Meet Dennis Russo

NCSSD Administrator, Keeper of the Stacks, and School Safety's Best-Kept Secret

By day, he's quietly shelving books, shushing rowdy students, and recommending the perfect read. But don't let the cardigan fool you — Dennis Russo, Administrator of the National Council of School Safety Directors (NCSSD), is one of the sharpest minds in school safety working today.

Operating undercover as a school librarian, Russo has mastered the art of blending in. While others see a mild-mannered keeper of the Dewey Decimal System, those in the know recognize him as a seasoned safety professional dedicated to protecting students and staff in schools across the country.

When he's not cataloguing safety protocols with the same precision he applies to periodicals, Russo is lending his expertise to the NCSSD community — connecting school safety directors, advancing best practices, and helping shape the future of how schools prepare for and respond to threats.

Off duty, Dennis is a man of distinguished taste. He is a devoted connoisseur of fine cheeses and wines — the kind of person who can pair a aged gouda with a bold Barolo without breaking a sweat. He is also, perhaps less elegantly, a die-hard Buffalo Sabres fanatic. Yes, even the most refined among us have their cross to bear.

Whether he's between the stacks or behind the scenes at NCSSD, Dennis Russo brings passion, expertise, and just the right amount of mystery to everything he does. The schools he serves are safer for it — even if most of them have no idea why.