Licate is the Training Committee Chair for the U.S. Attorney led Northern Ohio Violent Crime Consortium and consults for the Northern Ohio Regional Fusion Center on homeland security issues. A research fellow at UA's Center for Emergency Management and Homeland Security Policy, Licate understands how to conduct a risk assessment and knows what is necessary to secure critical infrastructure including schools.
Licate currently serves as Stow's ward one representative on the Public Safety Services Commission. In addition, he has served as a court appointed advocate for neglected and dependent children at Summit County Juvenile Court and a coach for Stow Youth Baseball. In 2011, Licate ran for the Ward One City
Council seat in Stow.
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