Closing General Assembly

LTC Allen, is Chair of International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Communications and Technology Cmte a public safety technologist with a policy focus. As LTC for Illinois State Police led change though a series of increasing organizational responsibility including: Hostage Negotiator, Chief Fiscal Officer, LTC of Special Operations. Allen was a Supervisor for the Federal Bureau of Investigations; Iowa Statewide Interoperability Communications System Board (ISICSB), Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC).

Allen held/holds senior leadership positions including: President, Central Illinois Chiefs of Police; Chair, IL State Executive Interoperability Comte; Executive Council (EC) of National Council of Statewide Interoperability Coordinators (NCSWIC); EC member of SAFECOM; Chair SAFECOM/NCSWIC Technology and Policy Comte; FirstNet PSAC member; NPSTC Governing Board; He led two new statewide radio systems as Project Dir./Mgr. and taught for Northwestern University in School of Police Staff and Command, teaching on a variety of topics, focusing on public safety technology development, and government budgeting.

LtCol James J. Emerson USMC (Ret) is Vice President at the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C).
Jim has more than 45 years of law enforcement and security experience with a 20-year focus on cybercrime investigation, computer forensics, and related criminal intelligence. He is an IADLEST National and International Certified Instructor and currently an instructor in the NW3C Digital Forensic Examiner Expert Witness Course. Jim is a member of the Scientific Working Group on Digital Evidence (SWGDE) and currently the PI for a NIST Grant to develop Quality Management Standards for Digital Multimedia Evidence, has been the Chairman of the International Association of Chiefs of Police Computer Crime and Digital Evidence Committee for over twelve years, a member of the IACP Law Enforcement Information and Technology Section Board of Officers, Co-Chair of the IACP CJIS Security Policy Modernization Working Group, and is the 2022 IACP G. Thomas Steele award recipient for Excellence and Innovation in Law Enforcement Information Technology.

Blair Myhand began his public safety career in 1987, when he joined the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard). The Old Guard is the Army’s official escort to the President of the United States. Later, he served in both the Virginia and North Carolina Army National Guards until retiring in 2011 as an Infantry First Sergeant. His service includes two combat tours; one each to Afghanistan and Iraq. Most notably, he is a recipient of the Bronze Star, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, and the Army Commendation Medal for Heroism on September 11, 2001.

He began his law enforcement career in 1994, with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC. He was assigned to the Third District and later to the Emergency Response Team. He joined the Apex Police Department in Apex, North Carolina in 2005, where he served several assignments and ultimately commanded every division. He was hired as Chief of Police for the Clayton, NC Police Department in 2017, gaining hard-earned experience during his tenure.

Over his career, Blair has participated in many national and international events such as: the Million Man March, Presidential Inaugurations, Y2K, several high-profile protests, and international terrorism incidents. Most notably, he was one two officers who were the first Metropolitan Police Officers to enter the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, only minutes after the attack.

Blair has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration from Waldorf College and a Master of Public Administration from Villanova University. He is a graduate of the 252nd Session of the FBI National Academy. He is an active member for the North Carolina FBI National Academy Associates and the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police where he served as the 2023 President for both associations the same year. He is the current co-chair for the Civilian Law Enforcement Military Cooperation Committee (CLEMCC) and a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) since 2014.

In February 2021, Blair became the Chief of Police for the Hendersonville Police Department in Hendersonville, North Carolina. He leads a staff of 75 employees and manages a $7m annual budget. Blair is happily married to his wife Nana. Together, with their Sheltie, named Tam, they live in the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina. Blair enjoys living and working in a supportive department and community.