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 Two veteran safety experts have been announced as new Trustees to the Academy for Venue Safety & Security by the International Association of Assembly Managers, Inc. (IAAM) The new Trustees are Mark Hamilton, Managing Director of Rock Steady Group and Peter Hayden, a former Chief of the New York City Fire Department.

"We are privileged to have individuals with such exceptional experience as new trustees," said Mark Camillo, Chair, Academy Board of Trustees. "The breadth of knowledge that Mark and Peter bring to this organization is unmatched. We look forward to their contributions to our constituency."

As Trustees, Hamilton and Hayden will be responsible for policy direction and general strategic oversight of the Academy for Venue Safety and Security, public assembly industry outreach, and branding of the Academy includingpromoting program participation. In addition, they will assist in the development of a broad range of resources for the Academy, serve as representatives for program advocacy and resource development, and hold a liaison role with other IAAM education and professional development activities.

Hamilton, who has been involved in the security and crowd management industry since 1973, is the Managing Director and Chairman of Rock Steady Group, an organization that provides security, safety, crowd management, and training world-wide. For the past 18 years, Hamilton has also taken responsibility for all security related issues on behalf of Sir Paul McCartney, in addition to touring with many other artists and serving as a security advisor to various business leaders and celebrities. He is involved in the development of training and education in the crowd management and event security sector, is an instructor for IAAM's European Academy for Venue Management (EAVM).

Hayden was the incident commander for the FDNY for the World Trade Center attack in 2001, where he led the rescue and recovery operations at Ground Zero. After September 11th, ChiefHayden was designated Assistant Chief of Operations for the FDNY, which included serving as FDNY Project Manager for The McKinsey Report Recommendations, which is a comprehensive review of operations at the World Trade Center on 9/11/01 and post-collapse operations. On June 27, 2004,. Hayden was promoted to the 32nd Chief of FDNY, the highest-ranking uniformed member of the FDNY, until his retirement on June 17, 2006. He has also served as the Keynote Speaker at IAAM's Academy for Venue Safety & Security.

"We hold safe and secure events as a top priority; therefore, having Mark and Peter as experts from various events and situations will be priceless," said Harold Hansen, CFE, Director of Life Safety & Security, IAAM. "They each represent an aspect of this industry that is essential to hosting a successful event. We are pleased to have them join the Academy Board of Trustees."

The Academy for Venue Safety & Security an five-day program featuring intensive training in security planning and life safety management for the public assembly venue industry. It takes place every year at the American Airlines Training and Conference Center in Dallas/Ft.Worth Texas. The next academy is scheduled for August 16-22.