By ISABELLA JONES ’27
Updated 11:50 a.m. EDT, 20 February 2026
On Jan. 28, Bill Burrichter, Vice President for Student Life, announced the arrival of Houghton University’s (HU) new Director of Safety and Security (S&S), Brian O’Gorman, via email. According to the email, O’Gorman began his new role the following week on Feb. 4.
A resident of Cuba, New York (NY), O’Gorman holds an Associate of Science degree in Criminal Justice and a variety of specialized certifications in the law enforcement field. Most recently, he served as a corrections officer with the NY State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. There, he handled emergency response, investigations, compliance audits and maintained the safety and security of the facility. He held leadership roles across several retail security environments, such as Target, K-Mart and Macy’s. He was also a member of the Wellsville Volunteer Ambulance Corps and Dyke Street Fire Department. O’Gorman’s previous experience showcases an impressive resume.
Burrichter said what impressed him most was “the totality of what he brought … He has both extensive security experience working in retail, loss prevention, and security for over a decade in that space. And then in a similar amount of time corrections … And so, being able to bring a wealth of experience, including first responder, fire and ambulance experience, I mean, that’s the whole package.”
What many may not know is that O’Gorman holds a personal connection to HU, and he says that was what drew him to work at HU. He first worked at HU 20 years ago, serving on the custodial team when he was in college. His wife, Lia, is a HU alumna, with her family living close to campus. This connection to the HU community, along with his desire to work in a “higher-education type environment” helped seal the deal for his acceptance as S&S Director.
In just a short time here, O’Gorman took note of a few things about HU and its security team, as well as a few changes he hopes to make. O’Gorman shared that he heard concerns about only having one officer on staff: “I think the security program, how it’s run, is run well. I think it could be run better with more staff.” He continued, “It’s really about making sure that students and employees and any visitors on campus are safe (and) secure … that they know that the director and their team is going to keep them safe … that they know and they trust who’s leading them.”
Although O’Gorman has not been here long, he has shown great focus on the safety and security of the students of HU. “He really wants to engage with students,” said Josh Bailey, Resident Director of the Townhouse and Flats. “He wants to make sure that the experience, from the S&S side, provides the needs that students need. He’s got some great ideas on how to do things like that, and engage with students in a way that’s not scary, but still holds firm to what S&S is supposed to be. He is extremely professional, extremely likeable, and a guy that is going to do good things.”
O’Gorman’s commitment to faith, community and leadership points to a promising future as HU’s newest S&S Director. ★
