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

As the School Safety Center Coordinator 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 School Safety Center (SSC), which 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.

Ashley Pistello
School Safety Center Specialist
Phone: (801) 538-7728 | E-mail

Ashley Pistello has joined the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) as the School Safety Center Specialist. She previously collaborated with the School Safety Center as a liaison from SafeUT and the Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI). In addition to her experience as a Project Administrator, Ashley spent four years in the classroom teaching high school algebra and two years working as a Customer Success Manager for the Educational Technology platform, Remind. Helping students succeed by empowering educators is Ashley’s passion and helps drive her work forward.

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 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.

Lieutenant 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 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 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.

Melissa Muhlestein
Executive Secretary
Phone: (385) 295-7931 | Email

Melissa has joined the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) as the Executive Secretary for the School Safety Center. She graduated from Utah State University with a degree in Special and Elementary Education. She taught Special Education for four years before taking a break to raise her family. Melissa is ardent about seeing schools become safer for both the students and the teachers.