Sergeant Ashley Kierpaul has served at the Michigan State Police (MSP) since 2016. She is currently assigned as a police psychologist for MSP’s Office of Behavioral Science. Here, Sergeant Kierpaul provides psychological services for department members, including individual, group, and couples therapy, critical incident debriefs, psychoeducation classes, and psychological assessments for incoming recruits. She also serves first responders and veterans outside of the agency through private practice work. 

Sergeant Kierpaul received her bachelor’s degree in psychology at Michigan State University. She received her master’s degree in clinical psychology and her clinical license through the Michigan School of Psychology, where she received the Conceptual Research Award at the school’s 2021 research symposium for her group therapy proposal for first responders. 

Prior to her current assignment, Sergeant Kierpaul was assigned as a trooper to the Houghton Lake and Brighton Posts. In 2019, she received the Samuel L. Mapes Award after leading her worksite with the most investigative felony arrests.  She was promoted to the Recruiting and Selection Section after she revived MSP’s youth explorer programs. In 2022, MSP acknowledged Sergeant Kierpaul’s work through a Professional Excellence Award after she established explorer programs at eight posts across Michigan. Sergeant Kierpaul also served as a military police lieutenant in the Michigan Army National Guard, where she received an Army Achievement Medal in 2021 for her work at the Vibrant Response multi-state disaster training exercise. 

Sergeant Kierpaul’s research interests include developing and evaluating treatment modalities for first responders and veterans to combat the cumulative effects of trauma and stress accumulated their career. Sergeant Kierpaul’s current focus is on implementing group therapy programs that both resonate with this population and are effective at reducing psychological symptoms associated with the work. 

Edward Tjaden has served as the Chief of Police in York, Nebraska since 2017.  He utilizes his 26 years of varied law enforcement experience to continually shed light upon, and offer solutions for small and rural policing challenges.  His primary focus as Chief has been change management and positive culture building.  He has a Master’s Degree in Organizational Management, is a graduate of the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety’s School of Police Staff and Command, recently began his PhD program in Public Administration, and is an alumni member of the National Institute of Justice’s LEADS Scholars program. Chief Tjaden is currently in the beginning stages of a policing leadership research project with Dr. Justin Nix at the University of Nebraska, Omaha. They are studying the attitudes of officers and administration in small agencies and how they correlate to different leadership styles – evaluating how different styles could affect officer satisfaction and department retention/morale efforts. Chief Tjaden’s commitment to evidence-based policing has been primarily foundational, communicating with other small agency executives about what EVP really is and the value it offers to smaller departments. 

David Cefalu began his law enforcement career with the Wauwatosa Police Department in 2006. He currently serves in the Personnel and Training Division, where he is tasked with analyzing, evaluating, and implementing processes for recruiting and selecting police officers. David is a 15-year veteran of the department’s Special Response Team and is a Defense and Arrest Tactics and Professional Communications instructor. He has served as an officer in the Patrol Division and the Special Operations Group, where he investigated violent crimes and drug trafficking.
David is also a Major in the Wisconsin Air National Guard with 21 years of service ranging from Security Forces to Command and Control. He is a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater pursuing a Doctorate of Business Administration in Management. David holds a Masters of Business Administration in Public Administration from Concordia University-Wisconsin and a Bachelors of Criminal Justice from Troy University. His research interests include personnel recruitment, selection, and retention. His dissertation focuses on ethics, officer wellness, and the reintegration of military veterans.

David Rozek, PhD, ABPP, is an Associate Professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and the Senior Scientific Advisor for Face the Fight. He received his PhD from the University of Notre Dame and completed his residency at the Orlando Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Across his academic and leadership roles, he has led the development and implementation of evidence-based mental health, suicide prevention, and organizational wellness initiatives within high-stress systems, including healthcare, public safety, and military-affiliated organizations. 

Dr. Rozek’s research and clinical expertise center on cognitive and behavioral therapies for suicide, depression, and PTSD, with a particular emphasis on translating clinical science into sustainable organizational practices that support workforce wellbeing, resilience, and performance. He regularly provides training and consultation to clinicians, medical professionals, peer support specialists, leaders, and mental health allies on best practices for supporting individuals at risk for suicide and for strengthening organizational cultures that promote psychological health. His work integrates clinical intervention, training, and systems-level approaches to improve both individual outcomes and organizational functioning. 

Gabrielle O'Keefe is a Research Public Health Analyst at RTI International, where she contributes to various research projects and initiatives. Her work includes examining the influence of pretrial conditions, changes in crime rates post-COVID, and differences in violent crime trends between PSN and non-PSN cities. O'Keefe's research is part of a broader effort to understand and improve the well-being of police officers through Officer Wellness Centers.

Russell Lehmann is a charismatic activist, motivational speaker, & acclaimed author & poet for autism, mental health, & disabilities. He captivates audiences with his powerful message of acceptance & resilience. Lehmann's work has had a positive & life-changing impact on many, and his advocacy and activism have helped to increase understanding & support for individuals in the disability community. Russell’s talent lies in several areas, showcasing his diverse skills and abilities to deliver impactful, educational, and encouraging presentations that incorporate a range of emotions and perspectives, including significant elements of candor and humor.
Russell has emerged as a beacon of inspiration. He shares his intense & painful personal journey of being diagnosed with autism at age 12 after 5 weeks in a lockdown psychiatric ward for severe OCD and phobias. These struggles, on top of a lack of support, compassion, and understanding led him to withdraw from the world for the next 15 years resulting in prevalent isolation. For more information about Russell and his work, visit his website at www.RussL.co and connect with him on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Leigh Anne McKingsley is Senior Director of Disability and Justice Initiatives at The Arc of the United States where she founded and directs The Arc's National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability (NCCJD), the first national center in the U.S. to address both victim and suspect/defendant issues concerning people with IDD. She has worked at the intersection of intellectual/developmental disability (IDD) and criminal justice for 28 years, authored numerous publications and presents nationally and internationally on a broad array of criminal justice and disability topics. She oversaw the development of NCCJD’s signature training: Pathways to Justice® and seeks to establish NCCJD and The Arc’s 550-chapter network as the go to place for information and training on disability and justice. Ms. McKingsley works from a home office in Arlington, Texas. She holds a B.S.W (Bachelor of Science in Social Work), M.S.S.W. (Master of Science in Social Work), and M.P.A. (Master of Public Administration) from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Ronald Sellon is the Police Chief in the town of Mansfield Massachusetts. He is a military veteran, holds a Bachelor's degree in Law Enforcement, Masters degree in Public Safety Administration, and Juris Doctor law degree. He is a licensed attorney in Massachusetts and Boston Federal Court, a graduate of the FBI National Academy session 245th and the Police Executive Research Forums Senior Management institute session 65. As Police Chief, in addition to his other duties he is responsible for public safety at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, a 20,000 seat outdoor amphitheater that welcomes between 30 and 40 concerts every summer. In this capacity he is charged with planning, staffing, and coordinating resources for each show. He also currently sits on the executive board of the Bristol County Police Chiefs Association, and is the 1st Vice President of the Metropolitan Law Enforcement Counsel, which provides mutual aid facilitation of various specialized services including Peer Support, Mobile operations, Marine unit operations, Computer crime lab operations, SWAT, Negotiations, Command post operation, and Investigative services for over 40 organizations and almost a million residents in the Boston metropolitan area. In this capacity he is a control Chief for the the regional emergency response and SWAT team. He is currently the IACP Vice President-Treasurer, sits on the International association of Chiefs of Police Human and Civil Rights committee and recently accepted IACP's community policing award in 2019 for Mansfield's Community outreach.

Dr. Rachel Jensen is a project manager at the International Association of Chiefs of Police. She has worked on projects related to crisis response to behavioral health (including intellectual and developmental disabilities), policing and community trust, and law enforcement partnerships for deflection and diversion programs. She received her doctorate from George Mason University, where her research focused on police crisis response to behavioral health, police training on Autism Spectrum Disorder, and community policing strategies.