Scott Burnotes had been working in international development in North Macedonia in 2001, but after 9/11 soon found himself drawn to a career preparing for and managing responses to emergencies and crises.
His research led him to the George Washington University’s master of science in engineering management, with a concentration in crisis, emergency and risk management, at the School of Engineering and Applied Science. The degree—and his dual role as a GW Police Department officer—helped launch his career.
Now, he will return to GW as associate vice president for safety and security, overseeing the Division of Safety and Security and bringing with him more than 15 years of experience in higher education, emergency management and campus safety and security. He starts Aug. 1.
In his new role, Mr. Burnotes will lead GW’s public safety efforts: Health and Emergency Management Safety, crisis preparedness and communications, GW Police Department (GWPD) external patrols, Office of Victim Services and security technology installations, among other areas, said Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Mark Diaz.
Mr. Burnotes will report directly to Mr. Diaz, who emphasized the importance of safety and security in supporting the “welcoming environment and service-centric culture to which we aspire.”
“Scott has an impressive track record as a well-respected leader in his field and values the critical connection between ensuring safety and building community and a positive culture and experience for all,” Mr. Diaz said.
A key part of Mr. Burnotes’s role, Mr. Diaz added, is to collaborate closely and develop relationships with university officers, student groups, faculty and staff as well as external law enforcement, overseeing all university safety and security plans, programs, procedures and training.
“I love higher education, and I am excited to give back to GW and work with students, faculty and staff to embed safety and security into everything we do,” Mr. Burnotes said. “We want to create an environment that allows the community to really be able to learn, teach and work while feeling safe and comfortable. That significantly impacts the success of a university.”
Mr. Burnotes most recently was associate vice president for university operations at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, which included managing facilities and campus safety departments, including campus police. He was previously assistant vice president for campus safety at St. Edward’s and, prior to that, held safety and emergency management roles at the University of Miami, Miami Dade College and Miami-Dade County. In addition to an M.S. in engineering management from GW, he received a B.S. in business from Florida State University and served in the U.S. Peace Corps.