At Defender One Security, Mathew Goodman, 27, works to protect the community.
Goodman grew up in the Baltimore area, where he had his bar mitzvah at Temple Oheb Shalom and graduated from Franklin High School. He received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from York College in Pennsylvania.
He currently works as the assistant director of operations and training at Defender One Security, which provides security to a number of Jewish organizations in Baltimore, including Beth El Congregation of Baltimore, Beth Tfiloh Congregation and the JCC of Greater Baltimore.
Goodman lives in Carroll County with his two cats.
What do you do as the assistant director of operations and training?
I’m the first line that our guards would call if anything were to escalate in the field, and I also do our uniform stuff and I run our vehicle fleet as well. I do a lot of the orientation process when a guard comes. I interview them, get them onto the field and have them trained.
How did you get into this work?
After college, I fell in love with protecting people. I think that was a big part of my life at the time. I worked at Johns Hopkins Hospital during college and got my internship there. I worked security in the psych ward there. That was definitely a wild experience for me. I was looking into the military at one point, but I decided that this was a good starting point for me. It became something that I love to do. I think that being able to combine my Jewish background with protecting people made everything worthwhile.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
Creating a relationship between security and our contracts. Being able to have our guards have a relationship with the schools. Especially in today’s day and age, with the way that law enforcement is looked at, it is important that we are seen as people. We want our guards to seem like a familiar face and not just somebody in uniform. I think that’s very rewarding for me.
Do you see yourself continuing to do this work in the future?
I do. I think Defender One has a lot to offer, and we are really just getting started. The opportunity that I’ve been given from Defender One has provided me with a whole new outlook on life itself and a career for me. This is absolutely something that I want to continue for the remainder of my career.
What advice do you have for someone who wants to learn to defend themselves?
Practice makes perfect. Take as many training places as you possibly can and make sure that you are protecting your craft. Always work toward bettering yourself. It is very important that in order to be prepared, you have to practice.
Do you see a difference in protecting the Jewish community specifically?
Absolutely. I think that my bond with the Jewish community creates a homey feeling. Being in a synagogue provides a sense of enlightenment for myself. Being around people who have the same beliefs as me brings a light to me. I love doing things for the Jewish community itself.
What do you do for fun?
I go to the gym a lot. I am very outdoorsy and love to share my fire pit with friends.
