Training Summaries

Summary of Sessions

Sunday-Wednesday, April 23-26, 2023

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort – Orlando, Florida

All sessions are plenary 1-1.5 hour sessions in the main ballroom. Sessions are subject to change

Remarks from the FBI Leadership
Executive Assistant Director Robert Brown, Science and Technology Branch, FBI

Robert Brown was appointed Executive Assistant Director (EAD) of the Science and Technology Branch (STB) for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in May 2022. As the EAD of STB, he serves at the Director’s lead advisor on the FBI’s Science and Technology (S&T) mission, overseeing the FBI’s Operational Technology Division, the Laboratory Division, the Criminal Justice Information Services Division, the Next Generation Technology and Lawful Access program, and the Science and Technology Intelligence program.

He also is the U.S. Department of Justice’s representative for the FirstNet Authority board.

Prior to accepting the responsibilities of this role, Mr. Brown served as Assistant Director of the Operational Technology Division and oversaw efforts to enhance FBI intelligence, national security, and law enforcement operations by delivering technology-based solutions. Mr. Brown joined the FBI in January 2002 as a Special Agent and was assigned to the Miami Field Office where he investigated organized crime while serving as a member of the FBI Miami SWAT Team. From 2007 to 2009, Mr. Brown served on the Washington Field Office's Attorney General Protection Detail and conducted protective operations worldwide, including multiple overseas operations in Iraq and East Asia. In 2009, Mr. Brown joined the Human Resource Division as a Supervisory Special Agent. In 2011, he was appointed as a Supervisory Special Agent for the Raleigh RA within the Charlotte Field Office where he served as the supervisor for the Joint Terrorism Task Force and was responsible for terrorism investigations, national security, and Weapons of Mass Destruction program areas. Mr. Brown is a recipient of the 2015 FBI Director’s Award for excellence in a criminal investigation following the high-profile kidnapping and subsequent rescue of a North Carolina District Attorney’s father.

In 2014, Mr. Brown served as Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the Columbia Field Office, where he oversaw the FBI’s response and subsequent investigation of the horrific June 2015 AME church mass shooting in Charleston, South Carolina. In 2016, Mr. Brown was promoted to Section Chief in the Criminal Investigative Division’s Transnational Organized Crime Section. In 2017, he was promoted to Deputy Assistant Director for the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate. Mr. Brown was selected to serve as Special Agent in Charge of the Louisville Field Office in 2018 and served on the Special Agent in Charge Advisory Committee. Prior to joining the FBI, Mr. Brown served nine years as a Deputy Sheriff. A native of Pickens, South Carolina, Mr. Brown graduated from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. He earned a master’s degree in public administration from Norwich University and is a graduate of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence University of Michigan, Ross School of Business – Leading in the Intelligence Community Program and Carnegie Mellon’s Leadership in Cybersecurity. Mr. Brown is a 2022 recipient of the Presidential Rank Award for meritorious service which is one of the highest awards given to SES employees for exceptional achievement.

Special Presentation by Harry Lennix
Harry Lennix, Film and Television Stage Actor; Producer

Harry Lennix is a distinguished film, television stage actor and producer. For the past 9 seasons, he has starred as Harold Cooper, on NBC’s THE BLACKLIST. Moviegoers know Lennix as General Calvin Swanwick (a.ka. Martian Manhunter) from THE JUSTICE LEAGUE, MAN OF STEEL and BATMAN V. SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE, Commander Lock in THE MATRIX: RELOADED and THE MATRIX: REVOLUTIONS, and Joe Adams in the Oscar® winning RAY.

He made his screen debut as Dresser in the fan favorite movie: THE FIVE HEARTBEATS. Lennix also recurs on the Showtime series BILLIONS. Lennix made his Broadway debut in Pulitzer Prize winning playwright August Wilson’s Tony nominated RADIO GOLF. For the stage, he directed LeKethia Dalcoe’s drama A SMALL OAK TREE RUNS RED, which went on to win the Audelco Award for best production in 2018, as well as Robert Townsend’s THE FIVE HEARTBEATS, which received three NAACP Theater Award nominations. Other directing credits include: THE GLASS MENAGERIE by Tennessee Williams for Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theater Company

As an actor for the stage he also starred in August Wilson’s KING HEDLEY II at the Mark Taper Forum. In 2001 he played Iachimo in CYMBELINE for Theatre for a New Audience at the Royal Shakespeare Company, the first American company invited to perform in Stratford Upon Avon. In July 2014, Lennix created Exponent Media Group, a movie production company he founded with longtime Chicago associate Steve Harris.

Community Violence Prevention & Programs in Response
Police Commissioner Michael Harrison, Baltimore Police Department (MD)

Michael S. Harrison was sworn in as the Baltimore Police Department’s 41st Commissioner on March 12, 2019. Before coming to Baltimore, Commissioner Harrison served the New Orleans Police Department for nearly three decades. He joined the NOPD in 1991 and ascended steadily through the ranks. He served in supervisory assignments as an Assistant Commander and Commander of a patrol District and the Specialized Investigations Division of the Public Integrity Bureau. He was appointed to Superintendent in 2014 and led the Department for over four years.

Commissioner Harrison has been instrumental in the development, implementation and assessment of community policing programs that have led to demonstrably increased partnership and collaboration. Moreover, he is skilled at moving progressive law enforcement bills forward through legislature and effectuating evidence-based crime fighting strategies, many of which assisted in tangible crime reductions.

Commissioner Harrison was appointed to the Police Executive Research Forum Board of Directors in 2019, where he now serves as the President. He is a member of the Major Cities Chiefs Association and served as both the Central and Eastern Region Representative. Additionally, he is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives and the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force.

He received a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Phoenix and a Masters of Criminal Justice from Loyola University New Orleans. He is also a graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Police, as well as Northwestern University's School of Police Staff and Command. He is a graduate of the F.B.I’s National Executive Institute.

He has considerable experience in navigating a policing agency through the rigors of operating under a federal consent decree, having led two large police departments under such oversight.

A firm believer in civic duty, he honorably served eight years with the Louisiana Air National Guard. In 2010, Commissioner Harrison was ordained as a minister at City of Love Church in New Orleans.

Commissioner Harrison has been married to his high school sweetheart since 1992, and they are the loving parents of two adult children. Commissioner Harrison and his wife have made Baltimore home and have become proud residents.

Recruitment and Retention: The LAPD Perspective
Deputy Chief Emada Tingirides, Community Safety Partnership Bureau, Los Angeles Police Department
Commander Ruby Flores, Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer, Los Angeles Police Department
Captain Aaron McCraney, Recruitment and Employment Division, Los Angeles Police Department

Deputy Chief Emada E. Tingirides is a native Angeleno who spent most of her youth in Watts and Southwest Los Angeles, before deciding to become a police officer and serve the city her family had called home for generations, following the civil unrest of 1992.

In 2011, Emada contributed to the creation, implementation and coordination of the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) policing philosophy.

Incorporating a dedicated team of officers into several public housing communities, helped enable residents to get involved in programs, build trust between law enforcement and the community as well as advocate for themselves and thrive without the fear of crime in their communities.

In 2015, Emada was named the Public Official of the Year by Governing Magazine, one of Los Angeles' Most Influential Women by Los Angeles Magazine and was a distinguished guest of First Lady Michelle Obama during the State of the Union Address.

In August of 2020, Emada was promoted to Deputy Chief and was named the Commanding Officer of the newly-formed Community Safety Partnership Bureau (CSPB), where she oversees the now nine CSP teams spread across eight developments and two parks throughout the City.

Commander Ruby Flores was appointed to the Los Angeles Police Department in 1994 and has since served in the positions of police officer, Field Training Officer, Sergeant, Assistant Watch Commander, Lieutenant, Patrol Watch Commander, and Captain. In 2015, Commander Flores was promoted to Police Captain and was assigned as the Commanding Officer of Community Relationship Division (CRD), where she leveraged her experience and emerging technologies for more effective community engagement.

In 2017, she was promoted to the rank of Police Commander and assigned to Community Policing and Policy Group. In 2018, Commander Flores moved on to Operations-Central Bureau as the Assistant Commanding Officer. In addition to the daily operations and oversight of five commands, she was responsible for implementing a Community Liaison Officer (CLO) program in each of the five Gang Enforcement Detail (GED) units within the Bureau. This program has since been institutionalized department wide, where a CLO is assigned in each of the 21 geographic area GED units. Upon completion of her tour at Operations-Central Bureau, Commander Flores was assigned to Training Group as the commanding officer in 2019. In December 2020, Commander Flores was named by Police Chief Michel Moore as the Department’s first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer. She established the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Group and is currently assigned to the Office of Constitutional Policing and Policy. In January 2021, she earned a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University. Commander Flores serves as the President of the Los Angeles Women Police Officers and Associates. She is also a member of the California Peace Officers’ Association; the International Association of Chiefs of Police; and is a Director of the Los Angeles Police Relief Association.

Commander Flores has earned both Bachelor of Science and Master of Science Degrees at California State University Long Beach. She is a National Collegiate Athletic Association student athlete, who has earned numerous accolades for excellence, both on and off the softball field, including pitching a perfect game and being recognized as the 1992 Western Region – Woman of the Year and 1992 All Big West Scholar Athlete of the Year. She is a proud ambassador for her alma mater, encouraging the pursuit of educational goals.

Captain Aaron McCraney recently retired from is his 31-year career with the Los Angeles Police Department to become the Assistant General Manager of the Public Safety Division of the City’s Personnel Department. Most recently assigned as the Commanding Officer of the Recruitment and Employment Division (RED), retired Captain McCraney brings to the Personnel Department a wealth of public safety experience.

During his police tenure, he worked a variety of patrol assignments serving the Wilshire, Van Nuys, Rampart, Southwest and 77th Street communities. His Watch Commander assignments have been for 77th Street Division, South Traffic Division and Communications Division, and he served as the Patrol Commanding Officer of Wilshire Division. He additionally has held administrative positions with Training, Personnel and the Ombuds Office. But what sets Aaron apart is his deep, vast, and dedicated commitment to the recruitment of only the best police officers for the City of Los Angeles having served as a Sergeant, Lieutenant and Captain of RED to ensure the sworn workforce meets the number, quality and diversity that the City of Los Angeles needs.

Aaron holds a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management as well as a Master’s degree in Negotiations and Conflict Management. The Personnel Department looks forward to Aaron’s contributions to the Personnel Department team.

Your Chief's Involved in a Shooting: Now What?
Chief Chris Twitchel, Buffalo Police Department (MO)

Presentation deals with challenges associated to an officer involved shooting involving the organizational head. It will deconstruct a shooting in a Missouri Rural Town where the Executive leadership were involved in the shooting.

Chief Chris Twitchel has been in law enforcement for over 27 years. He previously was an operations captain at a Camden County Sheriffs Office in Missouri before his current position of Chief, at the Buffalo Missouri Police Department. His experience in law enforcement has varied from a patrol officer, undercover narcotics agent, detective, SWAT operator, and training officer. Chief Twitchel has a M.A. in Criminal Justice Sociology from Lincoln University, a BA in History with a minor in criminal justice from Columbia College, Graduate of the Missouri Police Chiefs Command School and recipient of the FBI-LEEDA Trilogy. He also currently is an adjunct professor with Columbia College and Drury University.

Empowered Leaders, Empower Others
Chief Kristen Ziman, Aurora Police Department (IL)

People hate change. It’s not so much the change that is painful; it’s that space before change happens that stretches us in the most uncomfortable ways.

But once you get to the other side, people are appreciative and even wonder why they didn’t do it sooner. The only way we get to the other side is to go through it, which requires leaders to convince their people to come along.

Kristen will tap into the barriers that leaders face when changing systems and processes or when transforming an organization. She will help you identify how we stifle progress and give you a path forward to start a movement.

Kristen Ziman joined the Aurora Police force in 1991 as a police cadet and became a sworn officer in 1994. She worked in patrol, field training, community policing and investigations as a domestic violence detective before being promoted to sergeant in 2003. She was promoted to lieutenant in 2008 and to Commander in 2010 and Chief of Police in January of 2016.

She retired after 30 years with the department and launched a consulting firm to pursue her passion of public speaking and helping organizations through leadership challenges. She led her department through a mass shooting where five people were killed and five of her officers were shot and her life’s mission is to prevent the next mass casualty. She provides guidance to organizations on lessons learned from the incident in her city.

Kristen earned her Associates Degree from Waubonsee Community College in 1994. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Aurora University and a Master’s Degree from Boston University. She earned a 2nd Master’s Degree in Homeland Security and Defense from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. She is a graduate of the FBI National Academy #249. She completed the Kellogg Women’s Senior Leadership Program at Northwestern University, Senior Executives in State and Local Government at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and the Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP)

Kristen is the author of “Reimagining Blue”, a passionate and personal analysis of a misunderstood profession through the vantage point of female police chief.

www.kristenziman.com

Pulse Night Club – The Untold Story
Captain Scott R. Smith, Ranger Master, Orlando Police Department (FL) (Retired)
Lieutenant Jonathan Cute, Orlando Police Department (FL)
Lieutenant Charles “Cary” Holmes, Orlando Police Department (FL)

Captain Scott Smith (Ret) was employed with the Orlando Pole Department for 28 years. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminology from Florida State University in 1992 and was immediately hired by the City of Orlando. As an officer, he worked in Patrol, Gangs, Fugitive and the Criminal Investigation Division.

In 2008, Lieutenant Smith was promoted to Sergeant and returned to Patrol. As a supervisor, he oversaw a patrol squad, the Anti Crime Unit and the K9 Unit. In 2015, he was promoted to Lieutenant and returned to Patrol as a midnight shift Watch Commander. He was the on-duty Watch Commander on June 12, 2016, during the Pulse Nightclub attack.

In addition to his regular duties, Captain Smith was a member of the SWAT Team for 24 years. Since his selection in 1996, he served as an assault operator, grenadier, Assistant Team Leader, Team Leader, HazMat Leader and a Deputy Team Commander.

In December 2022 he was hired as the Orlando Police Range Master where he oversees the Training Facility and In-Service Firearms Training.

Captain Smith (Ret) is married to Lieutenant Michele Smith (Ret), and they have one child together.

As a Lieutenant with the Orlando Police Department, Jonathan Cute has been assigned as the Deputy Director of the Central Florida Intelligence Exchange (CFIX) since April 2021. In this position he oversees the day-to-day operations of the CFIX staff which include the collecting, analyzing, producing, and dissemination of intelligence in order to support regional efforts to detect, deter, disrupt, and deny terrorist and/or criminal activity.

Prior to his assignment at CFIX, Lieutenant Cute served in the Orlando Police Department Patrol Division from 2001 to 2004. From 2004 to 2019 Lieutenant Cute served in the Narcotics Division which included having been assigned to the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation (MBI) and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration as a Task Force Officer. In 2019 Lieutenant Cute was selected to serve in the Department's Intelligence Unit where he served until April 2021. Lieutenant Cute also served as a member of the Orlando Police Department SWAT Team for the past 18 years from which he stepped down in February 2022.

Lieutenant Charles “Cary” Holmes has been a member of the Orlando Police Department since December of 2006. During his service, he has been assigned to Patrol Services, Patrol TAC, the Drug Enforcement Division, a regional Narcotics and Organized Crime Task Force and the Fugitive Investigative Unit, where his assignments included the location and apprehension of violent fugitives.

Lt. Holmes has been a member of the Orlando Police Department SWAT Team since February of 2012 and is one of 2 Deputy Team Commanders. Lt. Holmes responded to the Pulse Nightclub attack on June 12, 2016, as part of the SWAT Team activation.

Ten Reputation Management Tenets for Law Enforcement Leaders
Judy Pal, 10-8 Communications LLC

In this fast-paced session, Judy Pal discusses the vital importance of communication for law enforcement leaders including internal communications, the value of branding, visuals and words; and importance of strategy behind communications.

With more than 35 years’ experience, Judy Pal has served in executive management positions for police in both Canada and the U.S. Prior to teaching and consulting full-time, she was as an Assistant Commissioner with the NYPD, Director of Operations for FBI-LEEDA, Chief of Staff with the Baltimore and Milwaukee Police, and served as a member of the command staff overseeing public information with the Atlanta, Savannah, and Halifax (Canada) police departments.

Earlier in her career, she worked in television news and corporate public relations.

She’s conducted training for thousands of law enforcement professionals including FBI Regional Command Colleges across the country, FBI-LEEDA and the NYPD.

Pal is a past president of the National Information Officers Association, holds a master’s degree in Public Relations and a Certificate in Police Leadership.

Use of Force: Finding Our Way Forward
Eric P. Daigle, Esq., Daigle Law Group LLC

Eric Daigle practices civil litigation in federal and state courts, with an emphasis on municipalities and public officials. His experience includes defending municipal clients in civil rights actions, including police misconduct litigation and employment actions, as well as premises and general tort liability. Attorney Daigle also defends the rights of officers charged with criminal acts and has brought civil actions against those who have violated the legal rights of officers.

Attorney Daigle acts as a legal advisor to police departments across the Country. He provides legal advice to law enforcement command staff and officers in the areas of legal liability, internal affairs, discipline, policy drafting, employment issues, use of force, laws of arrest, and search and seizure. His experience focuses on officers’ use of force, specifically in the training, investigation, and supervision of force, as well as deadly force incidents.

The Least You Need to Know – Defending Your Agency from Cyber Attack
Justin Feffer, Attorney at Law/ Lieutenant, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office (Ret.)

Law enforcement agencies have suffered debilitating cyber attacks in recent years. These attacks have resulted in the destruction of evidence, crime reports, and the exposure of confidential personnel files and the disruption of 911 services and dispatch capabilities.

This course is designed to provide law enforcement leaders with essential information to use in preparing their agencies to defend against cyber attacks. Even leaders without any technical background or direct involvement with information technology systems management should be familiar with the information provided in this presentation.

Justin Feffer is is an attorney and cybersecurity consulting investigator based in Idaho and California. He recently retired as the commanding officer of the Cyber Crime Section of the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. He was also assigned to the USSS and FBI cyber-crimes task forces from 2004-2020. As a sworn law enforcement officer in Southern California since 1988, and a lawyer since 1994, Justin has instructed thousands of public safety officials in cyber security, cyber crime and digital evidence. Mr. Feffer is an Instructor at USC's Safe Community Institute and served as an FBI-LEEDA faculty member. He also serves on Elite ISI’s Law Enforcement Advisory Board.

Trilogy Refresher

Jennifer Harris, FBI-LEEDA Instructor
Les Kachurek, FBI-LEEDA Instructor
Sean Whent, FBI-LEEDA Instructor

Jennifer Harris was a 27-year veteran with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, retiring as a Major in January of 2016. She began her career as a road trooper for almost nine years before being promoted to a supervisory position. During her 18-years in supervisory positions, she worked in every section of the Patrol which gave her knowledge and experience with leading and managing field personnel, training, internal affairs, human resources, accreditation process, inspections, strategic planning, budgets, performance & promotion processes, and wellness/peer support programs.

Jennifer received her BS in Criminal Justice from Appalachian State University and her MS in Justice Administration from the University of Louisville. She is a graduate of the 213th Session of the FBI-National Academy and a graduate of the 100th Administrative Officers Course at the Southern Police Institute. She has been an adjunct instructor with FBI-LEEDA since 2012.

Chief Les Kachurek answered the calling of policing at the age of nineteen. During a career that spanned five decades, six police departments, and four states, he held numerous command and executive leadership positions. As chief of police, he led the transformation of two police departments from traditional mission-centered, to purpose-driven learning organizations. Les joined the faculty of FBI-LEEDA in 2016 and has been traveling nationwide, teaching cutting-edge leadership to law enforcement practitioners.

Les holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Criminal Justice from Southwest University in Kenner, Louisiana. He also holds Master of Business Administration and Master of Arts in Organizational Management degrees from Southwest University. Les is a graduate of the 216th Session of the FBI National Academy and the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association’s Leadership Trilogy. He holds a Graduate Certificate in Proactive Leadership from Cornell University, is certified by the Mitchell Hamline School of Law as a SHRM Human Resource Professional, and the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services as a Police Executive, Strategic Planner, Master Police Instructor, and Accreditation Manager and Assessor

Les was one of the pioneers of multi-dimensional wellness in law enforcement. He contributed several years of research and writings to the FBI’s Project Beyond Survival Toward Officer Wellness, resulting in the FBI National Academy’s seminal holistic wellness course, Spirituality in Policing.

Les authored the book “The Police Learning Organization, A Values-Oriented, Ten-Minute Daily Best Practice for Reducing Personal Risk and Organizational Liability” comprising three industry-wide best practices.

Chief Sean Whent served the Oakland (CA) Police Department for 22 years. During his career, he worked in the Patrol Division, Criminal Investigations Division, Special Operations Division, Internal Affairs, and the Office of Inspector General. He also oversaw the police academy and was an instructor of multiple police academy and in-service training courses. From 2013 to 2016, he served as the Chief of Police.

Chief Whent has attended the Senior Management Institute for Police and the FBI National Executive Institute. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from California State University East Bay and a Master's Degree in Criminology, Law, and Society from the University of California at Irvine. He is married and is the proud father of three daughters.