How comfortable do you feel walking from late night classes back up to your dorm, or from the dining hall to the gym? Does the presence of the security Jeep put you at ease as you drive back to campus from a night out? The
Corban community has many people to thank for keeping the campus safe 24-7, and the person at the head of it all is the new guy in town, Seth Elliott.
With the official title of Executive Manager of Security, Elliott’s job is to coordinate emergency preparedness, supervise the security team, provide training for his staff, and collaberate with Corban and community law enforcement.
Prior to Corban, Elliott did Behavior Consultation and Threat Assessment for the Salem-Keizer School District. Elliott enjoys his job on campus, as he was ready for a change from the public school district. He especially appreciates the fact that Corban’s privately owned campus gives him more freedom to control than a public property would. Currently, Elliott is working to keep Corban aligned with the best practices in security. This could mean technological improvements, (cameras around campus perhaps), and a lot more training for the 14 members on his security team.
He has been married to his wife Amanda for 10 years. They have three children: Grace, age 7, Ava, age 5 and Michael, age 4.
“Family is a big deal,” Elliott said. “We have a great dynamic going on.”
Elliott’s sense of family also plays into the dynamics with his security team. This year, he enforced stricter hygiene rules, provided new uniforms, and brought in his own experience to help with their training. He has knowledge of Krav Maga, which is Israeli Martial Arts, and has even been a personal bodyguard before.
Second year security guard Casey Journagan spoke highly of his new boss. “He is a great guy,” Journagan said. “He actually cares about our well being. He’s not a pushover, but he is really rational.”
Journagan has learned a lot under Elliott’s training. “Training is helpful, and it’s great to learn how to keep yourself safe. Nothing is particularly out of our reach.”
Though Elliott is new to campus, he is getting to know more and more students every day.
“He is very approachable,” Journagan said. “He has an open door policy, he is an extrovert, and he is very welcoming.” Elliott’s office is located on the second floor of the library.
Students are important to Elliott. “I really value protecting college students and the Corban reputation,” he said. To him, security equals a priority to keep people safe.
Chris Barry, another student security guard, has learned a lot from Elliott’s example. “He knows what he’s doing,” Barry said, then added, “but I would never want to fight him.”