The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), 30x30 Initiative, and the BJA NTTAC are pleased to co-host the upcoming National Summit on Women in Law Enforcement: Improving Public Safety and Transforming Police. The Summit, to be held on September 7-8, 2022, in Washington, DC, will bring together dozens of representatives from 30x30 Initiative agencies, industry experts, and researchers to understand the challenges in advancing women in policing and prioritize how best to support agencies to overcome those challenges.
Speaker Information:
Ivonne Roman is the co-founder of the 30x30 Initiative. She has over 25 years of experience in policing, serving every rank from police officer to police chief in the Newark Police Department. Her work experience includes police patrol operations, investigations, internal affairs, precinct commander, and chief of detectives for the major crimes division. Roman earned a Master of Public Administration with Distinction in 2017 and a Master of Science in Public Affairs and Public Policy in 2020 from Rutgers-Camden, where she is currently pursuing a PhD in the Public Affairs/Policy Department. She is an NIJ LEADS Scholar and holds certifications from the Police Executive Research Forum and the Harvard Kennedy School.
Maureen “Mo” McGough is the co-founder of the 30x30 Initiative and the Chief of Strategic Initiatives for the Policing Project at the New York University School of Law. She is the former Director of National Initiatives at the National Policing Institute and served over a decade in various roles with the US Departments of State and Justice, including senior advisor to the director at the National Institute of Justice, special assistant US attorney, and coordinator for emergency AIDS relief efforts in Kigali, Rwanda. She is a member of the FBI’s Law Enforcement Education and Training Council, and a recent public leadership executive fellow with the Brookings Institution. Maureen is an attorney and earned her J.D. from the George Washington University Law School.
Ganesha Martin is the Vice President of Community Affairs & Public Policy, Mark43. She has served in several positions in Baltimore City government just prior to her current role at Mark43. She was the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ) and has overseen collaborative criminal justice efforts that included the Baltimore Police Department, Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office, Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention, Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney’s Office, the judiciary, and several community groups. Martin is a lawyer who led the federal court-ordered consent decree reform efforts at the Baltimore Police Department from 2015 – 2018.
Chief Vera Bumpers of the Houston METRO Police Department has been with the department for more than 35 years and has been a pioneer from the beginning. Chief Bumpers is the first woman to lead MPD and the first woman promoted in every single rank. She has been widely recognized both locally and nationally for her leadership. She is a past National President of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), has been featured in the African American Newspaper and Houston Women Magazine, and was honored as a 2016 Top 50 Black Professional and Entrepreneur. She holds a BA in criminal justice from Texas State University, an MS in education from Prairie View A&M University, and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy.
Chief Gina V. Hawkins joined the Fayetteville Police Department in August of 2017 after nearly 29 years of experience in law enforcement. Chief Hawkins started her career in 1988 with the City of Atlanta Police Department. While at the City of Atlanta Police Department, Chief Hawkins worked in the Patrol, Crime Analysis, Investigations, and Internal Affairs divisions. She went on to assist the newly formed police department in the City of Sandy Springs, Georgia as a Commander, and then joined the Clayton County Police Department as a Deputy Chief of Police. Chief Hawkins attended North Carolina Central University and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from Georgia State University and a Master of Science degree in management from Johns Hopkins University. She is a graduate of the F.B.I. National Associates Academy (Class 252).
Chief Maris Herold joined the Boulder Police Department after 23 years with the Cincinnati Police Department. She is Boulder’s first woman chief of police, and is widely recognized for her community collaboration, police reform, and large-scale problem-solving projects to reduce crime and improve services for at-risk populations. Before joining the Cincinnati Police Department, she began her career in social work, serving as a sexual assault investigator and as a psychiatric intake worker in a juvenile mental health facility and holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL, and a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH. She is a graduate of the FBI National Academy.
Chief Melissa Hyatt is the Chief of Police of the Baltimore County Police Department. A Baltimore native, she was sworn in as the first female police chief of the county department in 2019. With over 20 years of experience, her roles have included chief of patrol, chief of the special operations division, first female sergeant on the city police department’s SWAT team, and vice president for security for Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medicine. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Delaware and a Master’s degree in management from John Hopkins University.
Chief Doreen Jokerst is the Chief of Police at the University of Colorado Boulder Police Department. She currently leads a department of approximately ninety employees where she has implemented innovative and community-based policing strategies. She strives to build positive relations with the University and Boulder community and has brought forth new policing programs, resulting in effective policing efforts. Jokerst believes building and maintaining positive relationships with both internal and external stakeholders is critical in law enforcement, while ensuring fair and impartial policing. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Metropolitan State University of Denver and a master’s degree from Regis University.
Dr. Nikki Smith-Kea currently serves as a Stoneleigh Fellow with the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) where she is developing and promoting police accountability, wellness, and community engagement practices. Most recently, she served as the Criminal Justice Manager of the Policing team at Arnold Ventures and previously served as a project manager and senior policy analyst and technical assistance manager at the Council of State Governments Justice Center. Nikki holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in sociology from the University of the West Indies, a master’s degree in criminology and criminal justice from the University of Maryland, and a master’s and PhD in leadership and change from Antioch University.
Officer Terry Cherry is a police officer with the Charleston Police Department where she currently serves as the agency’s recruiter. Officer Cherry developed a five-year strategic plan in compliance with the department’s racial bias audit and developed quantitative measures to track the plan’s success. Officer Cherry has applied evidence-based policing to drive changes in recruitment processes, policies, and marketing efforts. Her research interests include the improvement and expansion of data collection around recruitment and the effects of diversity on the law enforcement profession. Officer Cherry holds a bachelor’s degree from UCLA and a Master of Business Administration degree in global business with an emphasis on international finance and economics from Pepperdine University.
Dr. Tracie L. Keesee is the Senior Vice President of Justice Initiatives and Co-Founder of the Center for Policing Equity (CPE). Prior to her return to CPE, she served as the first ever Deputy Commissioner of Equity and Inclusion for NYPD, and also as the Deputy Commissioner of Training for NYPD. Dr. Keesee is a retired 25-year veteran of the Denver Police Department and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Metropolitan State College-Denver, and a Master of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Colorado at Denver, and a Ph.D. in Intercultural Communications from the University of Denver, and a Diversity and Inclusion Certification from Cornell University. She is also a graduate of the 203rd Session of the FBI National Academy.
Tara Hall is the Police Community Partnership Administrator overseeing the operations and staff of the Community Relations Division to include Youth Development, Recruitment, Community Programs and Internal/External Events of the Mesa Police Department. She is an Arizona native and joined the Mesa Police Department in 2002. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University. She graduated from the FBI-LEEDA Executive Leadership Institute and Northwestern University School of Police Staff & Command. Tara also serves on the Statewide Community & Public Relations SME Committee with the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board.
Sergeant Anthony Gibson started at the Charleston Police Department as an intern in 2013 and now serves as the Recruitment, Selection & Retention Supervisor. In this role, he manages the department's recruitment initiatives, the unit's related research efforts, the implementation of various talent acquisition strategies, and has renewed the agency’s commitment to officer retention through critical research and analysis. Additionally, he oversees the department's commitment to the 30x30 Initiative and numerous mentorship and internship programs, as well as the selection and hiring processes. His research interests include resource allocation, officer motivations, selection criteria, and officer retention strategies. Sgt. Gibson has a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and a Master of Public Administration degree.
Dr. Jennifer Rineer is a Workplace Health and Safety Research Scientist at RTI International. With a background in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and Occupational Health Psychology, Dr. Rineer has extensive research and applied experience focused on improving the health and well-being of employees and organizations. She is trained in rigorous scientific research methods, including study design, univariate and multivariate quantitative methods, scale validation, and survey design. She holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Pennsylvania and master’s degree and Ph.D. from Portland State University.
Assistant Chief Paige Valenta is an Assistant Chief with the City of Madison Police Department in Madison, Wisconsin, a department with 479 sworn officers and 119 civilian staff. As Assistant Chief of Operations, she oversees patrol and investigative resources in each of Madison’s six police districts. She also commands MPD’s Special Events Team, Canine Unit, and Mounted Unit. She is a member of the National Institute of Justice’s Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science Scholars (LEADS) Program. She has worked in a variety of assignments throughout her policing career, including as a district captain, a detective lieutenant, a patrol sergeant, a detective, a SWAT operator, and a patrol officer. She has a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University.
Lt. Steven Waldheim oversees recruitment for the San Diego Police Department. He has served in law enforcement for nearly 25 years and has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from San Diego State University. Lt. Waldheim is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.
Chief Sheryl Victorian is a native Texan and a 28-year law enforcement professional. She was sworn in as the City of Waco’s Chief of Police on March 15, 2021, after serving with the Houston Police Department for 28 years. Her law enforcement experience includes assignments in the Major Offenders, Homicide, Special Victims, Internal Affairs, Training and the South Central and Southeast Patrol Divisions. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration of Justice from Texas Southern University, a Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Houston – Downtown, and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Administration of Justice from Texas Southern University. Chief Victorian is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy (FBINA) session #267 and is a National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science (LEADS) scholar
Chief Ken Clary is the Police Chief in Bellevue, Nebraska, overseeing a department of approximately 111 sworn and 15 civilian personnel. Prior to that Ken worked for the Iowa State Patrol from 1994 - 2020. Throughout his career with the State Patrol, he has served in a variety of roles including District Commander, Statewide Tactical Commander, Assistant Operations Commander, Professional Standards Bureau, and CALEA Accreditation Coordinator. Ken received his master’s in public administration degree from Upper Iowa University and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska Omaha. He is an NIJ LEADS Scholar and graduate of the FBI National Academy (Session 269).
Assistant Chief Julie Ann Swearingin has been employed with the Fort Worth Police Department for over 26 years. During Julie’s tenure with the Fort Worth Police Department, her assignments have ranged from Patrol, School Liaison, Gang, Training Academy, Special Victims Section, Internal Affairs, Special Investigations, Criminal Investigations, and Administration. She has also served as a Captain over Tactical Operations where she received Commander of the Year. She is a graduate of Tarleton State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration, and she is a graduate of the FBI National Academy.
Lt. Joseph Dulla is a is a 27-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, where he served in the Recruit Training Unit where he was responsible for the management and training of more than 800 deputy and Custody Assistant recruits each year. Lt. Dulla has worked in custody, patrol, special projects, detective, training, and regional investigative task force assignments. He served as the Chairman of the Subject Matter Expert Committee for CalPOST’s Patrol Physical Abilities Workgroup. He was a CalPOST instructor, is on the faculty at Southern California University, and is pursuing his doctorate at Bond University.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle M. Outlaw stands at the helm of the nation’s 4th largest police department, which employs more than 6500 sworn officers and 800 civilians who work to help make Philadelphia a safer city. Commissioner Outlaw is the first African American woman to lead the Philadelphia Police Department. Prior to taking the helm as Philadelphia’s top law enforcement officer, Outlaw was the Chief of Portland, Oregon’s Bureau of Police. She was the first African American woman to hold that post. Commissioner Outlaw began her law enforcement career in Oakland, California, where she spent 20 years in service with the Oakland Police Department. Commissioner Outlaw earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from the University of San Francisco and a Master of Business Administration degree from Pepperdine University. She is also a graduate of the Police Executive Research Forum Senior Management Institute of Police, the Major Cities Chiefs’ Association Police Executive Leadership Institute, and the FBI National Executive Institute.
Kym Craven is the Executive Director of the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives and the director of the Public Safety Strategies Group LLC. Ms. Craven began her career at the Lowell, Massachusetts Police Department and has provided assistance to over 350 municipalities and state agencies. She specializes in strategic planning; survey development; data analysis; staffing analysis; police district boundary assessments; and grant writing and management. Ms. Craven holds a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice from the University of Lowell and a Master of Arts in criminal justice from Anna Maria College.
Dr. Natalie Todak is an Associate Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her research involves collaborating with criminal justice agencies to evaluate practices, increase effectiveness, improve employee safety and wellness, and strengthen community perceptions of the criminal justice system. She is published in leading journals such as Criminology, Criminology and Public Policy, Women & Criminal Justice, and Police Quarterly. In 2019, she was selected as a LEADS Academic by the U.S. National Institute of Justice, recognized for partnering with law enforcement agencies to collect and analyze original data. She holds a Ph.D. in criminology and criminal justice from Arizona State University.
Captain Tony Marlow is a 23-year law enforcement veteran of the Orange County Sheriff's Office. He is currently the Section Commander of the Employee and Labor Relations Section in the Human Resources Division. During his 23-year tenure, he has served in various roles to include Uniform Patrol, Street Crime, Criminal Investigations, Professional Standards, Community Relations, Office of the Sheriff and Human Resources. Captain Marlow has a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts from the University of Central Florida,
Captain Thea Pirnat currently oversees the Fairfax County Police Department’s Resource Management Bureau handling fleet, property and evidence, quartermaster, facilities and security, records, and court services. She has 21 years of service with FCPD with prior assignments in station command, major crimes command, as a supervisor in patrol, as an internal affairs investigator, and a detective in major crimes. She has a master’s degree in public administration from George Mason University and a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Texas.
Dr. Robin Engel recently joined the National Policing Institute as their Senior Vice President, providing leadership and oversight of the Institute’s scientific investments. She has served as a Professor at the University of Cincinnati and Director of the IACP/UC Center for Police Research and Policy. She received her doctorate in criminal justice from the School of Criminal Justice at the University at Albany. Dr. Engel’s work includes establishing academic-practitioner partnerships in policing, with expertise in empirical assessments of police behavior, police use of force, police-minority relations, and police supervision and management.
Captain Tina Williams has been with the San Diego Police Department for 28 years, where she currently serves as the Commanding Officer of the Backgrounds Recruiting Unit. Prior assignments include Captain, Northern Division, and the Operational Support Captain responsible for the K-9 Unit, SWAT, Air Support, Operational Support, Unmanned Air Support, and Property Room and EIS. She spent 15 years on the SWAT Team and was the first female SWAT Commander in the department’s history. Additional experience includes serving as a sergeant with the emergency negotiations team and sergeant over the gang suppression team. She is a former adjunct instructor at the San Diego Regional Academy.
Christine Cole has more than 35 years’ experience in the safety and justice sector — in policing, institutional and community-based corrections, victim advocacy, community organizing, and prosecution in the United States, Africa, Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and the Caribbean. She has extensive experience as a collaborator and facilitator with practitioners, community members, and academics, working as a change agent across a variety of topics and levels of government. Christine has contributed to research and writing about police organizations, leadership, oversight and the organization of first responders to mass casualty and active shooter events. Her current focus is on police accountability and police working with communities to advance safety. Christine holds a MPA from Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government, MA in community psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell and BA from Boston College.
Leslie Marant was selected as the first Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer for the Philadelphia Police Department in April 2022. She is the former Chief Counsel of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, the anti-discrimination law enforcement agency for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Before serving at the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, Leslie worked as a Staff Attorney in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Leslie earned her Master of Law in Trial Advocacy, Juris Doctorate, and Bachelor of Science in Finance and Human Resources Administration degrees from Temple University.
Pamela A. Smith is the Metropolitan Police Department’s Chief Equity Officer (CEO). Prior to joining the Metropolitan Police Department in May 2022, Ms. Smith served as a United States Park Police officer for 24 years. She began her law enforcement career in 1998, serving in field offices across the country. She was promoted to Sergeant in 2009 and continued to move up the ranks until being appointed to the position of Chief of Police, US Park Police in February 2021. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and a Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice Education from the University of Virginia. She is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy (Session 265).
Dr. Tanya Meisenholder is a senior advisor in the training bureau at NYPD and is the department’s former Deputy Commissioner for Equity and Inclusion. She began her career with the NYPD in 2007 and has served in various key roles throughout her career including intelligence and analysis, project management, policy development, long term strategic planning, and research and evaluation. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Louisiana State University, a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice from the State University of New York at Albany.
Leslie Parker-Blyther is the Director of the Baltimore Police Department’s Equity Office. Prior to this, Leslie served as the Interim Director for the Homeland Security & Criminal Justice Institute at Anne Arundel Community College. For 19 years, Leslie was the Administrative Liaison for a Maryland state certified Police Entrance Level Training Academy. She served as the 2nd Chair of the Human Resources and Administrative Leadership Committee for the National Conference on Race & Ethnicity in Higher Education. She received her undergraduate degree from Morgan State University and her master’s degree in Psychology from Bowie State University.
Chief (fmr.) Sylvia Moir is a police executive with more than three decades of local police practice; with over one decade as a Chief of Police. In February 2021 she was appointed as the Interim Chief in Napa, California where she was brought in to use her experience to strengthen the organization. She was the Chief of Police in Tempe, Arizona 2016-2020 leading the department through multiple crises and advancements, and the Chief of El Cerrito Police Department in California from 2010-2016. She spent most of her early career with the Sacramento Police Department where she served in every division of the department and she was the Incident Commander on hundreds of planned and spontaneous events.Chief Moir holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from California State University, Sacramento, a Master of Arts in Organizational Management, and a Master of Science degree from the Naval Postgraduate School - Center for Homeland Defense and Security.
Resources:
- Eliminating barriers to promotion – research summary (30x30)
- Recruitment and assessment – research summary (30x30)
- Retention and culture – research summary (30x30)
- What Works: A research guide – bibliography of relevant research (30x30)
- Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
- BJA National Training and Technical Assistance Center
Please email any questions to bjanttac@usdoj.gov.