University of Washington Tacoma safety director spotlights collaborative leadership

Susan Beth Wagshul-Golden, director of emergency preparedness and campus safety at the University of Washington Tacoma, is being recognized for more than 30 years in public safety and emergency management. Her work spans campus safety strategy, regional emergency planning and mentoring women in a field where leadership roles remain scarce.

Why it matters: - Susan Beth Wagshul-Golden leads emergency preparedness and campus safety at the University of Washington Tacoma. - Her career highlights the role higher-education safety leaders play in protecting students, staff and surrounding communities during crises. - Her profile also underscores the ongoing push for more women in public safety leadership.

What happened: - Wagshul-Golden was spotlighted by Influential Women for her leadership in campus safety and emergency management. - She serves as director of emergency preparedness and campus safety at the University of Washington Tacoma. - She brings more than 30 years of public service experience in higher education public safety and emergency management. - Her work includes advising senior leadership on safety strategy, leading policy development and coordinating multi-agency responses to campus and regional emergencies.

The details: - Wagshul-Golden’s leadership style emphasizes collaboration, trust, communication and resilience. - Her experience includes community crisis response planning, emergency operations, behavioral intervention and campus safety leadership. - She is also known for advocacy on student food insecurity and regional emergency planning with public health and emergency management agencies. - Her career began in the City University of New York system, where she held multiple campus public safety roles. - She rose to campus police lieutenant and served as assistant director at Hunter College and Borough of Manhattan Community College. - She was on duty at Borough of Manhattan Community College during the September 11, 2001 attacks, an experience that shaped her approach to crisis response and preparedness. - At Hunter College, she led complex multi-campus safety operations for large and diverse academic communities. - She later moved to the Pacific Northwest and continued working on safety and readiness efforts. - Wagshul-Golden earned a Master of Science in Management and Leadership from Western Governors University. - She completed certificates in Confronting Bias: Thriving Across Our Differences, The New Rules of Work and Making Your Next Career Move Your Best Move. - She is a member of the National Association for Clery Compliance Officers. - She volunteers on the Pierce College Advisory Board for Emergency Management Curriculum. - She has chaired the Pierce County Higher Education Emergency Planning Group for more than 12 years. - She also serves with the AMVETS Post 1 Ladies Auxiliary in Tacoma. - The University of Washington Tacoma honored her with its Distinguished Service Award in 2020.

Between the lines: - Wagshul-Golden frames her success around servant leadership, preparation and resilience. - Her approach centers on empathy, accountability and open conversation. - She says mentors taught her both what strong leadership looks like and what to avoid. - Her advice to young women in public safety is to stay true to themselves, stay focused and keep building their own path. - She sees representation as a major issue because women remain underrepresented in public safety leadership. - Her comments on the “glass cliff” reflect the pressure many women leaders face in high-stakes roles. - Her emphasis on education and visibility suggests a leadership model built on confidence, learning and presence.

What's next: - Wagshul-Golden is expected to continue shaping campus safety strategy and emergency planning at the University of Washington Tacoma. - Her mentoring and advisory work point to continued influence on the next generation of women in public service and emergency management. - Her regional planning roles suggest ongoing collaboration across institutions facing shared risks.

The bottom line: - Wagshul-Golden’s career shows how campus safety leadership now extends beyond security operations to crisis planning, community partnerships and equity in leadership.