By Josh Siatkowski | Staff Writer, Lauren Holcomb | LTVN Broadcast Reporter
After a decade of protecting the Baylor community, Associate Vice President for Campus Safety and Security Mark Childers is retiring.
LTVN’s Lauren Holcomb recaps Childers’ journey to Baylor.
Childers — whose last day will be Dec. 31 — joined Baylor in 2014 after a 26-year career in government law enforcement. Childers has provided leadership during Baylor’s sexual assault scandal, increased the scope of the campus camera system and consolidated and oversaw Baylor’s five public safety divisions.
When he was hired, Childers was tasked with overseeing Baylor’s various security groups. In 2014, the Department of Public Safety was not as consolidated as it is today.
“[Baylor] had a police department, they had emergency management, they had fire safety and parking and transportation, but they were all scattered throughout campus, reporting to different division heads,” Childers said.
Now, Childers oversees over 100 staff members across five divisions.
At Baylor, he has focused on improving relations with outside organizations and providing top-tier security to campus. With a background in the Secret Service, he used his network to create a stronger connection between Baylor and government law enforcement organizations like the FBI, Secret Service and Waco Police Department.
Chief of Waco PD Sheryl Victorian commended Childers’ efforts in a statement.
“Director Childers is the epitome of professionalism and collaboration. He has had an incredible impact on Public Safety at many levels and is leaving an inspiring legacy in Central Texas. His presence and leadership will be missed,” Victorian said.
Childers improved campus security, and Baylor became a leader in active shooter defense.
“Over the past three years, [Baylor] has conducted full-scale exercises and invited Big 12 first responders, including chiefs of police and emergency management personnel to observe and learn from their practices,” Childers said. “Baylor’s proactive approach has significantly influenced emergency preparedness across the Big 12 Conference.”
After eight years as a U.S. Marshal, Childers took up various roles in the Secret Service, where he spent the next 18 years. He served on President George W. Bush’s detail, investigated white-collar crimes in Washington, D.C. and supervised President Bush’s ranch in Crawford. And just before joining Baylor, Childers was prepared to accept another new position.
“I had been promoted again to run our office at the U.S. Embassy in The Hague, Netherlands, and we were probably six weeks from departing,” Childers said.
Childers was then contacted by a close friend about the new position at Baylor. After four or five interviews, Childers said they offered him the position to stand up the new Department of Public Safety, and he is glad he made that decision. Though the switch was sudden, Childers said he was grateful for the change.
“10 years at Baylor has been an unbelievable experience. It’s helped me grow spiritually, professionally, personally… I think if I would have stayed in the [Secret] Service, I wouldn’t have had that opportunity,” Childers said.
As Childers transitions into retirement from Baylor, Assistant Chief of BUPD Don Rodman will act as interim director. In the meantime, Childers will continue working with his security consulting firm. Although he will not be part of the selection process for a new director, Childers is optimistic for the future of Baylor security.
“Whoever takes my spot will continue to build that and take it to the next level, and that is the way it should be,” he said. “I’m very excited about whoever takes over, and I look forward to supporting them in any way I can.”
