As a Senior Policy Advisor at the Office for Victims of Crime, Department of Justice (DOJ), Alissa develops and implements national criminal justice system policy initiatives. Her current portfolio includes oversight of the Enhanced Collaborative Model (ECM) Task Force to Combat Human Trafficking programming and related training and technical assistance to ECMs, law enforcement, prosecution and victim service provider partners. Alissa worked previously at the Bureau of Justice Assistance (DOJ) supporting a range of law enforcement and community-based crime reduction initiatives. Prior to joining DOJ, Alissa worked for the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) where she oversaw grant programs that advance policy and practice within the law enforcement profession. Before joining the IACP, Alissa worked for Circle Solutions, Inc., providing research and evaluation services for the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) supported Cops in Schools program.  Ms. Huntoon earned her B.A. in Sociology with an emphasis in criminal justice from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and her Master’s of Public Policy from American University.

Sergeant Shade McMillian, a proud Florida native, has dedicated over 18 years to law enforcement, serving with distinction at the Leon County Sheriff’s Office in Tallahassee since 2005. Rising through the ranks, he became a Sergeant in 2021, having held critical positions such as Field Training Officer, School Resource Deputy, Violent Crimes Detective, Public Information Officer, and Sergeant in Youth and Young Adult Services, Violent Crimes Unit, and Special Investigations/Human Trafficking Unit.

In 2023, Sergeant McMillian played a pivotal role in establishing the Capital City Human Trafficking Task Force (CCHTTF), a collaborative effort involving federal, state, and local law enforcement aimed at combating human trafficking in Florida, with a focus on the state capitol, Tallahassee.

Sergeant McMillian has been a dedicated member of the Florida Gang Investigators Association, serving as North Central Florida Regional Director on the Board of Directors since 2013. An expert in his field, he regularly trains law enforcement officers and school administrators statewide on critical topics including human trafficking, school safety, and gang awareness.

Robin Hassler Thompson, M.A., J.D., is the Executive Director of the Survive and Thrive Advocacy Center (STAC), an anti-trafficking non-profit she helped to co-found in 2015. She is an active member of the Big Bend Coalition Against Human Trafficking. In 2001 she traveled to Bangladesh on a U.S. State Department mission, which included a visit to a trafficking rescue shelter in Dhaka. This so inspired her that since then, she has directed and collaborated on many anti-trafficking projects, produced and conducted anti-human trafficking training programs, and authored numerous publications and curricula on both sex and labor trafficking. Robin has served on and held leadership positions on local, state, and national boards and committees including the Florida Supreme Court-appointed Commission on Access to Civil Justice and the Tallahassee/Leon County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. Robin led Florida’s first Task Force on Domestic and Sexual Violence and served on the National Advisory Council on Violence Against Women. She holds both a J.D. and a master's degree from Florida State University and a B.A. from American University in Washington, D.C.

Natasha Haunsperger has been a Portland Police Officer for sixteen years and in her current position as a Community Engagement Lead, she has been working on addressing complex criminal justice-related issues with immigrant and refugee communities in the Portland Metro area. Officer Haunsperger is currently working on developing holistic and innovative platforms for onboarding immigrants, refugees, communities of color, and other vulnerable and historically marginalized communities in the process of justice reforms. Officer Haunsperger also co-produced a documentary film on foreign-born labor trafficking, "Reclaiming Their Lives," and is actively working on raising public awareness about trafficking trends in the Pacific Northwest. Officer Haunsperger is committed to developing a training curriculum for first responders and community-based stakeholders, focusing on early detection and identification of labor trafficking activities and victims’ identification and rescue. In addition, she engages as an advocate with groups focused on issues of gender, socio-economic justice, and civil and human rights for justice-impacted women, with a particular focus on uplifting the voices of women in the areas of domestic and international security, conflict resolution, and peace-building processes.

Hilary Burgess joined the International Association of Chiefs of Police in 2018. She has served as a Senior Project Manager since 2022 for multiple Department of Justice (DOJ) Office for Victims of Crime anti-human trafficking initiatives. Hilary first gained valuable experience working for four years on the DOJ COPS Office-funded Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center (CRI-TAC) program where she managed technical assistance delivery and resource development for the policing field. She previously worked for the National Sheriffs' Association for over 13 years where she served in multiple capacities, including Director of Professional Development. Hilary is a skilled project manager, earning a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California.

Alexander Jones serves as the Chief of Police for the City of Arlington, Texas. He leads the department in the 48th largest city in the country with almost 900 sworn officers and professional staff members with an annual budget of $109 million dollars.

Chief Jones began his policing career with the Baltimore County Police Department in 1995 and quickly rose through the ranks to become the department's second highest-ranking officer. He previously served as the Colonel of Operations overseeing ten police precincts, patrol operations, Safe School Division, Youth and Community Service Section, and the Support Operations Division.

Chief Jones also served as the Bureau Chief of Community Relations, which included the Community Resource and Wellness Section and the Youth and Community Service Section. The focus of the bureau was on community relations and building trust with the communities of Baltimore County. He was instrumental in establishing many successful youth programs.

Chief Jones obtained a Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Ashworth College and received an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the University of Hartford.

Brenda J. Bond-Fortier, PhD is Professor at Suffolk University. Dr. Bond-Fortier specializes in police organizational change, performance measurement, collaboration, and policy and practiceimplementation. Her book, Organizational Change in an Urban Police Department: Innovating to Reform (2020) analyzes changes in policy, practice and community relationships. Brenda’s recent work explores public safety change in higher education. Brenda is a consultant with 21CP Solutions, Inc. working on re-imagining campus public safety. Dr. Bond-Fortier served as SME for the Bureau of Justice Assistance Strategies for Policing Innovation initiative. She previously served as Research Associate at the Kennedy School of Government Program in Criminal Justice Policy & Management, as Advisor for the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council, and as Director of Research and Development at the Lowell, Massachusetts PD.

Dr. Bond-Fortier received a PhD and MA from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, a Master of Arts in Community Social Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in CJ from University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Maria C. Cheevers, M Ed, has been the Director of the Boston Police Department’s (BPD) Office of Research and Development (ORD) since March 2011. In that role she leads a staff of seven in the development, implementation, management and evaluation of up to $24 million per year in grant program funds; prepares various crime data and performance measurement reports, best practice research reviews and policy documents. Ms. Cheevers is currently leading Boston’s Citywide HUB initiative; while supervising up to twenty additional best practice models. Prior to 2011, Ms. Cheevers was one- third owner of Grants Etcetera, Inc.; she developed MA’s first comprehensive reentry model for young girls coming out of the MA’s juvenile justice system, the Female Focus Initiative, while leading the Boston Coalition Against Drugs and Violence; and was the Assistant Director of the BPD’s Office of Strategic Planning. At that time she developed Boston’s first Safe Neighborhood Initiative, Youth Connect, and the BPD’s award-winning Comprehensive Communities Program, implementing a citywide Strategic Planning Initiative to bring community policing to scale in the City of Boston.

Jenna Savage, PhD, is the Deputy Director of the Boston Police Department (BPD) Office of Research and Development (ORD). Jenna oversees BPD research partnerships with local colleges and universities, as well as internal research projects initiated by ORD. Since 2010, she has coordinated the BPD’s numerous mental health-related projects—including developing and overseeing the BPD’s partnership with the Boston Emergency Services Team (BEST), where Master’s-level BEST clinicians are paired with BPD officers in an attempt to improve response to individuals experiencing mental health crises; assisting with the creation and implementation of the BPD’s 40-hour Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training; and co-chairing a Steering Committee and Subcommittee of Boston’s Community Justice Project (a Sequential Intercept Mapping initiative spearheaded by the MA Trial Court). Other responsibilities include grant writing, grant management, and responding to both internal and external information requests. Jenna received her PhD in Criminology and Justice Policy from Northeastern University in 2011, and has been working full-time in ORD since 2009.

Superintendent Harry Dhillon currently serves as the commander in charge of 12 Division with Peel Regional Police. Peel Region, situated just west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is home to approximately 1.5 million residents who are served by Peel Regional Police through its 5 divisions.

Superintendent Harry Dhillon embarked on his policing career with Peel Regional Police in the year 2001. He amassed valuable experience working in a leadership capacity in various areas including Uniform Patrol, Street Crime Unit, Gang Unit, Major Drugs and Vice Unit, Intelligence, Organized Crime Unit and the Criminal Investigations Bureau.

In 2022, he was assigned as the Staff Officer to Deputy Chief Marc Andrews of the Community Policing Operations Command, further underscoring his pivotal role within Peel Regional Police and his ongoing commitment to public safety and excellence in law enforcement.

In 2024, he was promoted to Superintendent and has since taken command of 12 Division. During this time, Superintendent Dhillon was also the Senior Leader Sponsor for the initiative that he will be presenting on at the IACP Conference.

Acting Inspector Darren Doody commenced his policing career with Peel Regional Police in 1999. Throughout his career he has garnered extensive experience across various bureaus, including Uniform Patrol, Street Crime, Major Drugs, Organized Crime, Public Order Unit, Corporate Learning, the Hostage and Crisis Negotiator Unit and most recently, serving as an incident commander in the Duty Inspector’s office.

Notably, Acting Inspector Doody spearheaded the South Asian Community Engagement initiative, where he coordinated and led the development of a culturally responsive service delivery framework. This initiative has led to innovative strategic changes, which include the establishment of a Cross Functional Support Team and Community Ambassador (CA) Program.

Currently, he is the officer-in-charge of the Cross Functional Support Team and the CA Program, which serves as a streamlined and coordinated point of contact, responding to the specific needs of the community across all areas of the organization.

John Versluis is the Manager of Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) at Peel Regional Police where he supports a range strategic and operational initiatives to achieve the Service's CSWB goals and objectives. This includes strengthening partnerships, supporting alternative approaches to service delivery, and managing initiatives to improve service to priority populations. Prior to joining Peel Regional Police in 2021, John had a 17-year career in the municipal social and community services sector where he was responsible for human service planning and investment initiatives to strengthen the safety and well-being of communities. John holds a master's degree in public administration from the University of Victoria.

Nazmia E.A. Comrie is a senior program specialist in the Resources and Technical Assistance (RTA) division at the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). Nazmia provides leadership for the development, implementation, and delivery of technical assistance efforts to state, local, tribal, and campus law enforcement agencies across the county as the program manager for the Collaborative Reform Initiative. She is an issue manager for issues related to human trafficking, hate crimes, interpersonal violence, and mass demonstrations, and has expertise in officer wellness and safety and youth safety. To date Nazmia has authored and coauthored a number of publications relevant to her areas of expertise and the criminal justice field as a whole, including Building Stronger, Safer Communities: A guide for law enforcement and community partners to prevent and respond to hate crimes. In addition Nazmia was a significant contributor to the After-Action Assessment of the Police Response to the August 2014 Demonstrations in Ferguson, Missouri report that was released in 2015. Nazmia received her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Rochester and her master's degree in criminal justice from University at Albany, where she worked on research involving homicides, wrongful convictions, community policing, and gangs. 

William B. Evans, Dir.Public Safety, Boston College.

Prior member of the Boston Police Department.

Boston Police Commissioner.

Career .Highlights :

Superintendent, Field Services Bureau.

Managed Occupy Boston Movement, sports parades, protests,, presidential visits.

Major role in the Boston Marathon bombing

Enacted community policing via Peace Walks, Social Justice Task Force, & other efforts.

Academic background and training include:

Bachelor of Science Government, Suffolk University,

Master’s Cybersecurity, Boston College,

Master’s Public Administration in Criminal Justice, Anna Maria College.

FBI National Academy, FBI National Executive Institute

Police Executive Research Forum’s Sr. Management Police Institute

Center for Homeland Defense & Security Naval Postgraduate Institute.

Sr. Executives in State & Local Government JFK School of Gov.

National Preparedness Leadership Initiative & Meta Leadership Executive Sessions, JFK School of Government

David Kennington is a Licensed Professional Counselor employed by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) since 2007. He manages The Professional Wellness Section, which was cited as a model officer wellness program in a 2019 Department of Justice Congressional Report. The Professional Wellness Section has 2 Units (Counseling and Wellness) with multiple programs including, training, critical incident stress management, psychotherapy, peer support, family support, and chaplain support. The Professional Wellness Section is comprised of both sworn and civilian employees.  He provides therapy to law enforcement personnel and their families, is a certified officer wellness instructor and leads critical incident stress debriefings. He has over 30 years of experience working as a clinical psychotherapist. He recently served on Officer Safety and Wellness Panels at the Department of Justice. He has a B.A. in Psychology from The University of Texas at Austin (1988) and a M.A. in Professional Counseling from The University of Texas at Tyler (1994). David has been married to Korree for 23 years. They have 2 sons, Collin (20) and Cooper (16). 

Laura McElroy has dealt with almost every imaginable news story in her 30 years of work as an award-winning journalist, the communications director of the Tampa Police Department, and as a communication strategist. She has guided government agencies and large companies during high profile crises and managed large-scale events. This media veteran led the joint information centers for a Republican National Convention, multiple hurricanes, and Super Bowl XLIII. She has helped leaders effectively manage worst-case incidents, including racially tense officer-involved shootings, a statewide four-day manhunt for a cop killer, intense political protests, a sex scandal at a public agency, negligent death cases, a murder-suicide at a large urban hospital, the death of a child in protective service care, officers involved in criminal activity, and many more. As the Principal Consultant of The McElroy Media Group, Laura addresses every aspect of a crisis, from strategizing how best to represent the organization in the media and social media, to addressing both internal audiences and key stakeholders, all while minimizing the impact on operations.  Laura is a member of the Independent Monitoring Team of the Chicago Police Department. She works with the Monitor's Community Engagement Team to ensure community members have a voice in reforming their police department. Laura shares best practices in her field as an instructor with the Police Executive Research Forum's Senior Management Institute of Police, SMIP. She also serves as a subject matter expert for the U. S. Department of Justice, CNA's Institute for Public Research, Major Cities Chiefs Association, the National Training and Technical Assistance Center, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Through these organizations, she develops strategic communications plans and conducts executive-level training, working with law enforcement agencies around the country, installing best practices in crisis communication, media relations, social media, and community outreach. After assessing an agency's current program, Laura designs and helps implement progressive solutions that ultimately grow the agency's relationships with the media and the community it serves.   As a communication strategist, Laura has conducted media training for national franchise owners and helped local businesses generate news stories about their operations and grow their digital footprint via social media training. Her 16 years of experience working in broadcast news gave her, a clear understanding of the media and its daily objectives. As a reporter and anchor, she won local, state, and national awards. During her 11 years as the Tampa Police Department's Communications Director, Laura helped the agency navigate innumerable crises, all while strengthening its community relationships. By establishing new levels of transparency and accountability, she improved public trust in the department that resulted in extensive positive news coverage and helped mitigate controversial issues. In this role, she developed excellent working relationships with all Tampa media outlets and created new partnerships with activists, community groups, and business leaders.  During her tenure with the Tampa Police Department, Laura led the multi-agency Joint Information Center for the 2012 Republican National Convention, comprised of more than a hundred Public Information Officers. The Center used social media to improve the perception of law enforcement during the convention, which historically generates negative publicity for agencies. The photographs posted on social media helped set the tone of local and national stories about the event. Four years earlier, Laura led the Joint Information Center for Super Bowl XLIII. Her six-month media campaign created positive publicity for local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.  

David T. Snively is a Program Manager at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and oversees the Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center (CRI-TAC).

David has worked in public safety for 16 years at every rank from Officer to Interim Chief of Police. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's School of Police Staff and Command and PERF's Senior Management Institute for Police. David is also a Master Instructor, and holds specialty instructor certificates in Use of Force, Firearms, TASER, ICAT, and Field Sobriety.

In addition to his professional experience and training, David is an affiliate instructor and Ph.D. candidate at Georgia State University, where his research focuses on the impact of police agency education and training requirements on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. He is also a National Institute of Justice LEADS Scholar and a Fellow of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.

Cristina Fernandez is a Program Manager with the International Association of Chiefs of Police. She currently oversees the IACP’s Law Enforcement Family Support Program Training and Technical Assistance (TTA), Elevate Blue: Essential Training for Law Enforcement, and Mass Violence Advisory Initiative projects. Prior to joining the IACP in April of 2021, Cristina served as a Supervisor in the Crime Analysis Unit at the Springfield (MA) Police Department. In this capacity, she helped build one of the first real-time crime centers in New England. Before her tenure with the SPD, Cristina spent 11 years at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children as an analyst, supervisor, and program manager on the CyberTipline. As Program Manager, Cristina oversaw the daily operations of the CyberTipline, known as the “911 of the Internet.” Cristina holds a Master’s Degree in Forensic Psychology from Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia.

Deputy Chief AJ DeAndrea (retried) began his career with the Arvada, CO Police Department in 1993, retiring from APD in 2023. He is currently the Owner/CEO of Centurio Training and Consulting LLC. During his time at Arvada he served as a member of the Jefferson County Regional SWAT Team from 1996 to 2012, a collateral duty team where he was a Team Leader. The majority of his career was spent on patrol but he also spent 2 years as the Sergeant of the Internal Affairs Unit and 4 years as the Sergeant in the Community Response Impact Team (CRIT). He was an Operations Commander before promoting to Deputy Chief. As Deputy Chief, he had the opportunity to oversee both the Field and Operations divisions of the Arvada Police Department. Deputy Chief DeAndrea graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder in 1990, and has a Bachelor of Arts degree. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, Session 283 and the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command, Class 504. Deputy Chief DeAndrea has been involved in three school shootings to include Columbine High School, Platte Canyon High School and Youth With A Mission where he was in a leadership position inside the buildings.

Frank DeAngelis was a staff member at Columbine High School in the Jeffco School District in Littleton Colorado, since 1979, starting as a Social Studies teacher and filling the roles of Head Baseball Coach, Assistant Football Coach, Dean of Students, and Assistant Principal, before becoming the Principal in 1996. x. Frank has been involved in numerous professional activities and associations, and has received multiple awards for his teaching, leadership and coaching skills. He has also been called upon to speak about recovery after a school tragedy at a variety of conferences, and has assisted as a consultant after a number of other violent school events. He was selected as Colorado High School Principal of the Year and was one of the three finalists for National Principal of the Year. He retired in June of 2014 after 35 years at Columbine High School. He is presently serving as a consultant for safety and emergency management for the Jeffco School District in Colorado. He is one of the founders of the Principal Recovery Network and continues to deliver speeches in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Dr. Nicoletti a Board Certified Specialist in Police & Public Safety Psychology who provides counseling services to officers & their families, criticial incident & extreme events interventions, suicide awareness, supervisory trainning, LOD deaths & OIS interventions.  He has coauthored 19 articles & books that include Preparing for the Unimaginable After a Mass Casualty Event, C0PS, 2016 & Training Guide on Suicide by Cop, PERF, 2019.  Specialized assignments have included:
*Harvard Med School Review Member for Evaluation of Occupational Health Systems for Promoting Workforce Mental Health, Western Australia, 2014
*CO Governor's Expert Emergency Epidemic Response Committee, 2001-present
*CHAIR, IACP Psychological Services, 2004-06
*DOE Insider Threat Working Group, 2017
*DHS Threat Working Group, 2017
*National Officer Safety & Wellness Group, 2017
*BOJ VALOR, Safety & Wellness Initiative, 2018
*Insider Threat Trainer at Pine Gap Detection Facility, Australia, 2019
*Participant at NATO Conference on Countering Violent Extremism, Venice, IT, 2019
*Participant at NSA Conference, 2019
*Participant National Counterterroism Conference, 2020   

Christopher Mannino retired as chief of police from a Chicago-area department in 2022 after 25 years of service. Holding a Master’s Degree in Political and Justice Studies with a focus on communications, he applied his education by leading his agency’s messaging during crises, including officer-involved shootings, serious crimes, weather events, a pandemic, protests, and civil unrest. His attendance at the FBI National Academy in 2009 inspired him to revolutionize his agency’s public communication, earning them a strong reputation in a major news market. Now Vice President at Julie Parker Communications, Mannino consults and trains government entities and private companies across North America on leadership and communications. He has authored articles for the International Association of Chiefs of Police and Police1, and has appeared on podcasts for the FBI National Academy Associates and other public safety platforms. He is also an executive fellow with the National Policing Institute.

Chris Covelli began his law enforcement career in 2004 and is currently a deputy chief at the Lake County (IL) Sheriff's Office.

In 2015, Chris was appointed as the lead public information officer for the sheriff’s office. He also serves as the lead public information officer for the Lake County Major Crime Task Force. Chris has been the lead public information officer on hundreds of critical incidents involving mass shootings, homicides, hazardous situations, and other emergency situations.

Chris teaches the media relations module of Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command, is a consultant for Julie Parker Communications where he travels across the country to train public information officers, and he teaches for the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board Executive Institute.

Chris chairs the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police Public Information Officers Section. He has been a featured speaker at dozens of training conferences throughout North America. Chris resides in Cary, Illinois, with his wife, Kimberly, and three children, Chloe, Camden, and Carsyn.

Julie Parker’s entire career has led to this moment as the CEO of her own consultancy, Julie Parker Communications. With deep experience in all facets of the media industry, she is uniquely positioned to guide government agencies, nonprofit and for-profit organizations through the intricacies of communications training. Her roles as an Emmy and Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist in Washington, DC, as well as media relations director for two large police departments honed Julie’s skills in providing effective, timely and accurate reporting. She is now called upon by such esteemed agencies as the Naval Postgraduate School and the FBI National Academy as a presenter and trainer.
Julie Parker notably guided the US Capitol Police through media and social media challenges post-January 6th, earning double honors from the Ragan Crisis Communication Awards. Her success led to media recognition, including a Washington Post feature, and an invitation to testify on technology and social media for The President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing. Julie and her team continue to provide essential communication services to organizations of all sizes.

Chief Jason Armstrong is the police chief for the town of Apex, North Carolina. Chief Armstrong recently arrived in Apex after serving the last two years as the police chief in Ferguson, Missouri; leading the department in their efforts to reform under a federal consent decree. Prior to taking the helm in Ferguson, he had an accomplished career with the Forest Park Police Department, in Georgia. Chief Armstrong currently serves on the IACP's community policing committee and in 2019 was a recipient of IACP's 40 under 40 award. Chief Armstrong holds a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from North Carolina Central University and a Master's degree in Public Safety Administration from Columbus State University. Chief Armstrong is recognized as one of the nations top law enforcement leaders in the areas of community outreach & engagement and police reform. With his vast accomplishments and experiences, Chief Armstrong is a sought-after contributor for news affiliates, international media outlets, podcast platforms, documentaries, keynote speaker engagements and professional speaking events in the areas of leadership, police reform and community engagement.

Lisa LaBruno is RILA’s Senior Executive Vice President of Retail Operations. In this role, Lisa oversees RILA’s efforts in the association’s key retail disciplines including asset protection, store operations, supply chain, e-commerce and corporate social responsibility. She leads member-facing strategic initiatives, including the industry’s groundbreaking Vibrant Communities Initiative to combat retail crime, convenes top-level industry executives to address common challenges, interfaces with key public sector partners, and directs executive networking to promote operational excellence within the industry. Lisa has over 30 years of relevant experience in both the public and private sector, including as an assistant prosecutor (Hudson County, NJ), litigation attorney, and in-house counsel at The Home Depot. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Loss Prevention Foundation.

Dr. Julie Hibdon is an Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, School of Justice and Public Safety, at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Her primary research interests include crime and place, crime prevention, victimization and policing. Dr. Hibdon has over ten years of experience in applied research and program evaluation. Her current research largely focuses on community crime prevention initiatives, data to understand crime and disorder issues, and hiring, retention and promotion practices of police organizations.

Ryan Phillips, LPC is an Organized Retail Crime Investigator for Triumph Protection Group - luluemon. He currently covers the PNW, Denver, Kansas, and Missouri. Focused on building cases on large booster groups, locating and investigating illegal fencing operations, and building relationships with local, state, and federal LE and prosecutors. He is an executive board member of Washington State Organized Retail Crime Association. Ryan was formerly a deputy sheriff in Washington State for almost 20 years. During his service he spent time as a TFO on a US Marhsall Task Force, an Anti-Crime Team, 10 year's on SWAT, and finished his career in as a K9 handler. He also possess his EMT-B certification and teaches courses regarding emergency trauma care training.

Ashlie Shanley is the District Attorney of Cabarrus County North Carolina, a neighboring county to Charlotte, North Carolina. Shanley serves as the Chair of the NDAA and RILA Retail Crime Advisory Board and works to combat retail crime. Shanley is a career prosecutor and served as the Chief Assistant District Attorney and a Special Victims Prosecutor, prosecuting homicide and rape cases. Shanley has extensive experience assembling and working with multi-disciplinary teams created to reduce and prosecute crime. She previously served as President of the Board of Directors of the Children’s Advocacy Centers of North Carolina, facilitates the Cabarrus County Human Trafficking Task Force, and coordinates the Cabarrus Violent Offender program.
Shanley graduated Cum Laude from Campbell University Law School in 1996 and graduated from North Carolina State University with a degree in Business Management in 1993. Shanley has conducting trainings for law enforcement officers, loss prevention employees, business associations, and other professionals regarding the successful prosecution of organized retail theft and ensuring the safety of communities.

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.

Russell Lehmann is an award-winning and internationally recognized motivational speaker and poet contextualizing autism, mental health, disabilities, and the overall human condition. A graduate of MIT’s “Leadership in the Digital Age” course, Russell sits on the national Board of Directors for The Arc and is a council member for the Autism Society of America.    

Russell showed signs of autism as a newborn, however, he was not formally diagnosed until the age of 12 after suffering through 5 weeks in a lockdown psychiatric facility.    

Russell recently returned from Helsinki after he was invited to the Finnish Parliament to discuss government supports that are needed in Finland for individuals on the spectrum.  

Jessica is a Supervisory Policy Analyst at the Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). Jessica leads the Training and Partner Engagement Division in its mission to advance public safety and the practice of community policing through training, technical assistance, resource development and subject matter expertise to the law enforcement community.

Erica Harris has over 18 years working professionally with and on behalf of underserved and marginalized communities on public health subjects. Currently, she works with the University of Cincinnati University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCCEDD) to train and educate law enforcement professionals on topics related specifically to disability inclusion and interacting with individuals who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. Erica currently consults with The Arc’s National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability (NCCJD) and has extensive experience in developing training curricula, providing training to staff, professionals, self-advocates, and family members to assist them in identifying effective and safe for interactions involving law enforcement and the criminal justice system. Erica's regional and national efforts focus on training members of law enforcement on topics that include Accommodations, Communication, Behavior, Triggers, Crisis Prevention and De-escalation.

Mickey H. Osterreicher is of Counsel to Finnerty Osterreicher & Abdulla and serves as general counsel to the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA). He is a member of the New York State Bar Association Media Law Committee, the Media Law Resource Center (MLRC) newsgathering committee, the First Amendment Lawyers Association (FALA) and the Advisory Board of DroneResponders. He is an award-winning photojournalist with overt forty years' experience in print and broadcast. His work has appeared in such publications as the New York Times, Time, Newsweek and USA Today as well as on ABC World News Tonight, Nightline, Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News and ESPN.  As a lawyer, Mr. Osterreicher is actively involved in such issues as: cameras in the courtroom, the federal shield law, media access, public photography, ag-gag legislation, anti-paparazzi statutes, drones, copyright, fair use and orphan works. He writes for the NPPA and the MLRC as well as other online publications. He has also written articles for the National Sheriffs Association and has been quoted in the news nationally on many of these issues. The Society of Professional Journalists honored him in 2015 as a 'Fellow of the Society,' the highest professional honor given by the Society for extraordinary contribution to the profession.  He has been an adjunct lecturer in Photojournalism at SUNY at Buffalo and an adjunct law professor in media and the law at the University at Buffalo Law School. Mr. Osterreicher has provided training regarding First and Fourth Amendment issues to law enforcement agencies and associations throughout the United States and has moderated and participated on panels nationwide, speaking about the rights and limitations to photograph and record in public – at the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA) conference. He has also presented workshops at the Legal Officers and Public Information Officers Sections of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the National Sheriffs Association (NSA), the New York State Sheriffs Association, the Georgia Chiefs of Police, the International Bar Association and the National Press Club in Washington.  He has been a uniformed reserve deputy with the Erie County Sheriff's Department since 1976 in 1994 he was honored by the Erie County Sheriff's Department with the Reserve Division Award and in 2017 he was named Reserve Deputy of the Year by the ECSO and Erie County Deputy Sheriff's Badge and Shield Club. Osterreicher is a member of ILEETA as well as being a member of the Public Recording of Police Advisory Committee of the IACP. He is also certified as having been trained under the National Incident Management System (NIMS).  Mr. Osterreicher graduated cum laude in 1973 from SUNY at Buffalo with a Bachelor of Science degree in Photojournalism/Photography and received his Juris Doctor, cum laude from the University of Buffalo Law School in 1998. He is admitted to practice in New York State, U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second and Fourth Circuits and the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Daniel J. Oates currently serves as Interim Police Chief of Aurora (Colorado) PD. Beginning in 1980 at NYPD, Daniel moved quickly through the ranks to senior executive roles during New York's dramatic crime-reduction era in the 1990s. His most notable assignments included commanding the Office of Legal Counsel and Chief of the Intelligence Division. Chief Oates began a successful 18 year career in 2001 as Chief in Ann Arbor, Aurora and Miami Beach. He established a reputation as a progressive reformer and successful crime fighting strategies dropping major crimes in all three cities. Chief Oates’ national reputation was secured when he led the City of Aurora through the then-largest mass shooting - Century 16 Theater, July 20, 2012.
He is a graduate of Bucknell University with advanced degrees from NYU and New York Law School and is an admitted attorney in New York, New Jersey and Colorado. He is a long-time member of both PERF and the IACP and has served on their boards. He is a Past President of the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police. Today, Mr. Oates runs a private law enforcement, security and consulting firm: Daniel J. Oates and Associates, LLC.

Douglas Burig is the Executive Director of MAGLOCLEN, one of the nation’s six RISS Centers. RISS is a congressionally funded program through the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance.

Prior to Mr. Burig’s appointment as Executive Director, he was an enlisted member of the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) for 25 years, where he served as Director of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (Major). He was responsible for statewide oversight of the investigative programs and specialized investigative resources for his agency.

Mr. Burig earned a master's degree in the administration of justice and homeland security from Wilmington University and a bachelor's political science from Salisbury University. He is also a graduate of the 255th Session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. In 2018, Mr. Burig completed the one-year FBI International Leadership in Counterterrorism (LinCT) Program.

Mr. Burig is a member of the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Intelligence Coordinating Council, the IACP, and the IACP Police Investigative Operations Committee.

Cristina Fernandez is a Program Manager with the International Association of Chiefs of Police. She currently oversees the IACP’s Law Enforcement Family Support Program Training and Technical Assistance (TTA), Elevate Blue: Essential Training for Law Enforcement, and Mass Violence Advisory Initiative projects. Prior to joining the IACP in April of 2021, Cristina served as a Supervisor in the Crime Analysis Unit at the Springfield (MA) Police Department. In this capacity, she helped build one of the first real-time crime centers in New England. Before her tenure with the SPD, Cristina spent 11 years at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children as an analyst, supervisor, and program manager on the CyberTipline. As Program Manager, Cristina oversaw the daily operations of the CyberTipline, known as the “911 of the Internet.” Cristina holds a Master’s Degree in Forensic Psychology from Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia.

Rich Littlehale is Assistant Director for Technology and Innovation at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. AD Littlehale oversees TBI’s IT operations, online child exploitation, criminal intelligence, cyber investigations, digital forensics, and electronic surveillance functions. His focus over much of his career has been identifying, collecting, and utilizing technology-based evidence in criminal investigations. He has testified as an expert witness on communications records in numerous homicide and violent crime trials, and frequently serves as an expert on access to digital evidence for the state and local law enforcement community before Congress and other bodies. AD Littlehale chairs the Technology and Digital Evidence Committee of the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies, the Police Investigative Operations Committee of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the FBI Lawful Access and Emerging Technologies Intergovernmental Committee. AD Littlehale is an attorney and instructor on pre-trial criminal procedure and electronic surveillance law. He attended Bowdoin College and Vanderbilt Law School.

Phil Pulaski has 43 years police experience including 34 years with NYPD where he retired as Chief of Detectives. He has experience managing NYPD patrol, investigative, counterterrorism, special operations & school safety activities. He is a licensed attorney & was managing attorney in the Legal Bureau. He subsequently was Chief of Police in 2 agencies

As Chief of Detectives, he managed 3,600 personnel who investigated 256,000 crimes and arrested 39,000 offenders. As Deputy Commissioner of Operations, he was responsible for all crime reduction programs and ran COMPSTAT. He also commanded the Counter Terrorism Bureau, Intelligence Division, FBI/NYPD JTTF, Manhattan Detective Division, Bronx Detective Division, Special Investigations Division and Forensic Investigations Division.

Mr. Pulaski supervised hundreds of major investigations including multi-victim homicides & shootings, murdered officers, kidnappings, bombings, serial rapes & narcotics. He supervised national security investigations including 9-11 WTC & 2001 anthrax attacks. He managed major crises including bombings, plane/train/ferry/bus crashes, HazMat incidents & explosions.