Shady Side Academy hires Butler man as director of campus safety

Jim Reeder has always had a desire to help others.

In his new role as director of campus safety and security at Shady Side Academy, Reeder gets to do just that — help keep all 1,100 students, along with faculty and staff, safe.

“I’m really excited that I get to help the whole community here at Shady Side,” he said.

Reeder of Butler started at Shady Side Academy on Sept. 1, bringing a wealth of public safety experience to the school’s four campuses.

“We were impressed with Jim’s commitment to school safety, his broad risk and crisis management experience, and his friendly, genial disposition,” said President Bart Griffith. “I am confident he will help Shady Side remain safe while at the same doing the all-important work of building community.”

Reeder said his desire to help others started at an early age when he enjoyed helping classmates with their homework or helping them learn how to play a game. After going to college, he joined the East Butler Volunteer Fire Department.

“I was like ‘Wow, I can do something different every day. It’s not the same thing day in and day out,’” he said. And he was still able to help people.

Reeder initially planned on becoming a forensic chemist after receiving a bachelor’s degree from Allegheny College in chemistry. But after a year enrolled in a master’s program at West Virginia University, he decided to pivot. He loved what he did at the fire department and decided to make a career out of it.

For the past 15 years, Reeder worked as a career firefighter for the Butler City Bureau of Fire. There he was promoted through the ranks, ultimately serving as a lieutenant.

On the side for the last 14 years, he also worked part-time as a dispatcher for Butler County 911.

He also loves sports and working with kids, so he spends his spare time officiating high school boys basketball and men’s Division III athletics.

With his twin boys, Easton and Brandt, getting older and having more activities on the evenings and weekends, Reeder once again decided to pivot. He wanted a career that allowed him to spend more time with his boys and wife, Jenna.

So, he went back to school, this time receiving a master’s degree from Arizona State University in emergency management and homeland security.

The job at Shady Side allows him to continue keeping others safe while helping kids and providing a better work-life balance.

At Shady Side, much of Reeder’s work will be preparing for emergency situations and training students, faculty and staff for the worst. That includes coordinating the implementation of comprehensive safety policies and protocols and overseeing a team of security officers and guards.

“It’s a lot of planning. It’s the things that you need to have in place and you want to have a solid foundation for, but hope that you never have to use,” he said. “It’s like an insurance policy on your house, you want to have good coverage, but you never want to have to use it.”

Reeder knew from the moment he stepped foot on the campus that Shady Side Academy was a good fit for him.

“Their values align with mine,” he said. “I’m happy to be here.”