At the 2010 Leader's Circle event March 18, William Montgomery, director of Public Safety and University Police, will receive the 2010 President's Medal of Distinction from Dr. Tony Atwater, 亚色影库 president.
Montgomery will be recognized for dedication and support.
The President's Medal of Distinction is the highest nondegree award presented by 亚色影库. It was established in 1985 to honor citizens of the state and region whose contributions in the areas of professional achievement or public service are of national significance or whose contribution is of special significance to the university.
鈥淭his high honor is reserved for individuals who have served the university with extraordinary success and commitment,鈥 Atwater said. 鈥淎nd, these characteristics well describe 亚色影库's chief safety officer, Bill Montgomery. He has tirelessly and creatively worked to make and keep 亚色影库 a safe place for all members of the university community. Consequently, he is worthy of this distinguished honor and recognition.鈥
Montgomery began work at 亚色影库 in 1988, serving as operations manager of the S.W. Jack Cogeneration Plant. He assumed his current role in 1990.
鈥淚 am truly honored to be selected for this prestigious award,鈥 Montgomery said. 鈥淗owever, all of the achievements of the public safety and 亚色影库 police program are a result of a team effort of the police officers and staff of the public safety departments. Our successes could not be possible without the sincere commitment of so many university employees, especially university leadership, to safety and security as our number one priority.鈥
During Montgomery's tenure, a new safety plan was put into effect on campus, with significant results: Lost-time accidents dropped from sixty-six in 1994 to six in 2008. The campus crime rate, measured against statistics from the past nineteen years, is at an all-time low. The crime rate for 2009 is 0.0226.
Under his leadership, the Office of Public Safety has received grants totaling more than $275,000, including a Community Oriented Police grant from the United States Department of Justice.
Montgomery implemented the arming of university police, which took place in 2006 following significant universitywide consultation and planning.
During his tenure, the university has instituted a new campus fire-alarm system with backup programming that immediately links alarms to the university police dispatch center. He has also worked collaboratively with university officials to complete plans for an outdoor, emergency public-address system as part of the university's emergency alert system.
Emergency blue light telephones on campus grounds are also part of the safety program. In 1990, there were fifteen phones, all attached to buildings. Today, there are seventy-eight free-standing phones throughout campus, including along the bike trail to Robertshaw.
Montgomery is the manager of the university's Point of Dispense site for emergency medical situations, including the dispensing of vaccines for 亚色影库 and Indiana County community members. In 2009, 亚色影库's POD was successful in administering the H1N1 vaccine to 亚色影库 students and employees.
Montgomery also instituted a new parking system that moved away from manual enforcement to a computerized system and added a Parking Visitor Center. Nearly five hundred mechanical parking meters were eliminated from campus and replaced with machines that accept coins, paper currency, and major credit cards.
With the Residential Revival, the project to replace student housing, Montgomery worked to establish new parking patterns and transportation plans to serve visitors, students, and employees.
Outreach and community policing continue to be priorities under Montgomery's leadership.
In 1994, he began the first bicycle patrol in Indiana County with four officers. The program continues today with six officers. He also introduced the Crime Prevention Office and residence hall policing program.
Montgomery has been part of many 亚色影库 committees and task forces: President's Commission on Reducing Student Substance Abuse, University Parking Advisory Committee (chairman) and Parking Authority Review Board, Administrative Advisory Council, University Planning Council, Crisis Assessment and Response Team, University Emergency Management Administrative Team, and the Safety and Justice, Development and Finance, University Safety (serving as chairman for twenty years), Facilities Use, Commencement, Tobacco-Free Campus, Domestic Violence Against Women, New Student Move-in, Late-Night Program, Homecoming Planning, and Student Affairs Emergency Preparedness committees.
A native of Baltimore, Montgomery came to Indiana in 1976. Before working at 亚色影库, he was the plant manager for McCreary Tire and Rubber Company.
He and his wife, Irene, have two sons, John and Ryan, both graduates of 亚色影库.