REPRESENTATIVE TEAM & BOARD MEMBERS
Leah LeSage, RN, BSN, PCCN
Executive Director
Leah was the founding Director of Strider Safety Institute, which gave birth to Strider Safety and Strider SFV™ Lab. A registered and SANE certified nurse, Leah is also the Durango High School ski coach and a former collegiate athlete. A graduate of Waterville Valley Academy (1987-1991), she also served as a House Parent in 1996.
Jamie Bridges
Academy Manager & Safety Operative
Jamie has been with Strider Safety since the beginning and was instrumental in both website design and academy operations. She oversees academy instructors, course development, and current classes. Jamie is also a certified Close Call Instructor™.
Dave Amis
Chief Safety Officer
Dave is a former 911 Executive, Colorado Ranger, and Law Enforcement Officer. He earned his MBA at Harvard and was awarded Harvard, Bosch, and Arab-American Fellowships. At the Police Academy, he earned the Class Leadership Award, served as class captain and later served as Drill and PT Instructor. He is the creator of the Strider Spectrum™.
Monica Kluger
Senior Instructor of Close Call Academy
For almost two decades, Monica has been a proponent of teaching women how to be safe, first as a martial arts instructor and then as an NRA Basic Pistol instructor. She feels strongly about encouraging women to value and prioritize their lives by doing simple things like paying attention to their surroundings and acting on their intuition when there’s a potential for danger. Monica has led numerous live classes online.
Anna Leyva
SFV™ Engineer
As a former strategy and operations consultant with Deloitte, Anna has worked with Fortune 500 companies and startups. At Strider she focuses on communications and implementing SFV™ solutions for large organizations.
Dr. Nzazi
Board Member
After witnessing his father’s murder at his home in the Congo, Dr. Nzazi became a CQC expert. He is a former USAF Commando with combat leadership experience. Dr. Nzazi is also a world-class Tai Chi Master and former competitive fighter. One of the original “Striders”, he has been instrumental in identifying and categorizing predator methods.
Dan O'Neill
Board Member
Dan is a campus safety and threat assessment expert having worked with over 40 US Universities and hundreds of companies. Previously he served as the interim Director of Safety for MIT. Dan is a former Army Ranger Captain and MacArthur Award recipient as well as a graduate of Harvard Business School.
He is the CEO and founder of ADRM.
Jennifer Cassetta
Board Member
Jennifer is a national-class self-defense expert who speaks regularly to college and high school women on empowerment, safety, and the “lion’s roar”. The creator of Stilettos and Self-Defense™, Jennifer is an enthusiastic and motivating speaker for young women who want to take charge of their own personal safety.
Diane Griggs, LCSW, RPT-S
Board Member
Diane is a mental health consultant specializing in major violence and recovery. Previously she worked with the Los Angeles County Child Protection Services, the Loved Ones of Homicide Victims, and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, She is a widely quoted and recognized expert on major violence.