About Us
Prevent Advisors combines the knowledge and expertise of counterterrorism experts, leaders in safety and security, and best in class venue operators to deliver world class solutions to world class clients.
Prevent Advisors was founded with a single mission in mind. Keep people safe.
Our parent company OVG led by co-founders, Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff, helped launch Prevent Advisors on the simple premise – world class guest experience begins and ends with the delivery of a safe and secure environment for the customer. Prevent Advisors exists to help our partners build and maintain the safest and most secure facilities in the ecosystems of sport and entertainment throughout the globe.
The organization, led by Special Operations, Law Enforcement, and Venue Management Professionals; Prevent Advisors works with our committed partners to design, build, implement, and maintain comprehensive solution sets to deter bad actors, address contingencies, and mitigate the risks associated with the sophisticated threats of today and the rapidly evolving threats of the future.
Our team is mission oriented, passionate, and aggressive in our efforts to improve safety and security outcomes for our clients. As enthusiastic fans of both sports and live entertainment ourselves, we understand the implied contract between venue and guests. We are driven by the desire to safeguard the experiences and events that create unforgettable memories and shape lives.
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Mike Downing
Chief Security Officer
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J.T. Klingenmeier
Vice President
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Scott Anderson
Vice President, Business Services
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David Born
Senior Director, Business Services
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Jennifer Angelier
Senior Director, Operations
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James Johnston
Senior Director, Security Programs
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Mark Wilson
Senior Director, Emergency Management
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Matt Collin
Operations Manager
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Lea Raad
Analyst, Security Operations
As Chief Security Officer of OVG and President of Prevent Advisors, Mr. Downing brings 35 years of experience to Prevent Advisors. Most recently he served as the Deputy Chief, Los Angeles Police Department and Commanding Officer, Counter-Terrorism and Special Operations Bureau where he led five operational divisions: Major Crimes, Emergency Services Divisions, Metropolitan Division, Air Support Division, and Emergency Operations Division. These divisions include the Anti-Terrorism Intelligence Section, Criminal Investigative Section, Organized Crime, Surveillance Section, Hazardous Devices Section, LAX Bomb K-9 Section, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), Mounted Unit, Dive Teams, Emergency Preparedness and Response.
Mr. Downing has worked with the New Scotland Yard’s Metropolitan Police Counter-Terrorism Command SO 15. Mr. Downing has testified before Congressional sub-committee’s relative to intelligence, homeland security, information sharing, and prison radicalization. In April 2010, Mr. Downing served as a member of the Department of Homeland Security Advisory Council working group on developing a national strategy for countering violent extremism. In October 2009, Mr. Downing was appointed as the Interim Police Chief for the Los Angeles Police Department.
Mr. Downing is an active member of the Leadership in Counter-Terrorism (LinCT) Alumni Association, working with alumni from the FBI’s LinCT Program to develop a global enterprise of networked counter-terrorism practitioners from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Deputy Chief Downing has also worked with the Department of Justice and State Department, traveling throughout South America, Africa, Turkey, Poland, India, and Kenya to transition large national police organizations into democratic civilian policing models and overlay counter-terrorism enterprises on top of cities. His work in counter-terrorism has taken him to Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Germany, Kenya, India, France, Afghanistan, and Iraq; all to examine smart practices and build a network of practitioners.
Mr. Downing attended the University of Southern California where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration in 1982 and completed POST Command College in 1997, the FBI’s Leadership in Counter-Terrorism (LinCT) in 2008, the Post Naval Graduate Executive Program in 2009, and the Senior Management Institute for Police at Boston (SMIP PERF) in 2012. Mr. Downing is currently a Board Member at the George Washington University Center for Cyber and Homeland Security Institute.
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Mr. Klingenmeier has over 20 years of experience in facility management with an extensive background in security, risk and event management, parking, guest services, and venue operations. Throughout his career, JT has been a key contributor to the successful operation of many high-profile events including the NBA Finals, NBA Conference Finals, NBA All-Star Game, MLS All-star Game, multiple NLL All-star Game, NHL Conference Finals, NBA Global Games, NCAA Final Four, NCAA Frozen Four, Democratic National Convention, FIFA sanctioned events and other internationally sanctioned soccer events.
JT specializes in a variety of staff training including emergency, crowd, and crisis management, emergency procedures, customer service, employee safety, and TEAM (Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management) training. JT has successfully conducted joint operational exercises with both federal and local law enforcement agencies in preparation of large-scale events, including live exercises during NBA and NLL games. In addition, JT has sat on NCS4 Professional Sports Arenas and Stadiums and NBA Security Guidelines Committees, where he was instrumental in helping the NBA rewrite the league guidelines.
Prior to joining PVS as the Director of Venue Services, JT worked for the Houston Dynamo and BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, Texas. He was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Security Department and coordinated all aspects of security for the venue during events. JT’s other responsibilities included managing local law enforcement, medical provider, parking operations and staff safety training.
Before working in Houston, JT was the Director of Security Venues for Kroenke Sports & Entertainment in Denver, Colorado for 13 years. During his time in Denver, JT oversaw the security operations for multiple sports and entertainment venues including the Pepsi Center, Dicks Sporting Goods Park, Paramount Theater and First Bank Center.
JT is a graduate of the Sonoma State University in Northern California and has a Master’s Degree in Sports Administration from the University of San Francisco.
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Mr. Anderson is a 17-year veteran in facility management with extensive experience in security management, crisis management, risk management, parking, guest services, operations, and claims/ incident management. Throughout his 17-year career Scott has played a critical role in the successful operation of many high-profile events including the NBA Finals, NBA All-Star Games, NBA Global Games, NHL Outdoor Series, Democratic National Convention, NCAA Tournament, FIFA sanctioned events, outdoor festivals, and large concerts.
In Scott’s current role with Prevent Advisors, Scott manages the day-to-day operations of the Operations and Business Development departments, which include both the industry leading Red Team program and consultancy program. During Scott’s tenure at Prevent Advisors, the company has expanded its previous client base to include such organizations as the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, The Walt Disney Company, NBC, Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros and many more.
Previously to Prevent Advisors, Scott was the Vice President of Security & Fan Experience for Pinnacle Venue Services. Under Scott’s leadership, PVS expanded its security services division by providing security services to multiple clients and events including the NBA Finals, NBA All-Star Game, and NBA Global Games. Scott was instrumental in building the start-up company from scratch, to quickly becoming an industry leader by developing a cutting-edge Red Team program and wholistic event security services.
Prior to taking the position with Pinnacle Venue Services, Scott spent three years working as the Director of Security and Parking for the San Antonio Spurs organization. During his tenure with the Spurs, Scott was responsible for the overall security/parking management for a wide variety of events including the 2013/14 NBA Finals, 2014 Men’s NCAA tournament, River City Rockfest, Warped Tour, and many other concerts. He was instrumental in helping the organization transition event staffing services in-house which resulted in a #1 ranking in fan experience per the NBA. The San Antonio Spurs were ranked #1 in overall experience for the NBA two out of three years Scott was with the organization. Other responsibilities Scott held for the Spurs organization included Chief Safety Officer, risk manager, and claims manager for all company related matters.
Scott started his facility management career as the Event Incident Manager for Kroenke Sports & Entertainment and assisted in managing all emergency services and event risk management details for three different venues including the Pepsi Center, Dicks Sporting Goods Park, and Paramount Theater.
Scott is a graduate of the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington and has a Master’s Degree in Sports Administration from the University of Northern Colorado. After successfully transitioning into the sports industry after 7 years of management in corporate security, Scott graduated from the International Association of Venue Management’s school of Venue Management in 2013.
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Mr.Born has over 30 years of experience in security and event management, with expertise including physical security and safety, crowd management, training, COVID safety and compliance, investigation, risk management and strategic planning. David has experience in high-profile events including the 2020 NBA Restart; NBA Finals, NBA All-Star Game, NHL Stanley Cup Final, NHL All-Star Game, NFL Super Bowl, NFL Pro Bowl, Grammy Awards, MLS Finals, NCAA Frozen Four, MLB All-Star Game, and numerous concerts and other events.
Prior to working at Prevent Advisors, David was a COVID Health and Safety Consultant for Sony Pictures Entertainment where he oversaw COVID preventative measures, compliance and testing operations for a television production.
Prior to Sony Pictures Entertainment, David was the Senior Director of Security for STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, where he oversaw security operations at the home of the NBA’s Lakers and Clippers, the NHL’s Kings, the WNBA’s Sparks, the annual Grammy Awards, concerts and other events.
Prior to STAPLES Center, Mr. Born served as the Director of Security for Dignity Health Sports Park (formerly StubHub Center) in Carson, California. Prior to his time at Dignity Health Sports Park, Born worked as the Senior Director of Guest Services and Security at Enterprise Center (formerly Scottrade Center) and the St. Louis Blues in St. Louis, Missouri.
Born is a Certified Protection Professional (CPP) with ASIS International and a Certified Sports Security Professional (CSSP) through the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4). He is also an active member of the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM), the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) and current faculty member of the Academy for Venue Safety and Security.
Mr. Born has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from San Diego State University, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and a Post- Graduate Certificate in Security Management from Buckinghamshire New University.
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Ms. Angelier joined the Prevent Advisors team in 2019, coming from Prevent Advisors’ parent company Oak View Group “OVG” where she had been since 2017 as the Executive Assistant to the CEO, Tim Leiweke. With Prevent Advisors, Jennifer has conducted countless red team assessments across major sports leagues, in addition to providing on-site security consulting for major sporting events both domestically and internationally. Jennifer has participated in the preparation of risk and threat assessments for arenas, stadiums, and other entertainment entities. Prior to OVG, Jennifer worked in the legal and entertainment industries.
Jennifer is a graduate of Western Governor’s University and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing Management and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.
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Mr.Johnston has 15 years of experience in safety, security, and emergency management in the events and venues space. His expertise includes policy & procedure development, training & exercises, physical security systems, and security operations management. James’s event experience includes the NFL, NBA, WNBA, G-League, NHL, AHL, MLS, USL, MLB, NLL, CONCACAF, Liga-MX, numerous concerts, and hundreds of NCAA Division 1 competitions, including multiple regional championships and the Men’s Final Four. In 2012 he was the Assistant Front of House Manager for the Presidential Debate in Denver, Colorado.
Most recently prior to his role with Prevent Advisors, James was the co-founder and principal consultant at Continuum Preparedness, where he developed security and emergency response plans, policies, procedures, and training for clients on three continents; many of them venues or large campus environments. Prior to Continuum, James was the Security Operations Manager at the Denver Zoo and prior to that, he was a Security Manager with Spurs Sports & Entertainment.
Before his time in venue management, James developed emergency response training curricula for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Food & Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control, and the U.S. Department of State. James also served as the training coordinator for a campus safety department for several years, while also heavily supporting CALEA campus security accreditation programs.
James is a Certified Sports Security Professional (CSSP) through the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) and maintains Terrorism Liaison Officer status with the State of Colorado. He is also a Steering Committee member with the Hospitality, Entertainment, and Tourism community of ASIS International and is a current faculty member with AIMS International.
James holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, a Master’s Degree in Marketing, and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Strategic Management, all from the University of Denver.
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Mr.Wilson is the Senior Director of Emergency Management for Prevent Advisors. In his 18 years in the emergency and public safety field, Mark has been an emergency manager, paramedic, fire and life safety officer, investigator, and entrepreneur. As an emergency manager, he has developed and led programs for Dartmouth College, the University of Denver, and Metropolitan State University of Denver. As a first responder, he has served urban and rural communities in Colorado, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Most recently, Mark was the co-founder of Continuum Preparedness, where he developed emergency management programs and provided training for venues, educational institutions, amusement parks, corporations, and non-profits on three continents.
Mark is a Nationally Registered Paramedic and continues to volunteer as a Paramedic in Colorado. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History from Dartmouth College and a Master of Public Administration degree with a focus in crisis response and continuity from Norwich University.
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Mr .Collin has over 18 years of experience in the industry with an extensive background in event management and staffing experience. Matt has managed countless events including College Football, College Hockey, MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA and Performing Arts events, and managed major events such as MLB All Star Games, College Bowl Games, CONCACAF, large FIFA events, NCAA Final Four, and a Democratic National Convention.
Matt joined Prevent Advisors in 2024, coming from Argus Event Staffing where he served as the General Manager for the University of Colorado and the University of Denver, and helped manage and plan events at several venues in the Denver area including Coors Field, Fiddlers Green, Mission Ballroom, and Empower Field at Mile High. Matt has also spent time with Whelan Event Staffing serving as the Area Director overseeing the Alamodome, AT&T Center, Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, Texas A&M University, University of Texas – San Antonio, and University of Texas – El Paso. Matt is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Denver, CO with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sports, Entertainment & Event Management.
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Ms. Raad began her security career as an Operator for Prevent Advisors’ now SAFETY Act Designated Red Team Assessment technology. Ms. Raad conducts Red Team Assessments for large-scale sporting and live entertainment events, and now, as the Analyst of Security Operations, she uses her leadership and management skills to ensure projects are run safely and efficiently. Lea extensively travels internationally as a security operations specialist for large scale public sporting events. Graduating from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a BA in Homeland Security, Lea’s ability to speak Arabic and French has made her an undeniable asset to the Prevent Advisors team. Lea is a recent graduate of IAVM’s AVSS.
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