Senior Adjunct Professor Anthony Gentile’s incredible dedication to John Jay has spanned over four decades. As a student at the College, he earned two degrees, a bachelor’s degree in 1978 and a master’s degree in Public Administration in 2001. For the last 20 years Gentile has taught the next generation of first-responders, law enforcement agents, and fierce advocates of justice as an adjunct professor in the Department of Security, Fire and Emergency Management. And, he’s actively investing in the College and our students, generously donating to the College’s food pantry, the College’s Center for Private Security and Safety, and the department’s security lab. “John Jay has been so incredibly good to me and has given me so much in life, that I want to do the best I can to give back to the College and our wonderful students for as long as I can,” he says. Gentile has also made a big difference in the world through his work in the security industry and as security advisor for the Newtown, Connecticut Board of Education. “Over the last seven years we’ve made tremendous improvements regarding policies and procedures in Newtown; and those policies and procedures have been replicated across the country,” says Gentile. “The experiences I’ve had in the private sector have made me a better teacher and mentor for our students, and it’s enabled me to really have a hand in changing practices, especially in regards to school shootings across the country.”   

Coming to John Jay
Gentile, a native of Brooklyn, New York, grew up wanting to be a police officer. To accomplish that dream he enrolled at John Jay, where he was inspired by his law enforcement peers. “I was actually a student at the College in the ’70s when most of the students were police officers or on their way to entering the law enforcement field. While at the College, I got called up to the New York City Police Department [NYPD] Academy,” he explains. After graduating from the Academy he was assigned to a precinct, but during his first day on the job, he was laid off. “The City was going through a terrible financial crisis and for the first time in its history, it laid off thousands of police officers. And, being the last class out of the Academy, we were the first ones to go,” explains Gentile, noting the layoff led to his return to John Jay. “In retrospect, I look at it as a blessing. It allowed me to go back to the College, earn two degrees, and go into business on my own.”

Joining the Security Industry
Working for over 30 years in the private sector, Gentile carved a successful niche for himself in the security industry, owning several businesses and becoming a sought out expert in the field. “Going into security, in a way, helped me accomplish my goal of working in law enforcement. Since I couldn’t do it on the public side as a police officer, I wanted a parallel profession where I could practice law enforcement on the private side,” he explains. He played an integral role at ISS Facility Services, an international security services firm, where he served as Chief Security Officer and Global Director. “For over 10 years, I ran a $1.2 billion security division for the company and had a region that included 37 countries,” he says. Currently, Gentile is the President and CEO of Global Protection Management LLC, a firm that employs about 700 employees across the U.S., providing security services, training, and expertise for its clients. “Working in the industry gave me a wonderful opportunity to learn the corporate way of life and it embedded in me the desire to want to mentor others.”

Teaching at John Jay
The skills and expertise Gentile garnered in the private sector, led to a teaching opportunity at John Jay. “In the spring of 1999, I was working on my master’s degree when professor Robert Hair, my mentor at the College, gave me the chance to teach,” says Gentile, who notes that the world of academia was one he always aspired to work in. “Teaching gave me the opportunity to understand the academic side of the security industry.” Bringing decades of business knowledge into the classroom, enables him to connect with students on a deeper level, according to Gentile. “Our students are looking to become leaders, so I try to share stories of my time in the industry with them. When I’m lecturing, I give them real examples from my own experiences. The students want to hear real life stories, it brings a sense of reality to the classroom,” he says. “It’s one thing to educate students via a textbook, but when you have the ability to give them pragmatic, real life examples of what we’re learning, it's invaluable and it’s something students really appreciate.”

Mentoring the Next Generation
Gentile has also helped lead several programs at John Jay meant to ready students and alumni for professional careers. He’s the Associate Director of the Center for Private Security and Safety, which delivers professional development and education programs, short-term training, and certificate courses to undergraduate and graduate students, and he’s the Director of the Security Leadership Society. “I developed the Security Leadership Society around three years ago. I’m able to mentor graduate students and those that have already graduated into senior leadership positions,” he says. “I love to hear from alumni because they don’t forget where they’ve been and they trust that you can get them to where they want to go. As a professor you love to hear that your students trust you.”

Investing in John Jay Students
Beyond teaching students in the classroom, Gentile has readily invested in students, donating to the College’s food pantry which serves some of the College’s most vulnerable students. “I read a news item about how many CUNY students face food insecurity and I was so saddened by that fact,” he says. “I can’t stand the idea of a student coming to school hungry, or not having enough money for lunch to sustain them through the course of the day.” The day after reading the report, Gentile searched to see whether John Jay had a food pantry. “Once I learned we had a food pantry at the College, I made it clear, I was investing at least $5,000 in the food pantry each year, and I’ll continue to give whatever I can to provide assistance to our food bank. No student should go hungry,” says Gentile. “We professors should all be working with our students in a variety of ways, other than teaching them. We can offer support to the programs at the College that help our students meet their potential.” Giving back to the College is high on Gentile’s agenda. “Our students are some of the hardest working, most deserving students in this City. It’s so important to give back. And giving back to the institution that allowed me to acquire a degree of success in business, is the best place to do it,” says Gentile. “Because without the benefit of going to John Jay, and experiencing what it is to be an academic, I don’t believe I would have the blessings I have today. I’ve been very fortunate in my life and in my businesses, and a lot of that good fortune is a result of my time at the College. My hope is that through my work in the classroom, through my mentoring, and by giving, I can pass those fortunate blessings to others.”