Rhett Larsen
School Safety Specialist
Phone: (801) 538-7997 | E-mail

As the School Safety Specialist for the Utah State Board of Education (USBE), Mr. Larsen’s responsibilities include coordinating and aligning school safety efforts at the state and local levels. He is the project lead for the USBE School Safety Center (SSC). The SSC develops model policies, resources, and best practices for school safety. Mr. Larsen believes in a comprehensive approach to keeping schools and students safe. With a Master of Science in Counseling/School Counseling, he has worked as a school counselor, teacher, and prevention specialist. Education is important to both Mr. Larsen and his wife, who is a teacher. Together they strive to make a positive difference in the lives of students.

Shaleece Oldroyd
Executive Secretary
Phone: (801) 538-7640 | E-mail

Shaleece works as Executive Secretary on the Safe and Healthy Schools Team at the Utah State Board of Education (USBE). Part of her role includes supporting the USBE School Safety Center (SSC). Her previous positions include Executive Secretary on the Achieving Success by Promoting Readiness for Education and Employment (ASPIRE) research grant at the Utah State Office of Rehabilitation (USOR), Administrative Support at the Utah Personnel Development Center (UPDC), and Office Manager for a local chiropractor. Shaleece holds an Associate of Science in Medical Administrative Assisting.

Scott Eyre
School Based Mental Health Specialist
Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
Phone: (801) 450-2667 | E-mail

Scott Eyre works for the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) within the Office of Substance Use and Mental Health (OSUMH) and acts as the liaison to the Utah State Board of Education (USBE). His primary duties include serving on the USBE School Safety Center (SSC) as the School Based Mental Health Specialist. Scott’s career spans over two decades of work with youth and family services in both the public and private sectors. In 2016 he began his employment with the state of Utah where he spent three years with Juvenile Justice Services (JJS) before transferring to his current position. Scott holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Utah Valley University and Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Utah. In his free time Scott enjoys exploring Utah’s backcountry, coaching his sons’ sports teams, and running/surviving the occasional marathon in the desert.

Sergeant Jeremy Barnes
School Safety Liaison
Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS)
Phone: (801) 503-5815 | E-mail

Jeremy is a fifteen-year veteran of law enforcement and is currently the School Safety Liaison for the Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Utah State Board of Education (USBE) School Safety Center (SSC). He was previously assigned as an investigator with the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) with DPS from May 2016-February 2020. Jeremy also worked with the Draper City Police Department from May 2009-May 2016 as a Patrol Officer, Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) Officer, Juvenile Crimes Investigator, and School Resource Officer (Corner Canyon High School). He holds a Bachelor's of Science in Emergency Services Management and is also a member of the United States Navy Reserve.

Willie Chen
School Safety Data Analyst
Phone: (385) 295-7919 | E-mail

As the School Safety Data Analyst for Utah State Board of Education (USBE), Willie is part of the USBE School Safety Center (SSC), collaborates with stakeholders, and helps develop surveys to review data required for a variety of projects related to school safety. Her multi-discipline background in policy and research, statistics, and science education helps bring perspective during the analysis and presentation of data to multiple audiences.

Rita Branch-Davis
Project Administrator
Phone: (801) 646-7417 |  E-mail(External Web Content)

Rita Branch-Davis serves as the liaison between SafeUT and the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) School Safety Center (SSC), supporting the development and implementation of the SafeUT program among K-12 schools across Utah. Rita has more than 15 years of experience in managing and directing programs and projects with higher education, state services, and the Department of Education (DOE) with proven experience as an effective leader, coach, motivator, and relationship builder. She looks forward to collaborating with Utah schools. Rita graduated from the University of Utah with a Master’s of Public Administration.