IACP Women's Leadership Institute: February - April 2021

Deborah J. Campbell recently retired from the New York State Police after completing a 32-year career with the agency.  During her time with the Division of State Police, she served as a trooper and sergeant assigned to Troop K, Poughkeepsie and was later promoted to commissioned officer and transferred to Division Headquarters, where she was responsible for the formation of the Office of Human Resources.  She later held the position of Colonel -Employee Relations, where she had oversight of Division’s EEO investigations, Recruitment, Promotional Examinations, Employee Assistance Program, Personnel and Labor Relations. Prior to her retirement she was assigned to the Office of the Superintendent, where she was responsible for oversight of the Protective Services Unit as well as Planning and Research and special projects for the NYSP.

Ms. Campbell assisted in the development of the New York Women In Law Enforcement organization, where she was a part of the original Board of Directors and served as the first President of NYWLE. She remains an active member of the NYWLE Board of Directors, and is involved with the International Association of Chiefs of Police, where she currently serves as a consultant, providing leadership training for police agencies across the country.

She also teaches for FIP (Fair and Impartial Policing LLC), where she provides implicit bias awareness training.

Deborah holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from SUNY Cortland and a Master of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice from the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government. She is the proud mother of two children, ages 27 and 24. 

Deputy Commissioner Ramona Prieto (Ret), California Highway Patrol - Brings over 38 years of progressive law enforcement experience to the nation’s largest agencies of their kind, the California Highway Patrol (CHP), and Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC).  As CHP Deputy Commissioner, she directed the day to day operations of over 11,000 employees, functioning with an operating budget of $ 2.1 billion, resulting in national recognition for innovative leadership approaches in administration and law enforcement.  With a strong record of top performance in a variety of challenging executive assignments, she was selected to serve as the Acting Director of ABC, where progressive steps were taken to enhance the operations of the department.

For over three decades her hands-on experience in seven CHP field commands and three staff operations, helped her work her way through the ranks from cadet to second in command of the CHP. She has provided patrol services and leadership in rural commands and major metropolitan field commands of Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, and Sacramento Areas as well as specialty assignments in the greater Sacramento Area.  She also had hands-on oversight of the Offices of Community Outreach & Media Relations, Equal Employment Opportunity, Internal Affairs, and Legal Affairs.  Deputy Commissioner Prieto’s career has encompassed many notable milestones, including many “first’s” in the history of the CHP, including becoming the first female motorcycle traffic enforcement officer in 1980, the first female Assistant Commissioner in 2008, and the first female Deputy Commissioner in 2012, along with the first female Acting Director of ABC.

Commissioner Prieto has been recognized for her innovation and results-oriented collaborative efforts in both staff and field assignments.  In order to assure the forward progress of the Department, she has championed many issues including enhanced officer safety, workplace violence prevention, engaged community involvement, tactical and operational training and a myriad of occupational safety issues.  She has worked diligently to improve public safety throughout her career and has been selected to be a spokesperson for the CHP at the local, regional, headquarters, and national levels.  She is known for leading departmental planning efforts at the highest level, and in the management of numerous specialized, statewide programs.

Commissioner Prieto was born in San Francisco and raised with three brothers.  She put herself through City College of San Francisco and graduated with an Associate Arts degree in Administration of Justice.  After joining the CHP at 21 years old, she continued her education and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration from the University of San Francisco, as well as a Master’s degree in Leadership from Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, California.  Commissioner Prieto is also a graduate of the Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command, and has received a certificate in Workers’ Compensation from the University of California, Davis. 

Deputy Commissioner Prieto has earned numerous honors and awards, including CHP Division Commander’s Commendations, community awards for her collaborative efforts, the Women Peace Officers’ Association of California award for Professional Achievement, California Peace Officers Association Trail Blazer award, the coveted Los Angeles Police Department Special Operations Leadership Award and U.S. Congressional District Three 2015 Woman of the year.  Additionally, she is a tenured fellow in the community focused Mountain Valley American Leadership Forum and belongs to several professional police associations.

Commissioner Prieto’s most notable accomplishment is being the mother of five daughters, grandmother of eight grandchildren, and wife of elected sheriff of Yolo County, Ed Prieto.