Joseph J. Lestrange, PhD Senior Agency Official

U.S. Council on Transnational Organized Crime - Strategic Division

Dr. Joseph J. Lestrange has over three decades experience as a commissioned federal law enforcement officer, serving in multiple international, national, regional, and local leadership roles. In his last year of government service, Dr. Lestrange was appointed as Senior Agency Official to the U.S. Council on Transnational Organized Crime - Strategic Division, created by President Biden via Executive Order to develop “whole of government” solutions to complex public safety and national security challenges. 

He recently retired as the Division Chief of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Headquarters, Public Safety & National Security Division, where he provided global executive oversight of stakeholder engagement, resource planning, strategic development, case coordination, and budget formulation for multiple  criminal investigation, law enforcement and intelligence units, agency programs, and inter-agency operational initiatives. These included the agency’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Regional Coordinators and National Intelligence Liaisons; National Gangs & Violent Crime; Human Smuggling & Trafficking; Narcotics, Firearms & Contraband Smuggling; Fentanyl & Opioid Task Force; Commercial Trade Maritime Security, Shadow Wolves, and Trade Based Money Laundering programs. Additionally, Dr. Lestrange oversaw the national training, equipping, and integration of all State and Local Police Task Force Officers into HSI operations and directed HSI participation in four inter-agency intelligence, targeting and operational support centers serving 35+ partner agencies.   

In 2015, Dr. Lestrange earned his PhD in Global Leadership and Organizational Management from Indiana Tech where he created and tested a “Values Based” leadership framework identifying 10 universal “best practices” for leadership spanning 29 countries and all continents around the globe. He also holds a Master of Public Administration in Operations Management from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Hofstra University.  Dr. Lestrange is also a graduate of the PERF Senior Management Institute of Policing, IACP Leading Police Organizations, and SPI Chief Executive Leadership programs.

To prepare future leaders, Dr. Lestrange is a part time Course Developer and Adjunct Professor in Leadership, Organizational Theory and Design for Tiffin University’s PhD program in Global Leadership and Change Management; an Adjunct Professor at Indiana Institute of Technology, College of Business and Continuing Professional Studies for MBA and undergraduate courses in Homeland Security, Emergency Management, Strategy and Sustainability; and serves as a Council Member, for Seton Hall University’s Transformative Leadership in Disruptive Times Advisory Council.

Lindsey Alli Sgt. Cadet Program Coordinator

Columbus Division of Police

Sergeant Lindsey Alli has been a dedicated and accomplished member of the Columbus Police Department for the past 13 years, serving the citizens of Franklin County, while striving to create unity between the community and the police.  Currently, she is a Recruiting Sergeant in charge of the Cadet Program, and Public Safety Corps (PSC) Youth Program. Prior to implementing the Cadet Program, a paid internship for young adults with a desire to be law enforcement professionals, Lindsey served 7 years as a Patrol Sergeant tasked with special assignments in the Crime Scene Search Unit and Recruiting. Throughout her career, she has been able to familiarize herself in various areas, taking on roles such as a Field Training Officer, Peer Assistance Team member, Crisis Intervention Team member, Employee Action Review System (EARS) committee member, Awards Committee member, an FOP Grievance Representative, and acquired a seat on the Columbus Civil Service Oral Board Grading Committee. Lindsey is an Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA) Basic and Defensive Tactics instructor and assists as a guest instructor for The Columbus Division of Police Training Academy.

Furthering her experience as a protective force in the community, Lindsey became a member and instructor of the Teens and Police Service Academy (TAPS) in 2015 and began serving as President of The Ohio Women’s Law Enforcement Network (OWLEN), a seat she still holds in 2020. In addition to ensuring all local citizens benefit from her contributions, Lindsey has devoted time to issues that may not directly be in the forefront. She was the Vice Chair of Drug Safe Worthington (DSW) from 2017-2019, and in 2018, she was appointed to the Commission on Black Girls. This commission enables Lindsey to act as liaison between the law and young black females in need of government officials to shed light on inequities for the community. She is currently an active member of the African American and African Studies Advisory Council (AAASAC) for The Ohio State University and hopes to continue to have a positive impact with her guidance.

Lindsey obtained her Certified Law Enforcement Executive (CLEE) certification through the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) in 2020. She competed an Expert Witness Program at Capital University Law School in 2018 and earned her master’s degree in Business Management, with a concentration in Human Resources from Franklin University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology from The Ohio State University. Go Bucks!

Vereen Barton Captain, Ass. Div. Chief, Dir. of Investigative & OAO Services

Maryland-National Capital Park Police

Captain Vereen Barton, Asst. Division Chief with Maryland-National Capital Park Police, Prince George's County Division. Education is a priority for Vereen. She attended Butler, Argosy, and Walden University. She earned a bachelor's degree & two master's degrees (Arts Admin., Forensic Psychology and Philosophy). She is working on dissertation for her Doctorate in Forensic Psychology. Vereen was called to serve and has done so for 20+ years. Her career encompasses many areas of first responding to include law enforcement and rescue as a Fire Fighter/EMT, Police Dispatcher, and officer. She moved up the ranks and is currently the Asst. Chief of the Criminal Investigations, the Office of Accountability & Oversight, and Recruiting. Vereen is a 4-time recipient of the MPCTC instructor of the year. Her peers recognize her for excellence in recruiting, training, and program development. Vereen is a true visionary. She met the recruiting challenge by creating the first LE Career Fair in the DMV with a specific focus on public safety jobs. Over 30 agencies attended this event. This created a platform for networking and sharing best practices. Other recognition includes numerous meritorious awards, a Leadership, and Chief's Award. She received external recognition for her service to the community to include the 2019 MLK Award from the University of Maryland Hospital Center's Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Center, for her collaborative work with survivors of domestic violence. She received the Edward DeHavine Brown Community Service Award for her commitment to training citizens in CPR. Vereen has numerous professional certificates in various law enforcement leadership training. She is a certified MPCTC Instructor and teaches CPR, Tactical Emergency Casualty Care, Narcan, Ethics, and Report writing. Her organizational affiliation includes ΣΓΡ Sorority Inc., IACP, PERF, APA, and SPCP. She embodies her organization's brand, "Because We Care," demonstrating it in her daily work.

Jason Bentley Officer

Tucson Police Department

Education

He was born and raised in Tucson Arizona.  He joined the Tucson Police Department in July of 2000 after attending the University of Arizona for four years.

Experience

Officer Bentley is currently assigned to the Southern Arizona Law Enforcement Training Center as a Class Officer. He is in charge of recruits new to the profession.  He develops and maintains progressive trainings and coordinates the appropriate instructors for the required material.  He also ensures the recruits have met the minimum requirements needed to become certified Peace Officers.  Ofc. Bentley is an Adjunct Professor at Pima Community College in order to assist the recruits in receiving college credit for the material they learn during the academy as well as furthering their education after graduating.

To further assist recruits and officers, Officer Bentley is a General Instructor, Firearms Instructor, an Active Killer response Instructor, an armorer and a Red Dot Instructor. He has completed the Critical Incident Management course, Crisis Intervention Training as well as an Integrating Communications, Assessments and Tactics Instructor.

Prior to being assigned as an Academy Class Officer, Officer Bentley was a Senior Operator with the Tucson Police Department SWAT team for 12 years.  He was part of the TAC Squad that is a patrol-based SWAT squad for 3 years.  Prior to being on the TAC squad, he was a K9 handler for 10 years.  He was one of two handlers dually assigned to SWAT and K9 and assisted in developing integrating K9 in SWAT operations.  Officer Bentley was in patrol in Operations Division West before becoming a K9 handler.  He was an FTO during his patrol assignment and trained newly graduated officers.

Personal

Officer Bentley is the father of four adult children (1 daughter and 3 step children.)  He and his wife enjoy traveling as often as they can, especially overseas. 

Jennifer Beskid Director, Office of Government & Legislative Affairs

Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services

Dr. Jennifer A. Beskid is the Director, Office of Government and Legislative Affairs for the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services and a public safety consultant.  With over 30 years public safety experience, she has worked in juvenile and adult corrections as well as community relations.  The majority of her career has been spent in training and research with the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions where she researched, developed, and taught courses for students from entry-level training through executive leadership.  Dr. Beskid earned a Doctorate in Education from Liberty University and her doctoral dissertation focused on the motivation of minority police recruits to complete the entrance-level academy.  Dr. Beskid continues to conduct research into police recruitment and retention, most recently studying the impact of recruitment material on police recruits.

Yasmin Brown Captain

Maryland-National Capital Park Police

Assistant Chief Yasmin Brown has 20 years of law enforcement experience with the Maryland-National Capital Park Police (Prince George's County Division). Prior to her employment with the Park Police, she served as a dispatcher with the Prince George's County Police Department for 4 years. During her tenure, she has served as Patrol Officer, Mounted Officer, Patrol Sergeant, K-9 Unit Supervisor, Field Training Officer, Field Training Program Coordinator, Patrol Lieutenant, Support Operations Lieutenant, Investigative Operations Captain/Assistant Chief and currently Support Operations Captain/Assistant Chief. Her responsibilities include management of the day-to-day operations of the Communications Division, the Records Section, the Technology Section, and the Training Division. She serves as the lead General/Academic instructor, Master EVOC instructor and lead Defensive Tactics instructor for her agency, as well as a guest instructor at the Prince George's County Police Academy. She also serves as an instructor at the Prince George's Community College Municipal Academy. She is the recepient of numerous awards to include Meritorious Achievement Awards, the Joseph K. Brown Academic Award (2002), MPCTC Instructor of the Year (2013) and the Leadership Award (2020). She attended the Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command in 2015 and she completed the IACP Leadership in Police Organization in 2017. She is a dynamic leader with a passion for the profession, a passion for leading, and a strong passion for fostering career development for subordinate employees through training and mentoring. She has been instrumental in building and maintaining positive relationships with other agencies and community leaders and coordinating efforts between multiple agencies for positive operational outcomes. "My personal goal is to develop a police force that is known for its professionalism and dedication to it's officers and to the community that it serves."

Ron Camacho Chief of Police

Chambersburg Borough Police Department

Ron Camacho is an accomplished law enforcement executive with 26 years of experience, most of this time spent in supervisory and management positions. Chief Camacho has successfully trained all patrol ranks, from corporals to captains, on leadership, supervision, discipline, team building, policy development, and mentoring. He retired as the patrol operations captain with the York City (PA) police department, commanding over ninety officers and detectives. Chief Camacho also worked as the patrol commander for the Old Dominion (VA) University Police Department.

Chief Camacho spent time as an international police advisor and trainer in Afghanistan and Mexico. He developed and taught courses for patrol officers and sergeants on command leadership and tactical operations. He also worked in Mexico as the deputy program manager on a State Department police training contract. His duties included supervising the development of police-related courses for Federal and State Mexican law enforcement officers and ensuring the classes were delivered to a high standard.

Chief Camacho is a nationally published author and requested speaker on Emotional Intelligence, Transparency in Policing, Police Leadership, and Ego-related issues. In 2021, Chief Camacho spoke at several conferences on various police leadership topics for the FBI National Academy Association (National Conference), the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs, and the Pennsylvania Association of Municipal Managers.     

He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, 239th session, has a Master's of Science in Criminal Justice from Liberty University, and is a Doctoral candidate in Criminal Justice at California University of Pennsylvania. Chief Camacho is currently on the leadership team of a   multi-county criminal justice project looking to increase safety by engaging the public's thoughts and feelings on law enforcement. He became the Chief of the Chambersburg Borough Police Department in July 2016 and started Camacho Consulting LLC, a company that helps public and private sector companies solve leadership and management issues.

Diana Duffy Captain

Tucson Police Department

Education

She is a native of Tucson, Arizona. She came to the Tucson Police Department in January of 2000 after attending the University of Arizona. She finished her education and graduated from Park University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Psychology. She graduated from the Senior Management Institute for Police, as well the Southwest Leadership School and Executives in Government School from Eller College at the University of Arizona. She also attended the Public Information Training Institute and Crisis Intervention School.

Experience

Assistant Chief Duffy currently oversees the Patrol Services Division. Prior to being promoted to Assistant Chief in 2022 she served as the Training Division Commander for the Southern Arizona Law Enforcement Center where she led efforts to re-thinking training concepts and providing innovative training to new recruits. In addition, she focused on developing tailored reintegration sessions and extensive use of force training and articulation for all department members based on best practices, lessons learned, and community expectations.

As a Captain at the Tucson Police Department, Assistant Chief Duffy over saw Operations Division West Patrol Division, Traffic and the Training Division. As a lieutenant, she served as the Office of Professional Standards Commander, Violent Crimes Commander, Communications Division Commander, and the Downtown and Eastside Patrol Division Commander. As a sergeant, detective, and officer she served as the Public Information Sergeant as well as a Midtown and Downtown Division Sergeant. As a detective she was a Neighborhood Crimes Detective in Operations Division West. Lastly, as an officer she worked in Operations Division West as a patrol officer. She also worked as the Community Resource Officer and was part of the Community Response Team that worked on criminal activity and quality of life concerns that generated in the neighborhoods.

Personal

As a single mother of three kids during most of her career. Much of Assistant Chief Duffy’s volunteer work came while assisting with her children’s sporting events or school activities. She also volunteers at the Boys and Girls Club afterschool program.  She enjoys traveling with her husband now that all three of her children are adults.

Marla Friedman Police and Clinical Psychologist

Field Training Associates

Dr. Marla W. Friedman Psy.D. PC is a Licensed Psychologist. She has 35+ years of clinical experience. She specializes in treating OCD, anxiety, depression, and resistant PTSI and other forms of trauma. She is certified in sexual health from Loyola University-Stritch School of Medicine. She is fluent in American Sign Language and serves the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community.

She is specifically trained in offender profiling, detection of deception and interview and interrogation (Reid). She has earned her certification in Investigative Psychology from John J. College of Criminal Justice (NYC). She currently works on cold case missing persons and homicide cases for police departments and for a major crimes task force.

Dr. Friedman is a national trainer, curriculum developer and creates video training films for law enforcement. She publishes frequently on issues of mental health, trauma cessation and suicide prevention for police and other first responders.  She has contributed to many books on mental health and law enforcement.

She has trained for the FBI at their National Academy in Quantico VA., ICAC Task Force Teams, Field Training Officer’s, and is the Chief Psychologist at Field Training Associates, and advisor to the peer support program-We Never Walk Alone. She is recognized for her Building a Better Cop program, Bridging the Gap, Bring a Buddy, Left of Bang and the well-known, Chiefs Lead the Way program.  She has recently become certified in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ACT) to treat trauma in all professions.

She is an Adjunct Faculty member at the College of DuPage Police Academy (SLEA) and Dr. Friedman has been the Chairman of Badge of Life (501c3) the national leader in mental health and suicide prevention for law enforcement for the past 4 years. She is the primary architect in building comprehensive mental health and suicide prevention programs for police departments. She remains available to police departments to assess their individual needs and provide in-house programming. She contributed a column for American Police Beat magazine.  She developed the Standardized Mental Health Check-In and has been using it for over a decade to assist law enforcement.

Paul Goldenberg Chief Advisor, Policy and International Policing

Rutgers Center on Policing

Gordon Graham Co-Founder

Lexipol

Mr. Gordon Graham is a 33-year veteran (now retired) of California law enforcement. In this capacity, he served as a street cop, supervisor, manager, and executive. Mr. Graham was awarded a B.A. in Business from San Francisco State College, a teaching credential from California State University, Long Beach, a master’s degree in Safety and Systems Management from the University of Southern California, and a juris doctorate from Western State University. He has taken his background as a cop, risk manager and attorney and is the co-founder of Lexipol, a company designed to standardize public safety practices around America. He has presented to law enforcement personnel from around the world.

Marvin (Ben) Haiman Chief of Staff

Metropolitan Police Department

Mr. Marvin Haiman serves as the Chief of Staff for the Metropolitan Police Department. In this capacity, Mr. Haiman oversees daily operations of the Executive Office of the Chief of Police and is responsible for broad agency management and implementing strategic agency objectives. Mr. Haiman is responsible for several organizational units to include the Office of Communications, Office of General Counsel, and the Professional Development Bureau. Mr. Haiman served as the Executive Director of the Professional Development Bureau between 2017 – 2021, leading the Recruiting Division, Metropolitan Police Academy Division, Human Resource Management Division, Disciplinary Review Division, Testing and Assessment Division, Equal Employment Opportunity Division, Office of Communications, and the Strategic Engagement Office (Volunteer Services).

Prior to being named Executive Director, between 2015-2017, Mr. Haiman served in a variety of capacities, including developing the agency’s Office of Volunteer Coordination, serving as Chief of Staff for the Technical Services Division tasked with a broad range of IT operations, and Chief of Staff for the Strategic Services Bureau supporting and leading the administration of police recruitment, training, policy, and volunteer service matters for the Department.

Prior to returning to the Metropolitan Police Department, Mr. Haiman served as Director for the Homeland Security Advisory Council for the United States Department of Homeland Security, establishing several key task forces for the Secretary. Prior to his Federal service, Mr. Haiman served as the Deputy Director of the Recruiting Division and Volunteer Services Coordinator for the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington DC among various other positions. As Deputy Director of Recruiting, Mr. Haiman was responsible for restructuring the sworn hiring process, decreasing the amount of time it took to process candidates while increasing the quality of those officers hired.

Haiman graduated from The Johns Hopkins University with a Master’s Degree in Management through the Police Executive Leadership Program and has his undergraduate degree in mathematics from the University of Iowa and received designation as a Certified Public Management Program through George Washington University, as well as certification in Strategic Project Management. Mr. Haiman is also a graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security’s Executive Leadership Program. Mr. Haiman received recognition by the International Association of Chiefs of Police in 2020 as a 40 under 40 recipient and the prestigious Gary P. Hayes Award by the Police Executive Research Forum. Mr. Haiman also graduated from the Metropolitan Police Academy and served as a reserve police officer with the Metropolitan Police Department. Mr. Haiman resides with his family in Washington, DC.

Thomas Hawke Lieutenant

Tucson Police Department

Lt. Hawke has been a police officer for over 20 years. He started his career with the University of Arizona Police Department in 2002 and moved to the Tucson Police Department in 2004. He held a variety of assignments as an officer including Field Training Officer, Lead Police Officer, and Community Response Team Officer and Lead Officer. In addition to those assignments, he became an AZPOST General Instructor and Tactical Driving Instructor and High-Risk Vehicle Stop Instructor. In 2012, Lt. Hawke promoted to Sergeant. He served as a patrol sergeant in two different divisions, a Field Training Sergeant, a Community Response Team Sergeant, and as the Advanced Training Sergeant. In 2016 he was promoted to Lieutenant. He served as a patrol division lieutenant, Downtown Entertainment District commander, Special Victims Section commander in the Central Investigations Division, and for the last year and a half as the Advanced Training Section commander. As part of that assignment, he has run the department’s Force Review Board comprised of department and community members to examine officer involved shootings, in-custody deaths, and serious injury use of force incidents. Lt. Hawke is a graduate of the University of Arizona

Sean Hendrickson Division Manager, Applied Skills Training Division,

Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission

Mr. Hendrickson has over 20 years of law enforcement experience, which has included being a Field Training Officer, Detective, SWAT team member, Control and Defensive Tactics Instructor, Firearms Instructor, and Patrol Bike Officer. Mr. Hendrickson is a Master C/DT Instructor and has been for 15 years. Mr. Hendrickson has been instructing Use of Force, C/DT, and patrol procedures at the Washington State Basic Law Enforcement Academy since 2012. During that time, he has instructed morning ground survival training for academy students, evening VNR certification for academy students, and instructed an after-hours Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training program for academy students. In 2019, Mr. Hendrickson was appointed to De-escalation Program Manager for the State of Washington and oversaw the creation and delivery of the legally mandated de-escalation training for every certified peace officer in the State of Washington. In 2021, Mr. Hendrickson was promoted to Division Manger of the Applied Skills Training Division which oversees the Firearms, Control and Defensive Tactics, and De-escalation programs. Mr. Hendrickson is currently a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Deidre Houston Magee, PhD Director, Cadet Corps

Metropolitan Police Department

Deidre Houston Magee, PhD currently serves as Director of the Cadet Corps with the DC Metropolitan Police Department.  Dr. Houston Magee previously served as the Academic Director for the New Orleans Police Department’s Education and Training Division where she was instrumental in the Academy attaining compliance with the federal consent decree.

Dr. Houston Magee received both her Bachelor Arts Degree in Public Administration and Master’s Degree in Education from Loyola University in New Orleans.  She went on to earn a Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership and Human Development from Colorado State University and a second Master’s Degree in Christian Formation and Soul Care from Denver Seminary.

Dr. Houston Magee is an experienced professional development specialist who served on the faculties of the University of Colorado Denver School of Education (2004-2009) and the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine – Colorado Area Health Education Center (2009-2014).

Dr. Houston Magee has presented on teaching, learning, and assessment; program evaluation in health professions’ pipe line programs, adult learning methods in law enforcement; and curriculum development in law enforcement.

Dr. Nicholas Howe Director Of Institute Of Policing, School of Justice, Security and Sustainability

Staffordshire University

As Director of the Institute of Policing Nick oversees the development of the Institute as a centre of excellence for police education and training, research and innovation. The Institute also acts as the mechanism for the delivery of University programmes under the College of Policing’s Police Education Qualifications framework (PEQF).

He has also been involved with police leadership programmes both within the UK and abroad, working alongside the Royal Malaysia Police and Police services within the United Arab Emirates. Additionally, Nick serves as an independent academic advisor (policing expert) working with the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation and Academic and Vocational Qualifications.

Nick was formerly a police Chief Superintendent with Staffordshire Police with whom he served for 30 years. He performed a range of policing functions throughout his service including working with the force Criminal Investigation Department, Head of Training and Development, Firearms and Public Order Command and a range of other specialist functions. He led the review into the way Staffordshire Police undertook murder and more complex crime investigations and subsequently implemented structural change, forming the forces Major Crime Unit. He was also the police commander for a number of high-profile public events, including large-scale music festivals, football matches, and public disorder responses and firearms incidents. He served as Police Commander for one of the largest Basic Command Units (BCU) in the country and was heavily involved in local police partnerships. Whilst Commander his BCU were a national pilot for drugs testing orders, Work Force Modernisation, Management of the Prolific Offenders Scheme and other developmental projects. Under his leadership, the BCU were runners-up in the National Tilley Award for problem-solving policing in 2007. During 2008 he was seconded to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) where he worked as a Staff Officer inspecting policing services throughout England and Wales against the backdrop of the Governments Reform Agenda. He retired from the police service in January 2009 to pursue a career as an academic.

Nick continues to maintain a high-profile media image with both national and local media and is often called upon to provide expert knowledge on policing and police-related issues.

Jason Kepp Assistant Director, Training and Professional Development,

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Jason Kepp is an Assistant Director at the Federal Protective Service, where Jason is a member of the leadership team that leads the training and professional development of sworn and non-sworn employees, including administrating basic and advance training programs, formulating strategic and operational plans, providing executive-level direction and guidance to managers, supporting resource requirements and the budgeting process, oriented to sustaining an effective organization.

Before starting with the Department of Homeland Security, Jason’s career has encompassed all levels of organizational leadership, development, and management for emergency service organizations and educational institutions. Jason spent 25 years in the emergency services field, serving in the field and later as Director, Emergency Services, Somerset County Emergency Services Academy (N.J.). Jason has held faculty appointments at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and the Department of Defense, Uniformed Services University.

Jason’s published works have included active threat response and training, incident management, health and safety, pandemic response, and tactical law enforcement operations.

Jason is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Research and Advisory Committee, Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), and the Order of the Sword and Shield, an academic and professional honor society for homeland security. Jason has been the recipient of numerous awards for superior performance throughout his tenure. His awards and decorations include lifesaving, certificates of achievement, agency commendations, and the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service.

Mandy Nice Cordico Strategic Wellness Director

Lexipol

Mandy Nice has over 15 years of experience developing and implementing physical fitness and wellness programs that measurably improve the strength and resilience of tactical athletes and civilians.  Her science-based, results-focused approach has consistently produced positive results that have earned national-level awards for measurably improving employee health, fitness, and quality-of-life.  Mandy is a Physical Fitness Subject Matter Expert for leading organizations including the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C).  She actively serves as a guest speaker at state, national and international law enforcement conferences to help share scalable best practices for sustainable success.  Mandy also serves as the Tactical Program Manager of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and, as the CEO of The Nice Life, LLC, provides professional consulting services for agencies across the U.S. and beyond.  Mandy is wholeheartedly dedicated to ensuring members of law enforcement and fire/rescue are fully equipped with the essential research, training, tools, and resources needed to establish results-focused, sustainable tactical fitness and health programs.  Her greatest motivator is helping noble tactical professionals optimize their physical job readiness and quality of life while mitigating injury risk so that they can fully enjoy strong, rewarding careers and long, healthy retirements. 

Luann Pannell Director, Police Training and Education

Los Angeles Police Department

Dr. Luann Pannell began her career with LAPD as a Police Psychologist in 2000 and in 2006 was promoted to Director of Police Training and Education by Chief Bratton. In this role she is responsible for the review and evaluation of all LAPD training curricula to ensure relevancy, continuity, and compliance with State and Federal criteria and Department policy. She researches best practices in police training and adult learning to continually improve and advance LAPD training. In keeping with this role, Dr. Pannell led the team responsible for the complete redesign of the LAPD Command Development Couse in 2006, and the LAPD Academy in 2008.  The LAPD Academy was the first academy in California to work with POST (Peace Officer Standards in Training) to shift from single topic training into integrated Scenario-Based Training (SBT).  In 2015, she created a training series unique to law enforcement, Police Sciences and Leadership (PSL), which brings academy graduates back together at 11 months, 3 years, and 5 years.  By collaborating with established credible leaders, PSL1 went into implementation in 2016 and PSL 2 in 2019 (PSL 3 is under development).  The goal is to create a stronger foundation of skills, resiliency, and purpose for the first five years of working in law enforcement.  Ultimately, the goal of LAPD training is to cultivate healthy and resilient officers through increased competence, confidence and capability to partner with diverse communities to enhance public safety.

One of Dr. Pannell's strengths is her ability to collaborate with various groups and constituencies. Her commitment to collaboration has enhanced a variety of community relationships with LAPD and has resulted in new training. By utilizing shared partnerships, LAPD has been able to incorporate feedback from several key communities on topics such as Fair and Equitable Policing for the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Questioning (LGBTQ), Mental Illness, Autism, and Gang Intervention. Dr. Pannell is the LAPD chair of the Professional Advisory Committee (PAC) where she serves with two co-chairs from the community to ensure there is diverse input into police training.

Dr. Pannell is a distinguished instructor in several LAPD schools including the LAPD and LAFD Leadership Programs and the Command Development Course. She has been one of the co-authors and presenters of the "Vicarious Trauma: Why it Hurts to Help" course to law enforcement professionals and first responders throughout the country. While teaching in numerous Department schools, Dr. Pannell also consults in the selection and training of instructors, and conducts evaluation research to improve training methodology and content. She chairs the Training Assessment Committee (TAC) which assesses all requests for training to identify the best delivery method for accelerated learning, retention, behavior change, and organizational change.

In addition to her work with LAPD, in 2009 the INTERPOL Group of Experts on Police Training (IGEPT) was established and she became the first to serve as the Chair. In this role, they have overseen the development of an E-Journal to increase sharing of best practices in training on an International level.  In 2017, she served in-residence as a Visiting Fellow at the Australian Institute of Police Management, for their applied leadership course for executives (graduate level course credit).  Dr. Pannell is a contributing author in two books, "Leading in Dangerous Situations" (2011), Sweeney, Matthews, & Lester (Ed)., and “Law Enforcement Ethics: Classic and Contemporary Issues” (2014), Brian Fitch (Ed.). 

During her tenure as a police psychologist she consulted with a variety of specialized units including Juvenile Division, Scientific Investigation Division, Jail Division, Records and Identification Division, Recruitment and Employment Division, and Scientific Investigation Division. She also responded to SWAT call-outs as a member of the Crisis Negotiation Team and a member of the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT). As a CIRT member, she assisted LAPD employees in managing their reactions to critical incidents. She participated in ride-a-longs, provided management consultation, and presented training on a variety of issues including stress management and the psychological consequences of constant exposure to violence.

Dr. Pannell received a M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the School of Psychology at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, as well as a Master’s Degree in Theology, Cross-Cultural Studies. Her Bachelor's Degree is also in psychology from Northwest Nazarene University, Nampa, Idaho. Prior to joining LAPD, Dr. Pannell spent several years working within Community Mental Health and the Veteran's Administration, consulting victims and families exposed to traumatic instances and violence. Dr. Pannell has written articles and presented at psychological conferences on the relationship between exposure to community violence and psychological distress, the collaboration between Mental Health Professionals and Law Enforcement, and improving training outcomes for law enforcement.  Her dissertation research was on “Children Exposed to Community Violence, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Parental Monitoring.”

Jonathan Parham Police Director

Rahway Police Department 

Jonathan Parham is a career law enforcement officer with 30 years of experience. Jonathan is a retired Chief of Police; retiring from the Linden Police Department after 25 years of service. Following his retirement from the Linden Police Department, Jonathan served as Administrative Undersheriff with the Union County Sheriff’s Office where he provided oversight for the Internal Affairs Unit, the Professional Standards Unit, and the Legal Process Unit. Parham then served as the Director of County-Wide Police Policy, Planning and Training with the Union County Prosecutor’s Office responsible for county-wide development of law enforcement policies and best practices. While serving in this capacity, Parham served as the Chair of the New Jersey Attorney General's Office' Defensive Tactics Working Group, where he worked to revise training and policy affecting the state’s law enforcement officer’s defensive tactics skillsets.

Parham has extensive law enforcement experience. During his career he served as the Commanding Officer of the following Units: Criminal Intelligence, Training Bureau, Community Policing, Street Crimes, Gang Intelligence, S.W.A.T., Critical Infrastructure Protection, and the Support Services Division where he managed units such as Information Technology (IT), 9-1-1 Dispatch/Communications, Property & Evidence, Records, Honor Guard, and Police Auxiliary.

Jonathan Parham is currently the Police Director of the Rahway Police Department and the Director of Rahway's Office of Emergency Management.

Parham holds a Master of Administrative Science degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He is a graduate of the West Point Command and Leadership school and holds a certificate in Public Safety Liability and Mitigation from Richard Stockton University and is a graduate of the Certified Public Manager program at Rutgers University.

Bob Rossi Leadership and Curriculum Administrator

Phoenix Regional Police Academy

Bob Rossi is the Leadership and Curriculum Administrator at the Phoenix Regional Police Academy. He came to the Academy after almost 40 years in higher education. During the past five years Bob has applied his four decades of teaching and leadership expertise to the field of law enforcement.

During his first year at the Academy, Bob has significantly increased the academic performance of recruits while building capacity for the training staff.  His redesign of the Academy model will increase the number of officers trained this year (2022) by 75% over the previous year’s number.

Bob has developed and presented curriculum for Certified Police Instructors and Field Training Officers who want to master easy and effective ways of sharing that knowledge with their fellow officers. Thousands of Certified Police Instructors and Field Training Officers from every agency in the State of Arizona have attended Bob’s course with tremendous success.  Many participants credit the course with dramatically influencing their teaching style. 

Bob is a lifelong educator. During his four decades in education, Bob worked as a teacher, counselor, coach, principal, director of high schools and CEO of several Charter School Districts. Bob’s experience has made him a sought-out consultant whose work has brought him to more than 30 schools in seven different states.

Bob is a native of New York who has been in the metropolitan Phoenix area since 1969. He attended high school in the Valley of the Sun and graduated from Arizona State University where he majored in Education. He went on to receive a master’s degree in Counseling and his Doctorate in Educational Leadership in 2002. 

Bob’s true love is working with leaders, teachers and instructors in a coaching and mentorship role.  His goal is to develop leadership capacity for the future of law enforcement to better and better serve our communities.

Sharita Thompson Professor of History and Consultant on Black History, Culture, and the Police

Prince George's Community College

Sharita Jacobs Thompson is a Professor in the Social Sciences Department at Prince George’s Community College where she teaches courses in United States and African American History. She is also an independent scholar and consultant in Washington, DC. Thompson provides training to police departments by delivering a course titled The History of Policing in African American Communities, (which includes a curated tour of the National Museum of African American History and Culture) and facilitating conversations around topics such as social and racial equity, and structural and institutional racism. She primarily works with the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department. Thompson has also trained the Command Staff of the Los Angeles Police Department; trainers and recruits at the Criminal Justice Training Commission in Seattle, Washington; agents and members of the uniformed division at the United States Secret Service; senior officers of the United States Capitol Police; officers on behalf of Maryland-based police departments in the City of Hyattsville; the Town of Cheverly; the City of Greenbelt, Anne Arundel County, Prince George's County, and Baltimore. She developed relevant African American History content and presented to employees of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), the District of Columbia Fire and EMS Department, and Washington State Governor Jay Inslee's Task Force on Internal Investigations.

She is a former Assistant Professor of Civil War Era Studies and Africana Studies at Gettysburg College.  Her research focuses on Black Marylanders and their experiences during the American Civil War and Reconstruction era. Thompson has presented her work at national conferences such as the Organization of American Historians, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, the Black Studies Conference and the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians. She appeared on the CNN series This Is Life with Lisa Ling, CSPAN3 series Lectures in American History and provided commentary for the History Channel documentary, Aftershock: Beyond the Civil War. She has published essays and book chapters. Thompson recently completed a chapter included in an edited volume titled The Civil War in Maryland Reconsidered and she is working on a monograph that will chronicle the experiences of Black Marylanders during the Civil War and Reconstruction.

Graham Tinius, INCI Master Field Training Officer

NAFTO Training Coordinator

Graham Tinius is a Park Police Officer and a Field Training Officer with the Sandy Police Department in Sandy, UT, where he patrols 41 local and regional parks and over 110 miles of mixed-use trails. Graham has a degree in Evidence Technology from Phoenix College. He began
his career as a Crime Scene Technician with the Chandler (AZ) Police Department in 2001. In 2004 he was hired as an officer and promoted to Field Training Officer in 2007.

In 2009, Graham assisted in rewriting the Field Training Program at Chandler PD. Graham is the
recipient of a Meritorious Service Award, as well as a Unit Citation Award for his work in redesigning the Field Training Program and its implementation within the department. Since receiving his General Instructor Certification from Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training
in 2007, Graham has taught numerous classes, including Cultural Diversity, Adult Learning, Leadership, Ethics, Officer Safety, and Basic and Advanced FTO Schools for local, county, and state law enforcement across the Country, as well as US Army civilian police, civilian police and
sheriff staff, and supervisors. He has taught FTO schools to agencies across the country, from California to New Jersey, Florida to Washington, and as far away as Guam and Hawaii.

In 2017, Graham was the recipient of the Champion of Hope Award, for designing and helping
to implement a recovery and treatment program for opiate addicts. Graham is an Executive Board Member, the Training Coordinator, and an Instructor for the National Association of Field Training Officers. Graham is also a member of the International Law Enforcement and Educator
Training Association.

In 2019 Graham moved his wife and two sons to Sandy, UT, to enjoy a colder climate and be closer to the Wasatch Mountains. Within law enforcement, Graham’s passions are training, instructing, proactive policing, and quality of life issues.