2024 OSW Conference Opening General Assembly: Innovations in Officer Safety and Wellness Programming: Adapting to the Evolving Needs of the Field

Ryan Fields-Spack is a member of the command staff tasked with managing the FirstNet Response Operations Group, a unique team with the FirstNet Program at AT&T specifically chosen for their public safety experience. His primary focus is to advocate for the needs of all public safety agencies and line level personnel as AT&T continues building out FirstNet across the nation.

Ryan Joined AT&T after 10 years with the City of Aurora, Colorado, Fire Department, where he was serving as a captain. He also worked with the department as a fire lieutenant and coordinator for the City of Aurora Office of Emergency Management (OEM). Ryan started as a line level firefighter/paramedic.

He is a graduate of the Naval Post-graduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security with a master’s degree in Securities Studies – Homeland Security and Defense. He focused his thesis on how to manage the human dynamic within a unified command in complex incidents such as an active shooter situation.

On January 2, 2023, Mayor Craig Greenberg appointed Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel to serve as the Interim Chief of the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD). After conducting a comprehensive nationwide search, the Mayor selected Gwinn-Villaroel to become Louisville’s next permanent police chief on July 20, 2023. During her tenure as Interim Chief, Gwinn-Villaroel created new initiatives including, but not limited to the following: continuous work of implementing police reforms, establishing the Non-Fatal Shooting Squad, implementing the Stop-the-Violence Community Outreach Program, and the expansion of the Louisville Metro Police Activities League.

Prior to serving as Interim Chief, Gwinn-Villaroel was appointed as LMPD’s Deputy Chief in 2021 and was second in command for the police department. She began her law enforcement career with the Atlanta Police Department (APD) in 1997, where she served until joining the LMPD. As an APD officer, Gwinn-Villaroel served as a patrol officer, a field investigation officer, and worked in the following units as a detective: Vice, Narcotics, Gangs and Guns, and Domestic Violence. Upon promotion to Sergeant, she had the opportunity to work in Patrol, the Police Training Academy, and the Personnel/Human Resources Section.

During her time with APD, Gwinn-Villaroel achieved the rank of Sergeant in 2010. In 2017, she was promoted to Lieutenant, and held positions as a watch commander and commander of the Crime Tactical Analysis Unit. After two years as a lieutenant, she was promoted to the rank of Captain and served as the assistant commander of the Major Crimes Division—overseeing the following units: Homicide, Robbery, Gun Assault, Special Victims, and the Metro Atlanta Crimes Stoppers Unit.

In 2020, she was promoted to the rank of Major and assigned to the Police Training Academy. During her time as the major of the training academy, Gwinn-Villaroel successfully implemented new de-escalation training for new police recruits and implemented the training into the required annual in-service training for veteran officers. She also ensured the development of the curriculum for duty-to-intercede training, emphasizing de-escalation and officer accountability, along with re-implementing crisis intervention training for police recruits.

Chief Gwinn-Villaroel holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice and a Master’s Degree in Public Safety Administration. She is also affiliated with numerous professional organizations, including the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA), Kentucky Women Law Enforcement Network (KWLEN), Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police (KACP), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF).

As an ordained pastor, Chief Gwinn-Villaroel is passionate about community engagement and being a servant leader in her capacity as a law enforcement officer, as well as an executive police manager. She is a wife, mother and Founder/Senior Pastor of Unstoppable Praise Ministries. Unequivocally, Chief Gwinn-Villaroel is committed to professional excellence, accountability, and compassion, as exemplified by her professional success. Upon her swearing-in, Gwinn-Villaroel will become the first female African-American permanent police chief in Louisville’s and the state of Kentucky’s history.

Director Rausch was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 1986 and his Master of Science in Justice Administration in 2001, both from the University of Louisville. He has more than 31 years of law enforcement experience. He was enlisted and served in the United States Army Military Police Corps from 1986 to 1990 where he attained the rank of Sergeant. He served for 25 years in the Knoxville Police Department from 1993 to 2018, his last 7 years as Chief of Police. He served 10 years on the KPD SWAT team. He retired from KPD when he was appointed as the 9th Director for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation by Governor Bill Haslam in 2018.

He is a graduate of several prestigious law enforcement leadership training programs to include; the 105th Administrative Officers Course of the Southern Police institute, the FBI 218th National Academy, the Police Executive Research Forum 40th Senior Management Institute for Police, the FBI 36th National Executive Institute, the United States Army War College Commandant’s National Security Program, and the 27th Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange Delegation to Israel.

Director Rausch has served in leadership roles for numerous community and professional service organizations to include; the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas, the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police, the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies, Leadership Knoxville, the Knoxville Change Center, the Trinity Health Foundation, the Volunteer Ministry Center Knoxville, the Knoxville Metro Drug Coalition, the Mental Health Association of East Tennessee, the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley, the Memphis/Shelby County Crime Commission, and the University of Tennessee Law Enforcement Innovation Center.

Director Rausch has served as an advisor to legislators on the local, state, and federal level, including the Governor of Tennessee, Congress members, Senators, and Executive Staff members to the past two Presidential administrations. He has helped draft, support, pass and defeat significant legislation at all levels of government that impact the safety of communities. He has testified in front of Congress on preparing for and preventing Domestic Terrorism. He is currently serving as a Commissioner for the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice, where he was appointed by U.S. Attorney General William Barr in January 2020.

He has previously served on the Executive Board of IACP as Midsize Agencies Division Chair, and served three years on the Board of Directors, and three years as Co-Chair of the Forensics Committee. He was elected as the 5th Vice President on the Executive Board in 2020 and currently serves as 3rd Vice President.