The Monday after Thanksgiving is the first day on the job for Bryan ISD’s first security director.
Rich Himmel was introduced during last week’s school board meeting by his new supervisor, BISD’s director of auxiliary services Ron Clary.
Clary said the security position was created by splitting what was a combined job of risk management and security.
Himmel comes to Bryan ISD after four years supervising security officers at the Bush Library
Before coming to Aggieland in 2018, Himmel spent almost 30 years in law enforcement in southern California, including time as a school resource officer.
Click below for comments from Ron Clary during the November 14, 2022 Bryan ISD school board meeting.
News release from Bryan ISD:
Richard (Rich) Himmel was introduced to the School Board of Trustees as the new Assistant Director of Safety and Security for the school district during the Nov. 14 board meeting.
Himmel brings more than 30 years of law enforcement experience to the district, including 27 years with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department in Southern California.
Since September 2018, he has served as an armed security sergeant at Texas A&M University, where he supervised security officers at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library.
In the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, he served 16 years in patrol operations, three years in the professional services division and eight years in the corrections division.
“Bringing Rich and his years of safety and security experience across multiple disciplines is a huge asset to Bryan ISD,” Bryan ISD Superintendent Ginger Carrabine said. “We’re committed to making safety and security our top priority and this hire is just another one of the ways we continue to emphasize it.”
Himmel said this role allows him to continue his career in public service and serve his community with a focus on safety and protecting human lives. He will begin in this district on Nov. 28 and report to Ron Clary, executive director of auxiliary services.
About the Hire:
Rich Himmel received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from California State University in Fullerton. He was a deputy sheriff trainee through the Orange County Sheriff’s Basic Academy, a high-stress law enforcement academy.
In 2007, he completed an eight-month master’s level course through Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute. Then, in 2016, he earned an Infrastructure Protection Certificate from Texas A&M University Engineering Extension (TEEX).
In addition to his experience as a peace officer, Himmel also has technical, emergency response, emergency management and incident command system training provided by county, state and federal organizations.