Andrew Powell’s commute got a lot shorter last month.
Elizabethtown’s new director of Campus Security lives in Lancaster County, but prior to starting at the College on Aug. 1, he was assistant director of support services in the Department of Public Safety at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. During the week he lived 120 miles to the south. On the weekends, he’d drive home to his wife and 4-year-old son.
Two years ago, as he was finishing his law degree Powell’s family relocated to Pennsylvania, but he sort of stayed behind. “I am originally from just outside D.C. … so I stayed with my parents during the week,” he said with a grin.
In addition to his interest in saving fuel – his commute was two and a half hours — Powell has a deep interest in working in higher education and in public safety. The position at Elizabethtown opened “at the right place and right time.”
For Powell it was a smooth transition. It seems E-town and G-town have a lot of parallels. The educational ideals are the same and “both educate for service,” he said. His former place of employment, with about 13,000 students, also finds community-based learning, service projects and immersion programs important to a well-rounded education.
As he is getting to know the Elizabethtown campus and community, Powell said he’s seen “a lot of potential and opportunities for improvement,” which coincidentally were recent improvements at Georgetown, as well – “the radio system, records management, computer-dispatch system.” At Georgetown, Powell started a bike unit, too.
I’m big into using technology to accomplish our mission…”
“I’m big into using technology to accomplish our mission,” he said of keeping the E-town campus safe. “Upgrading web-based platforms, a Twitter account, online parking registration and transportation requests” are all ways he can see to streamline the processes. Powell hopes to increase the department’s social media presence over the next year. (Check out the new Campus Security Twitter account — @etownsecurity.)
Most important, he said, is the need for computer-aided dispatch — right now, he said, Elizabethtown uses “pen and paper” – and centralized data-driven solutions.
Powell earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from York College of Pennsylvania, where he also worked as a public safety officer, and a juris doctor from American University Washington College of Law. “I don’t come from a law family, but at an early age I had an affinity for constitutional law,” Powell said.
Though he doesn’t practice law, he felt having the JD degree “afforded me versatility, more opportunity.” He said he viewed the juris doctor as a challenge.
Powell is a member of the bar and, in addition to his degrees, he holds certifications as an APCO Public Safety Telecommunicator Instructor and Active Shooter Response for Unarmed Patrol Instructor.
“I look forward to working with the Elizabethtown College community and making this a safe living and learning community for all,” he said of his new position.