Ronald Roszak

Ronald serves as the senior safety advisor for the Institute for Childhood Preparedness. Previously, Ron has served as a subject matter emergency preparedness expert for Child Care Aware® of America, supporting their Emergency Preparedness Team. Ronald has over 20 years of distinguished service as a law enforcement professional, including experience as a patrol officer, tactical unit supervisor, watch commander, detective and community outreach officer. Ronald has a long history of conducting community outreach and training and was one of the first community educators for the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) Program. He has received specialized instructor training from the Los Angeles Police Department, is a graduate of Marquette University, and is certified as an active shooter instructor from the ALICE Training Institute, which specializes in active shooter trainings for civilians.

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Ronald’s experience also includes conducting corporate investigations, including fraud detection and prevention and private security for Fortune 500 companies. In recognition for his outstanding service, Ronald has been awarded Law Enforcement Officer of the Year.

Kami Cohorst

Kami Cohorst, serves as the Director of Strategy and Business Development for the Institute for Childhood Preparedness. With over 20 years of diverse experience in the nonprofit sector, her extensive background and dedication to impactful initiatives make her a valuable addition to the ICP team. Kami brings a fresh perspective and dynamic strategies to the table, ensuring the company’s continued growth and success
Kami's career began in the mental health space as a Case Manager, where she provided comprehensive case management services for children and families. She then transitioned to the public health sector, serving as the Program Director/Administration Manager at the Riley County-Manhattan Health Department. In this role, Kami led child care licensing programs, managed grants, and built strong relationships with community and state partners. Continuing her journey in child care and early childhood education, Kami took on the role of Director at Child Care Aware® of Kansas. She supported the development and strategic direction of a statewide network of nonprofit organizations, overseeing quality initiatives, grant-funded programs, and stakeholder collaborations. Her work in this position showcased her ability to lead new ideas from concept through pilot and into mainstream activity. Most recently, Kami expanded her expertise into technology business development as the Director of Business Development for a text communications company. She was instrumental in growing the SaaS business brand through strategic networking, training sessions, data analysis, and developing partnership success plans and product adoption strategies.

David Banaszynski

David Banaszynski serves as an environmental health officer, where he works each day to protect his community from illness and disease.  He has 20-years of experience. His work includes inspecting food establishments, child care facilities, public pools, and a myriad of other businesses to ensure they are operating in compliance with public health rules and regulations. Mr. Banaszynski also serves as a member of the State Board of Health and as past-president of the Illinois Environmental Health Association.  Mr. Banaszynski has years of expertise as an environmental health officer and collaborates extensively with other organizations, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Environmental Health Association and the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Criminologist

Dr. L.J. Samuel is a criminologist with expertise in police-community relations, police misconduct, risk management, community engagement, and interpersonal violence. With over ten years working with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in Washington, DC she is a leading expert in Early Identification and Intervention System (EIS). She also served as the Director of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Division. A forward thinker and innovator, Dr. Samuel created and oversaw the MPD Fitness Challenge, a health and wellness initiative designed to better the health of MPD officers. This hard work and dedication earned her the honor of the 2012 MPD Employee of the Year.

Demi Woods

She is specializing in Diagnostic Radiology with a keen interest in Breast Imaging/ Mammography. She has been a part of our team since 2018. During this time, she has planned preparedness trainings, assisted with blog posts, and is contributing greatly to our upcoming book. What makes her a great asset to our team is not only her medical knowledge, but her interest in public health. While Woods has always had an interest in public health, from 2015-2017 she attended numerous public health seminars at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee to further explore the public health crises surrounding her local community. Additionally, she traveled to Puerto Rico with our team in 2018 to work with the local public health sector and Head Start programs within that region. She is currently serving as Senior Medical Researcher, and her extreme interest in public health and background in medicine will allow Woods to be an integral part of our team.

Leah Smith

Leah serves as Director of Customer Success for the Institute for Childhood Preparedness. She has over eight years of experience working on project management, process optimization, and client relations in the technology and nonprofit sector. Over the course of Leah's career, she designed and managed the quality assurance programs for two large global customer experience teams, and through data collection and analysis, was able to streamline and implement new processes to improve the efficiency of the teams and their interaction with stakeholders across the company. As Director of Customer Success at the Institute, Leah handles planning, communication, and logistics for all potential and ongoing clients, and helps plan in-person and online events and conferences for up to 1000 attendees. Leah also manages ongoing projects for the Institute, sources and implements tools to improve efficiency of processes, and assists in designing and distribution of marketing materials.

Bradley Fisher, MPA

Bradley Fisher serves as the Associate Director of Logistics and Operations for the Institute for Childhood Preparedness. With over 20 years of experience in public administration, policy development, and quality assurance, Fisher brings a unique combination of expertise in safety, preparedness, and operational leadership to the Institute’s mission of fostering safe environments for children and staff.

Fisher holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Southern Illinois University, where he also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (Pre-Law specialization) and a Bachelor of Science in Paralegal Studies, with a minor in Administration of Justice. In addition, he has completed specialized training in Homeland Security from the University of Illinois, equipping him with advanced knowledge in emergency management, risk mitigation, and crisis response.

At the Institute, Fisher plays a pivotal role in conducting site assessments, identifying safety vulnerabilities, and delivering training on active shooter preparedness, de-escalation techniques, and situational awareness workshops. His extensive background in quality assurance ensures that site visit assessments are thorough and actionable, enabling organizations to implement effective, evidence-based safety strategies. Fisher’s ability to analyze large data sets and present them in clear, actionable formats supports the Institute’s efforts to design and implement comprehensive safety protocols.

Fisher’s professional experience spans leadership roles in state and private sectors, including positions as Assistant Director of Medical Services and Quality Assurance Specialist. He has led initiatives in policy review, contract negotiation, staff mentoring, and compliance oversight. His work with the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute and experience as a lobbyist have provided him with a deep understanding of government processes, legislative policy, and organizational improvement.

Dedicated to promoting safety and resilience, Fisher combines his skills in communication, cultural sensitivity, and problem-solving to ensure early childhood facilities are equipped to handle today’s challenges. His commitment to preparedness and operational excellence makes him an integral part of the Institute’s leadership team.

Ruth Kvistad

Ruth Kvistad is currently a MD/JD student at Southern Illinois University, Ruth holds a deep passion for issues that sit at the intersection of law and medicine, such as public health and the safety of our nation’s children. Ruth brings a diverse range of experiences and a unique skill set to the Institute. With a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, Ruth's academic foundation reflects her inherent curiosity and analytical thinking. During her undergraduate tenure, she also worked in a biochemistry lab doing cancer research and has teaching experience both in the classroom as a supplemental instructor to multiple Biology courses. As a legal intern, Ruth leverages her knowledge in health, law, and philosophy to support the institute's initiatives in safeguarding the well-being and safety of children.

Dr. Betsy Kagey

Dr. Betsy Kagey has worked in public health for over 40 years and emergency preparedness and response for 15 years and she most recently worked with the Georgia Department of Public Health. Her primary focus includes planning and preparing for and with vulnerable populations. Dr. Kagey currently resides in Upstate New York and consults on public health emergency preparedness, planning, and response.

Zakary Woods, MD

Zakary Woods is a 2nd year pediatrics resident at the University of Florida and is applying to fellowship in pediatric cardiology.  Zak has worked with a multitude of pediatric organizations with patient populations ranging from neonates in the NICU to teenagers in high school. After witnessing the impact emergency situations, natural disasters, and the COVID-19 pandemic have on pediatric populations, Woods’ passion for advocacy for one of mankind’s most vulnerable populations led him to join our team.