Shield the Vulnerable: Building a Culture of Safety

In a recent episode of Shield The Vulnerable: Untold Stories, host Dave sat down with Jennifer McMahon, Director of Human Resources for the City of St. Charles, Illinois, and Chairman of the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners in Geneva. Their conversation wasn’t just about policy—it was about the human heart of safety, forged in childhood trauma and refined in the crucible of community tragedy.

The Origin Story: When Safety Becomes Personal

Jennifer’s commitment to safety wasn’t born in a boardroom—it was forged at age four, watching three teenage boys beat her mother unconscious in a mall parking lot. This childhood trauma created what she calls her “origin story” of hyper-vigilance.

“I was always the person that wouldn’t take the shortcut down the alley… or wouldn’t allow another female friend to walk someplace alone. I think this is probably the origin story of how that played a role in me being conscious of. You just never know where danger may lurk.”

This early experience shaped Jennifer’s entire worldview, teaching her that situational awareness isn’t paranoia—it’s preparedness. It’s a lesson she carries into her HR work today, understanding that for many employees, safety concerns aren’t abstract concepts but lived experiences.

The Highland Park Wake-Up Call: Tragedy in the Backyard

The conversation takes a sobering turn to July 4, 2022, when a shooter opened fire during a parade in Highland Park, Illinois—just 30 miles from Jennifer’s community. The proximity made the tragedy visceral for her and her colleagues.

The Leadership Response That Made a Difference

Jennifer shares insights from her friends in Highland Park’s leadership:

  • The City Manager ran toward danger to help during the active shooting
  • The HR Director single-handedly ran the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) despite not being fully trained for the role
  • Both leaders exemplified “consummate public service” in the most extreme circumstances

But as Jennifer notes, “Once the event is over, our work is not done. Oh, God. It’s just starting.”

Beyond the Headlines: The Real Work Begins After the Crisis

The shooting exposed critical gaps in how organizations handle the aftermath of trauma. Jennifer observed that Highland Park’s emotional support needs continued for over a year, with different employees processing trauma at different times.

“I made some connections with some resources here in Saint Charles to prepare in case something like that happens,” Jennifer explains. Her proactive approach included:

  • Immediate check-ins with staff about their feelings and fears
  • Acknowledgment from city leadership that fear was a normal, valid response
  • Offering concrete resources and support systems
  • Re-evaluating and enhancing safety protocols for Saint Charles’s own large public events
“We have to acknowledge this. I know it’s frightening to acknowledge this. You don’t want to consider that this could be happening in your organization or in your community. But if we face that and we acknowledge that and we provide resources and preparation, the feedback we’re getting from employees is that that is building trust.”

The Business Case for Safety: Retention, Trust, and ROI

Jennifer and Dave delve into the tangible business impacts of safety culture, moving beyond moral arguments to practical economics:

The Hidden Costs of Unsafe Environments

  • Absenteeism: Employees calling in “sick” when they’re actually avoiding intimidating situations or recovering from verbal aggression
  • Turnover: Losing valuable employees who quietly resign rather than face ongoing intimidation
  • Recruitment & Training Costs: At least 10% of a position’s salary to replace an employee, plus lost institutional knowledge
  • Decreased Engagement: Employees who don’t feel safe cannot perform at their best

Jennifer describes frontline municipal employees facing aggressive citizens over water bills or permits: “They’re getting very aggressive verbally. And it’s scary and intimidating to the point that we had to bring in law enforcement. And so that’s not something that’s easily forgotten the next day.”

A Blueprint for Proactive Protection

Jennifer outlines concrete steps any organization can take to build a genuine culture of safety:

1. Start with Self-Education: “There are a lot of resources out there that will help you go through a systematic process to find your weak points.”
2. Bring Leadership Together: “I brought leaders from all the departments together and said, let’s work on a workplace violence preparation, prevention and response plan.”
3. Ask Your Employees: “What are they most concerned about? What are their fears? … You’re involving others in that conversation.”
4. Formalize the Commitment: “I thought it was very important to include that in our strategic plan to prepare for those high risk, low frequency situations.”
5. Train Consistently: “Figure out how do we train our employees on de-escalation, situational awareness, those things.”

The Human Side of HR: Mentorship and Mindset

Jennifer credits two key mentors with shaping her approach:

  • An early HR director who taught her to balance employee needs with taxpayer responsibility while maintaining human connection
  • Her husband, a retired police officer whose de-escalation techniques inform her HR conflict resolution strategies
“When a person comes to HR, they’re usually coming with really serious things, right? It’s something medical. It’s something related to their job, their livelihood, their finances… And are they coming into HR and do they feel safe to work through that problem?”

Final Thought: Don’t Wait for the Storm

Jennifer’s journey from a traumatized four-year-old to a community safety leader embodies the episode’s core message: Safety isn’t a policy—it’s a culture. It’s built through empathy, preparation, and the courage to have difficult conversations before tragedy strikes.

“Do not wait until it is too late,” Jennifer implores. “The cost then is so, so great to help rebuild your employees and your team. So anything that you can do proactively to put the measures in place, I highly encourage you to do so.”

Whether you’re an HR professional, a manager, or a community leader, the call to action is clear: Start the conversation today. Build the plan tomorrow. Because the vulnerable you shield might be the colleague at the next desk, the neighbor down the street, or the child who will never forget what they witnessed.

Listen to the full conversation with Jennifer McMahon on “Shield the Vulnerable: Untold Stories” wherever you get your podcasts.

Jennifer McMahon

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About Jennifer McMahon

Jennifer McMahon is the Director of Human Resources for the City of St. Charles, Illinois, and Chairman of the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners in Geneva. She is known for her foundational belief that building a proactive human connection and a culture of trust are the most critical tools for preventing workplace violence and protecting communities.

Her approach is deeply informed by a personal origin story of witnessing violence as a child, which fuels her mission to integrate rigorous safety preparation with genuine empathy. She champions the idea that safety extends beyond active shooter drills to address the everyday acts of intimidation that erode employee wellness, directly linking psychological safety to retention and organizational health.

Following the tragic Highland Park parade shooting, Jennifer’s practical philosophy was solidified. She learned that crisis response is only the beginning, advocating for robust aftercare, long-term emotional support, and formalized strategic planning to prepare for high-risk events. She empowers leaders to move from a reactive to a proactive stance by listening to employee fears, identifying vulnerabilities, and embedding safety into the core operational plan.

For Jennifer, protecting the vulnerable starts with the courage to say, “It can happen here,” and the commitment to build shields of preparedness, policy, and compassion long before a warning sign becomes a headline.