Detective Charles Balogh 

In 1989, Charles Balogh began his law enforcement career with the Luzerne County Sheriff’s Office. He graduated from the Deputy Sheriff’s Academy at the Dickinson School of Law in August 1989. In May 1991, Balogh graduated from the Pennsylvania Municipal Police Academy at Lackawanna Junior College. Balogh also graduated from the American Crime Prevention Institute, Louisville, KY. Balogh has been certified as a Basic & Advanced School Resource Officer. For the last eight years, Balogh served as the Community Service Officer with the District.Attorney’s Office. Currently, Detective Balogh is assigned to the Computer Crimes/Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.

Balogh received specialized training in the field of crime prevention, Internet crime, computer crime, computer forensics, cell phone forensics, cyber-bullying and Internet prevention, school violence, gangs, drug identification, drug and alcohol prevention. Detective Balogh is a Master Trainer for “Protecting Kids Online,” which is under the direction of the Center for Safe Schools. Balogh has been a presenter at five national conferences on the subject of cyberbullying, social networks, sexting, and Internet safety. 

In October 2009, Detective Balogh was awarded the Crime Prevention Officer of the Year Award by then Governor Edward Rendell and the Key to the City of Wilkes Barre for his crime prevention efforts to improve neighborhood safety. In October 1999, Balogh was awarded the Governor’s Highway Safety Award for Safety Education.

Michael Bookser 

Michael Bookser is currently an Emergency Planning and Response Management Coordinator for the Center for Safe Schools. He holds a B.A. degree in the administration of criminal justice from the University of Pittsburgh. He earned a master’s degree in public management from the H. John Heinz III College at Carnegie Mellon University.

Bookser spent 37 years as a police officer in Western Pennsylvania, the last 21 as chief of police. For the past 24 years he has taught Basic Recruit classes at the Allegheny County Police Training Academy. As a Master Instructor, Bookser has taught the Center for Safe Schools’ “Protecting Kids Online” program to students and adults for 10 years.

In addition, Bookser has served as the emergency management coordinator for his community for the past 20 years.

Dr. John J. George

As executive director of the Berks County Intermediate Unit (BCIU), a premier educational services agency, Dr. John J. George is responsible for the administration and operation of over 100 programs serving the schools of the county. Also, as superintendent of the Berks Career and Technology center, he is equally proud of the strong vocational education programs offered by the center and of its mission to provide youngsters with skills needed to enter the working world.

An advocate of professional and community involvement, Dr. George serves as a member of many boards, including the Berks Business Education Coalition, Crime Alert, Junior Achievement, and the Workforce Investment Board.

Dr. George began his tenure with the BCIU in October 2008 after serving two years as superintendent and two years as assistant superintendent of the Warwick School District in Lititz, PA. At Warwick, Dr. George oversaw a budget of $55 million and increased student achievement as measured by the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) and the Pennsylvania Value Added Assessment System (PVAAS).

From December 1993 to June 2004, Dr. George was supervisor and then director of Exceptional Children Services (ECS) for the Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13. While a director at IU13, Dr. George saw the ECS program grow from 400 to more than 1,200 employees and from a budget of $25 million to one of $54 million in just over seven years.

His experience also includes employment with the Capital Area Intermediate Unit 15 as director of Comprehensive System of Personnel Development, and with the National Association of State Directors of Special Education. Dr. George also has worked as a special education teacher.

Dr. George earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education from George Washington University and Master of Education and Doctor of Education degrees in instruction and learning from the University of Pittsburgh. He also has completed post-doctoral studies in education administration from Temple University.

He was born in McKeesport, PA. He and his wife, Cheryl, live in Lititz with their two daughters, Sara and Jennifer. He is a Civil War enthusiast and, in his spare time, Dr. George serves as a Sunday school instructor at Grace Church, Lititz.