Oct. 19, 2005, Findlay, Ohio – Charles Connolly, a national expert on public and private protection, will discuss “Security and Its Impact on the American Economy,” Wednesday, Oct. 26, at noon in the Winebrenner Theological Seminary TLB Auditorium, adjacent to the UF campus.

Connolly has more than 48 years of experience in the public and private protection profession. He is the former first vice president and director of worldwide security for Merrill Lynch. He was responsible for the physical security of 68,000 employees assigned to 980 buildings in 44 countries. Additionally, he was responsible for the organization’s corporate security, fraud control and executive protection as well as the firm’s international and domestic ethics hotline. He was a member of the firm’s Disaster/Contingency/Recovery Program.

Prior to joining Merrill Lynch, Connolly was the vice president for business development for Wells Fargo Guard Services (1991-1993). He also served eight years as director of police services for the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, where he was responsible for the administration, training and supervision of 1,300 police personnel (1983-1991).

He also has served as the director of security at the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, police commissioner of Yonkers, N.Y., and worked for the New York City Police Department for 22 years.

Connolly is a frequent lecturer on security and safety for a number of international audiences including the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the American Society for Industrial Security International, the FBI National Academy and the Major Cities Chiefs Association.

He holds adjunct professorships at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and three other higher education institutions.

For more information about this free, public event, contact Rebecca Shell, public relations officer, at 419-434-4345 or shell@findlay.edu.