Rick Phillips

Rick Phillips is the founder and Executive Director of Community Matters, a California based, nonprofit organization whose mission is to collaborate with schools and communities to engage, equip and empower young people to become change-agents and peacemakers.

He is a nationally-recognized educator, speaker, facilitator, and trainer. He has been a keynote presenter and workshop leader at more than 350 national and state conferences and many regional educational services centers.

Rick has been interviewed on The Today Show and CNN Headline News and is the lead author of: Safe School Ambassadors: Harnessing Student Power to Stop Bullying and Violence (Jossey-Bass/Wiley, 2008) and "Ten Years after Columbine: School Violence-Prevention Report Card,".

He is the developer of Safe School Ambassadors®, a youth-centered, violence-prevention program that has been implemented in more than 900 schools across North America.

With a Master's degree in Education from the University of Southern California, Rick has been a teacher and school and regional administrator who brings these years of expertise and practical experience to his inspiring presentations. He is a father, grandfather and champion of children and youth.