Meet the Nominees
Click the open board positions below to learn more about each candidate. You may endorse your candidate on IACLEA CONNECTIONS. The endorsement period is open until Friday, February 14, 2025 at 5:00 PM.
BRYANT JACKSON
Chief of Police, University of South Dakota
Dr. Jackson currently serves as the appointed Mid-America Regional Director, where he has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to fostering engagement and collaboration across the region. Under his leadership, he has instituted monthly regional meetings to encourage information sharing, strengthen professional connections, and promote collaboration among member institutions. Dr. Jackson is a strong advocate for utilizing IACLEA’s Connections Board to enhance communication and resource sharing within the organization. In addition to his regional role, he serves on the IACLEA Finance Committee and is an active IACLEA instructor, delivering training on a wide variety of topics critical to campus public safety. Dr. Jackson’s previous contributions to IACLEA include serving on the Annual Conference Education Committee and the Domestic Preparedness Committee, showcasing his dedication to advancing the mission of IACLEA through education, strategic planning, and preparedness initiatives.
In addition to his role as Chief of Police at USD, Dr. Jackson is an adjunct graduate faculty member in USD’s Educational Leadership program, where he mentors future leaders in higher education. Dr. Jackson has created a unique seminar class that prepares future and current higher education leaders to take a more active role in campus safety and institutional preparedness covering topics such as emergency operation planning, behavioral threat assessment, continuity of operations planning, campus safety and security, and other related topics.
Dr. Jackson’s professional development includes graduating from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Command Course (Cohort #4), Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command, and the Department of Homeland Security Leadership Academy (Cohort #19), highlighting his commitment to excellence in law enforcement leadership. Dr. Jackson is also a Certified Clery Compliance Officer through the National Association of Clery Compliance Officers and Professionals.
Dr. Bryant Jackson is an active member of both the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), where he has leveraged his expertise to advocate for the unique needs of higher education public safety. He has served on a variety of committees and policy working groups, including those focused on critical topics such as active shooter response, incident command, the 32 National Campus Safety Initiative review team, investigating deaths in custody, and acute behavioral emergencies. In these roles, Dr. Jackson has consistently worked to ensure that the voice of colleges and universities is heard, representing the distinct challenges and priorities of campus public safety. His contributions help bridge the gap between higher education and broader law enforcement communities, fostering policies and practices that support safe and thriving campus environments.
His comprehensive experience, strategic vision, and passion for service uniquely position him to lead as the Mid-America Regional Director for IACLEA, fostering innovation, collaboration, and professional growth within the region.
Dr. Jackson holds an undergraduate degree in Transportation and Logistics Management, a master’s degree in Emergency and Disaster Management, and a Doctor of Education in Adult and Higher Education Leadership. Dr. Jackson served honorably in the U.S. Marine Corps before transitioning to a career in public safety.
MARYANN MAY, PhD
Director of Campus Safety, Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine
MaryAnn May, PhD, with more than 30 years of safety and security experience, currently serves as director of Campus Safety at the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) in Dothan, Alabama.
Dr. May is responsible for the safety and security of faculty, staff and students on the ACOM campus in Dothan, as well as rural medical clinics in Ashford and Taylor. In addition, she coordinates with 32 core sites in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi to ensure the safety of ACOM’s third- and fourth-year students who are engaged in clinical rotations.
In Dr. May’s role, she implements measures that are designed to reduce or eliminate employee and student accidents, incidents and hazards in compliance with local, state and federal requirements. She also serves as a part-time analyst with the Cottonwood (Alabama) Police Department.
Some of the things implemented under Dr. May’s leadership are:
- Management of Security department
- Incident Commander for all emergency situations related to safety, security, emergency management.
- Responsible for the safety and security planning for large scale events (graduation/white coat) and all campus events
- Logistics coordinator for “Fentanyl; the Good, the Bad and the Ugly” education and Narcan distribution program
Prior to coming to Dothan, Dr. May served in safety and security leadership roles with the Broward County (Florida) School System and Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama.
Dr. May received her Associates of Science in Fire Science from Broward College in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Safety and Health from Columbia Southern University in Orange Beach, Alabama. She earned both her Master of Science in Adult Education and her Doctor of Philosophy from Auburn University.
DR. ERIC S. PLUMMER
Chief of Police, Radford University
Dr. Eric Plummer is currently the Chief of Police for Radford University, providing leadership for the Office of Emergency Management, the University Police Department (UPD), and the Emergency Medical Services unit (RUEMS). He also serves as a national critical incident management instructor for the National Emergency Response and Recovery Training Center (NERRTC) through Texas A&M University-TEEX and senior lecturer for the University of Virginia’s Master of Public Safety program. Plummer has developed courses for FEMA, the state of Texas, and other institutions of higher education in the areas of critical incident response, risk management, target violence and terrorism prevention, and complex coordinated terrorist attack programs.
Plummer came to Radford from the University of North Dakota, where he served as the Associate Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police, providing leadership for emergency management, safety, risk management & insurance, as well as the University Police Department (UPD). At UND, Plummer created the Behavioral Intervention Team, established the Continuity of Operations Planning Program, and founded the Enterprise Risk Management Program and Committee, which provided yearly risk assessments to the executive cabinet. Plummer was also the emergency management coordinator for the university’s response to COVID-19 and was a co-chair of the large research institution section of the North Dakota University System response to the pandemic.
Plummer has also served as a Chief of Police for Southern Arkansas University and with the Florida Highway Patrol in numerous roles including state trooper, homicide detective, criminal and internal affairs investigator, and supervisor. In his time in Florida, he served as an incident commander for tornado disaster areas and an agency representative in the Emergency Operations Center during numerous hurricane disasters.
Plummer’s contributions extend to various national and local task forces, and he is an active member of the IACLEA Board of Directors, current board liaison and past chair of the Domestic Preparedness Committee, general vice chair of IACP’s University/College Police Section, and a former member of the IACP Aviation Committee. A U.S. Army Reserve veteran, he served as a combat signaler and later as an intelligence analyst.
Holding law enforcement certifications in Virginia, North Dakota, Florida, and Arkansas, Chief Plummer has also earned the designation Senior Chief of Police in Arkansas, Certified Law Enforcement Chief Executive Officer in Virginia, and Professional Emergency Manager (PEM) in Virginia.
Plummer holds a Ph.D. in public safety with a concentration in emergency management, a master’s degree in management, and a bachelor’s degree in sociology. He is a graduate of Harvard University’s Executive Education Course in Crisis Leadership and the Southern Police Institute’s 50th Command Officer Development Course through the University of Louisville.