Palmer Trinity School

up in Miami. They needed someone who was bilingual. Speaking three languages, English, Spanish and Portuguese, Ozzie was a perfect fit for the position and moved to Miami in 1974. "I've worked in the operations department for 40 years," Ozzie recalls, brushing past his many accomplishments. During his tenure, he worked all over the world (in Africa and many places throughout the US). After 9/11, he went through training with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), TSA and customs in order to show airport employees how to look for dangerous items hidden in ramps or carts. Throughout that time, 95% of his work was in security training, "training the trainers," as he would say. His conversation about his past professional work is peppered with words like "intelligentsia" and "decoys." Ozzie has a sharp eye, and even while taking a break to interview he saw everything happening around him—and he knows exactly when something is amiss. While he worked in airport security, his wife is an evidence investigator with the Secret Service and his kids are all in law enforcement. Now at Palmer Trinity School, Ozzie is everyone's defender, friend and confidant. He is one of the first faces you see at PTS, and the one you want to call when there's a problem. In response to the violence happening in schools, in early 2019, Ozzie arranged for Paul Zamek to meet with his son, Kevin, who is a Special Agent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Kevin provided valuable insights into what the school should be doing to make Palmer Trinity even more safe. Kevin met with Paul, Ozzie and our PTS Crisis Management Team over the following months to develop a plan to conduct active shooter training at PTS, in collaboration with DHS and local Palmetto Bay law enforcement. In October 2019, the school held an active shooter simulation for faculty and staff during a Professional Day. While multiple active shooters pretended to wander around campus, faculty and staff stayed in their classrooms and offices and followed a list of required protocols, should that incident happen in real life. (An apache helicopter even landed on our South Campus playing field to take away "the wounded!") Once our focus turns away from the pandemic, PTS hopes to have another training—this time, with students. "Ozzie's military service and security background provides Palmer Trinity with a wealth of practical knowledge and experience," said Paul Zamek, Associate Head of School for Operations & Real Estate. "On top of that, he's an excellent ambassador of our school." And everyone, from students and teachers to parents, will tell you the same. Because while Ozzie's first priority is to keep our school community safe, he is always quick to give us a reason to smile, too. "Not only is this man a defender of our country, but also an incredible coach, having coached the last University of Miami Men's Soccer Team," said Scott De Feu, math teacher and former PTS soccer coach and Athletic Director. "If he were not our Head of Security, he could most definitely be a soccer analyst for ESPN. And when Ozzie isn't telling you about a European soccer match, he will tell you a joke that you will undoubtedly reshare." Of course, for Ozzie, being a positive force on campus is just another day on the job. "I love to greet people," said Ozzie, who frequently jokes with those who come on and off campus. Right after he said that to me, a student came over to hand him an exit pass. "Aha! An escapee!" Ozzie joked back. Drive by at the end of the school week, and without fail, he'll even start your weekend off on the right foot. "Don't forget," Ozzie reminds everyone each Friday, with a smile. "It's Friday!" Ozzie's first priority is to keep our school community safe." S U MME R 2 0 2 1 15

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