New Canaan Police Chief hired as Darien school’s first security director, to start Jan. 9

DARIEN — New Canaan Police Chief Leon Krolikowski has been hired as the Darien Public School’s first director of security with a starting date of Jan. 9.

Alycia Dadd will take on the role of director of mental health beginning in March.

Both new directors were approved unanimously by the Board of Education on Dec. 13.

Krolikowski has been with the New Canaan police department for 33 years and worked closely with the New Canaan school district on security enhancements. Schools Superintendent Alan Addley said Krolikowski will be retiring from the New Canaan Police Department to become the district’s security director.

Krolikowski earned a bachelor’s degree in General Studies from the University of Connecticut and graduated from the Stamford Police Academy.While working full-time as a police officer, he earned an M.B.A. from the University of Massachusetts Isenberg School of Management, a law degree from Quinnipiac Law School, completed an executive education course at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and has begun coursework toward a Ph.D.

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He is admitted to practice law in the States of Connecticut and New York, Connecticut Federal Court, the United States Court of Appeals forthe Armed Forces and the United States Tax Court. He is a graduate of the F.B.I. National Academy in Quantico, Va, and is a Marine Corpscombat veteran.

As director of security Krolikowski will be responsible for overseeing security infrastructure, school security officers and school emergency response plans in coordination with the police department. His salary will be $85,000.

“I’m thrilled to serve as Darien Public Schools’ first ever director of security,” Krolikowski said. “I’m certain that the Darien school district will become a national leader for best practices in school safety and security. Ultimately, our collaborative work will make areas safer, inviting and student-centered.”

“Chief Krolikowski’s varied and accomplished experiences in law enforcement and school security as the Chief of Police in New Canaan provide the necessary credentials for this critically important leadership position,” Addley said in a statement.

Dadd is currently the director of consultation services at Cognitive and Behavioral Consultants. She previously worked for 13 years as a school psychologist and is certified in both Connecticut and New York. Addley said she, also, would be leaving that position when her job with Darien schools begins.

As the director of mental health, Dadd will be responsible for designing district policies around mental health, building a mental health support system that continues throughout K-12 education and acting as a liaison between the district and community groups. Her salary will be $

“I’m really invigorated by the initiative that you all have taken in terms of meeting our students’ and our families’ and our staff’s mental health needs,” Dadd said. “I’m looking forward to being an active participant and hopefully a leader in the community around this initiative.”

According to information from her current company, Dadd’s pre-doctoral internship and fieldwork experiences were in public and private schools in Westchester and the Bronx. Her doctoral residency project focused on the developmental nature of executive functions in high school age students.

“Dr. Dadd’s extensive clinical, mental health and school experiences will be invaluable assets and resources to our schools and town in our efforts to support the mental health and social and emotional needs of our students and staff,” Addley said.