Monica Alexander Executive Director

Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission

Monica began her career with the Washington State Patrol (WSP) in 1996 as a Trooper Cadet. She was commissioned as a WSP Trooper on May 1, 1998, assigned to the South Seattle freeway. In addition to her duties as a trooper, Monica was the traffic reporter for KOMO-TV (ABC Affiliate Seattle) for six years. In May of 2003, out of 210 candidate Monica placed number one on the sergeant’s exam and was promoted-on August 15 of that year. She worked on the following assignments: South Seattle Freeway, Office of Government and Media Relations, Homeland Security, and Office of Professional Standards. On July 16, 2013, when she was promoted to lieutenant and was assigned to the Field Operations Bureau headquarters.

Monica was promoted on April 28,2015, to Captain of the office of Government and Media Relations as the legislative liaison where she served until June 30,2019. On July 1, 2019, Monica was assigned as the Human Resources Division Commander until she retired on August 16,2019.

As Captain and Legislative Liaison, some of her many accomplishments include: wage increase legislation for the Washington State Troopers Association and Washington State Lieutenants and Captains Association, Sexual Assault Kit Funding, Sexual Assault Kit Tracking System, Toxicology Lab Funding, and the Missing Native American Women Research and Report.

During Monica’s career she received numerous honors and awards including the Educational Excellence Award from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. She also received recognition from the National Black Police Association and received the Black Law Enforcement Association of Washington 2019 Legacy Award.

Monica attended North Texas State University and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Evergreen State College.

In November of 2017, Governor Jay Inslee appointed Monica to the Evergreen State College Board of Trustees.

Monica is the first African American female to be promoted to the rank of Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain in the history of the WSP.

Monica began working at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (WSCJTC) as the Advanced Training Division Manger on September 23, 2019. Monica served as Deputy Director from May 2000 to March 2021. From March 1, 2021 to June 20, 2021, she filled the role of Interim Executive Director. On June 30, 2021, Monica was appointed as the Executive Director of WSCJTC.

In September 2022, Monica authored her first book, Justice, Peace and the Future of the Police: How to Dig Deep and Do What’s Right- from the Inside.  

Michelle Folmar Lieutenant, Director of Training

Denver Police Department

Lt. Michelle Folmar has been in law enforcement for 24 years. Her assignments have included positions as an academy instructor in firearms, arrest control, and driving. She has also served as a field trainer, a detective in Major Crime with the DV & Biased Motivated Units, along with being a crisis negotiator. Michelle’s administrative assignments have include Internal Affairs, member of the Community Corrections Board, and as a LGBTQ+ Liaison for the Denver Police Department. Michelle holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and is actively involved in supporting the department’s Peer Support and mental health programs. Currently she is the Director of Training where she oversees the Academy, Firearms Range, and all continuing education for the department’s sworn officers. She instructs Ethics, Understanding Bias, Leadership, and teaches assessment center prep. Michelle has always had a passion for mentoring and considers herself a life long learner.

Michele Freeman Chief (Retired)

City of Las Vegas, Department of Public Safety 

Michele Freeman began her law enforcement career in 1992 as a Corrections Officer with the City of Las Vegas (CLV) Department of Public Safety (DPS). She served as Corporal, Sergeant, Lieutenant, and member of the department’s Special Emergency Response Team (SERT), before being named Deputy Chief in 2006. She was appointed Chief in 2011 and held the position for almost ten years before her retirement. Among numerous revolutionary changes, Michele led the CLV DPS through progressive 21st-centurystrategies essential in contemporary law enforcement. Through Michele’s perseverance, the department added its first dedicated Crisis Intervention Administrator, a trained mental health professional who supports the department through education and counsel. 

Michele is a graduate of the 249th session of the prestigious Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy and the 206th class of the renowned Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command. As a public servant with CLV DPS, she received both Management and Executive Certifications from the Nevada State Peace Officer and Training (POST)Commission, the highest certifications awarded to sworn personnel. Additionally, Michele was a Certified Jail Manager granted by the American Jail Association and served as a Commissioner for the Nevada POST Commission, appointed by the Governor.

Michele earned her Doctor of Public Policy Degree, which focused on Suicide Awareness and Prevention for Law Enforcement Officers, holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, a Master’s Certificate in Public Administration, a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice with a strong emphasis in Sociology and Psychology, all from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, and an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts.

Education, training, and mentoring are Michele’s greatest passions. Michele’s continuous dedication to resiliency, mental wellness, emotional health, self-care, holistic wellness, suicide awareness and prevention, and overall well-being is apparent as she currently facilitates educational programs in these areas.

Michele remains an active member of numerous organizations and sits on several boards. In addition, her time is filled with volunteering for non-profit organizations, including the Trauma Intervention Program (TIP) of Southern Nevada, Inc., and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), Nevada Chapter. Michele has been on TIP’s Board of Directors for ten years and is currently the Chairperson. She was on AFSP’s board for nine years and was involved in several areas, including the Nominations Committee Co-Chair, the Education Committee Co-Chair, Public Policy Committee Member, the Healing Conversations Coordinator, and has co-chaired the annual AFSP Out Of The Darkness (OOTD) Community Walk for the past two years.

She is recognized as a helper with a compassionate heart, and her motto is to lead with love. She leads by example with her commitment to developing others, consistently educating herself, and seeking opportunities for self-improvement.

Paul Goldenberg Chief Advisor, Policy and International Policing

Rutgers Miller Center on Policing and Community Resilience

Marvin (Ben) Haiman Chief of Staff

Metropolitan Police Department

Mr. Marvin Haiman serves as the Chief of Staff for the Metropolitan Police Department. In this capacity, Mr. Haiman oversees daily operations of the Executive Office of the Chief of Police and is responsible for broad agency management and implementing strategic agency objectives. Mr. Haiman is responsible for several organizational units to include the Office of Communications, Office of General Counsel, and the Professional Development Bureau. Mr. Haiman served as the Executive Director of the Professional Development Bureau between 2017 – 2021, leading the Recruiting Division, Metropolitan Police Academy Division, Human Resource Management Division, Disciplinary Review Division, Testing and Assessment Division, Equal Employment Opportunity Division, Office of Communications, and the Strategic Engagement Office (Volunteer Services).

Prior to being named Executive Director, between 2015-2017, Mr. Haiman served in a variety of capacities, including developing the agency’s Office of Volunteer Coordination, serving as Chief of Staff for the Technical Services Division tasked with a broad range of IT operations, and Chief of Staff for the Strategic Services Bureau supporting and leading the administration of police recruitment, training, policy, and volunteer service matters for the Department.

Prior to returning to the Metropolitan Police Department, Mr. Haiman served as Director for the Homeland Security Advisory Council for the United States Department of Homeland Security, establishing several key task forces for the Secretary. Prior to his Federal service, Mr. Haiman served as the Deputy Director of the Recruiting Division and Volunteer Services Coordinator for the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington DC among various other positions. As Deputy Director of Recruiting, Mr. Haiman was responsible for restructuring the sworn hiring process, decreasing the amount of time it took to process candidates while increasing the quality of those officers hired.

Haiman graduated from The Johns Hopkins University with a Master’s Degree in Management through the Police Executive Leadership Program and has his undergraduate degree in mathematics from the University of Iowa and received designation as a Certified Public Management Program through George Washington University, as well as certification in Strategic Project Management. Mr. Haiman is also a graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security’s Executive Leadership Program. Mr. Haiman received recognition by the International Association of Chiefs of Police in 2020 as a 40 under 40 recipient and the prestigious Gary P. Hayes Award by the Police Executive Research Forum. Mr. Haiman also graduated from the Metropolitan Police Academy and served as a reserve police officer with the Metropolitan Police Department. Mr. Haiman resides with his family in Washington, DC.

Dr. Nicholas Howe Director Of Institute of Policing

Staffordshire University UK, Institute of Policing

As Director of the Institute of Policing Nick oversees the development of the Institute as a centre of excellence for police education and training, research and innovation. The Institute also acts as the mechanism for the delivery of University programmes under the College of Policing’s Police Education Qualifications framework (PEQF).

He has also been involved with police leadership programmes both within the UK and abroad, working alongside the Royal Malaysia Police and Police services within the United Arab Emirates. Additionally, Nick serves as an independent academic advisor (policing expert) working with the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation and Academic and Vocational Qualifications.

Nick was formerly a police Chief Superintendent with Staffordshire Police with whom he served for 30 years. He performed a range of policing functions throughout his service including working with the force Criminal Investigation Department, Head of Training and Development, Firearms and Public Order Command and a range of other specialist functions. He led the review into the way Staffordshire Police undertook murder and more complex crime investigations and subsequently implemented structural change, forming the forces Major Crime Unit. He was also the police commander for a number of high-profile public events, including large-scale music festivals, football matches, and public disorder responses and firearms incidents. He served as Police Commander for one of the largest Basic Command Units (BCU) in the country and was heavily involved in local police partnerships. Whilst Commander his BCU were a national pilot for drugs testing orders, Work Force Modernisation, Management of the Prolific Offenders Scheme and other developmental projects. Under his leadership, the BCU were runners-up in the National Tilley Award for problem-solving policing in 2007. During 2008 he was seconded to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) where he worked as a Staff Officer inspecting policing services throughout England and Wales against the backdrop of the Governments Reform Agenda. He retired from the police service in January 2009 to pursue a career as an academic.

Nick continues to maintain a high-profile media image with both national and local media and is often called upon to provide expert knowledge on policing and police-related issues.

Jason Kepp Assistant Director of Training and Professional Development

Federal Protective Service | Office of the Director | Management Directorate

Jason Kepp is an Assistant Director at the Federal Protective Service, where Jason is a member of the leadership team that leads the training and professional development of sworn and non-sworn employees, including administrating basic and advance training programs, formulating strategic and operational plans, providing executive-level direction and guidance to managers, supporting resource requirements and the budgeting process, oriented to sustaining an effective organization. 

Before starting with the Department of Homeland Security, Jason’s career has encompassed all levels of organizational leadership, development, and management for emergency service organizations and educational institutions.  Jason spent 25 years in the emergency services field, serving in the field and later as a Director, Emergency Services, Somerset County Emergency Services Academy (N.J.). Jason has held faculty appointments at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and the Department of Defense, Uniformed Services University. 

Jason’s published works have included active threat response and training, incident management, health and safety, pandemic response, and tactical law enforcement operations.

Jason is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Research and Advisory Committee, Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), and the Order of the Sword and Shield, an academic and professional honor society for homeland security. Jason has been the recipient of numerous awards for superior performance throughout his tenure. His awards and decorations include lifesaving, certificates of achievement, agency commendations, and the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service. 

Sasha Larkin Deputy Chief

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department 

Sasha Larkin has served for over 22 years with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department rising through the ranks in various capacities. She currently oversees the Homeland Security Division that encompasses the Southern Nevada Counter Terrorism Center, SWAT, Air Support, K-9 and the Intelligence Section to name a few. Sasha was the inaugural Captain for the new Summerlin area command in 2019 prior to her current role. Sasha has served in a variety of assignments throughout her career including Patrol, Field Training, Vice, Undercover in the Intelligence Unit, bike officer on the Las Vegas Strip, Internal Affairs, as a Lieutenant in the Gang/Narcotics unit and as part of the Community Engagement team. She teaches all over the world and in addition to serving with Metro, she has taught yoga for over 23 years including teaching yoga disciplines globally.

Jennifer Lier Professional Speaker and Moderator 

Jennifer Joseph Lier had an illustrious 25-year career in the entertainment industry as a highly sought after vocalist, headline entertainer, model, emcee, on-camera host and was one of the most requested Marilyn Monroe Impersonators in the country. Even though Jennifer was raised in Las Vegas, it was never a given she would triumph in this industry. At the age of 19, she lost over 100lbs and through the years, she has continued to work on her paralyzing shyness and fear of speaking and singing in front of people.

 In November of 1990, Jennifer realized her childhood dream and debuted on the world famous stages of Las Vegas as a singer in a popular dance band. She went on to win the coveted title of Miss Nevada 1995 and received the talent award at the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City. Jennifer continued on to headline over 20 shows in Las Vegas and around the world, including “Legends in Concert,” the world-famous “Follies Bergere’.”

 Her diverse talents led her to incredible opportunities and memorable experiences.  A few highlights were: receiving the rare standing ovation while performing on NBC’s “Showtime at the Apollo” in Harlem, New York; finishing second in an internationally televised 13-week reality TV show, “The Entertainer, Starring Wayne Newton” a contest on the E! Channel focused on entertainment, talent, personal excellence and business savvy; touring on stage with Wayne Newton and opening for the legendary Don Rickles around the country as well as being a spokesperson for national brands.

 After transitioning out of entertainment and founding National Keynote Speakers, representing top motivational speakers, Jennifer joined the elite team of Executive Speakers Bureau, one of the country’s top speaker booking agencies.

 Jennifer credits not only her business and entertainment career success to her deep studies and training of yoga and meditation, in which she was certified to teach in 2010 and still teaches today, but also her deep happiness and peace.

 Jennifer is an author, speaker, business woman and is still a yogi at heart, teaching people how to integrate yogic wisdom into their everyday lives, one yoga class at a time.

Kevin Lutz Chief of Police

Rutgers University Police Department

Chief Kevin Lutz began his law enforcement career in 2002 with the Oaklyn Police Department before joining the former Camden City Police Department in 2006. With the former Camden City Police Department, Kevin served in various assignments to include the SWAT team, Tactical Force Division, Violent Crimes Task Force, HIDTA Narcotics Task Force, and the Strategic Multi-Agency Shooting and Homicide Task Force. Kevin joined the newly formed Camden County Police Department in 2013, where he was assigned to supervise all training related functions of the Police Department and the Camden County College Police Academy. Kevin was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2013, Lieutenant in 2015 and Captain in 2019, with command assignments of the Investigative Bureau, Uniformed Operations and Strategic Operations. Kevin was appointed Chief of Police of the Rutgers University Police Department, Camden in August of 2022.  Chief Lutz has earned numerous awards and commendations throughout his law enforcement career for heroism, bravery, and meritorious service. Chief Lutz assisted the Police Executive Research Forum in the creation of two national publications: Integrating Communications, Assessment and Tactics (ICAT) de-escalation training guide as well as a suicide by cop response protocol and training guide.  He is a subject matter expert in use of force and continues to promote national de-escalation efforts, use of force training and reform. Chief Lutz is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps where he served as a Military Police Officer and member of the All-Marine Wrestling team.  He holds a master’s degree in administrative science from Fairleigh Dickinson University and is a graduate of the 67^th session of the Senior Management Institute for Police. 

Deidre Houston Magee PhD, Director, Cadet Corps

Metropolitan Police Department

Deidre Houston Magee, PhD currently serves as Director of the Cadet Corps with the DC Metropolitan Police Department.  Dr. Houston Magee previously served as the Academic Director for the New Orleans Police Department’s Education and Training Division where she was instrumental in the Academy attaining compliance with the federal consent decree.

Dr. Houston Magee received both her Bachelor Arts Degree in Public Administration and Master’s Degree in Education from Loyola University in New Orleans.  She went on to earn a Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership and Human Development from Colorado State University and a second Master’s Degree in Christian Formation and Soul Care from Denver Seminary.

Dr. Houston Magee is an experienced professional development specialist who served on the faculties of the University of Colorado Denver School of Education (2004-2009) and the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine – Colorado Area Health Education Center (2009-2014).

Dr. Houston Magee has presented at international, national, and regional conferences on teaching, learning, and assessment; program evaluation in health professions’ pipe line programs, adult learning methods in law enforcement; and curriculum development in law enforcement.

Dr. Houston Magee also earned a Masters of Art in Christian Formation and Soul Care in 2013 from Denver Seminary.  She is an ordained Itinerant Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.  Rev. Dr. Houston Magee also, developed content and facilitated Retreats, Leadership Training, and Christian Education Training.

“Readers are leaders. Thinkers succeed.”

Marva Collins

Mandy Nice Cordico Strategic Wellness Director

Lexipol

Mandy Nice has over 15 years of experience developing and implementing physical fitness and wellness programs that measurably improve the strength and resilience of tactical athletes and civilians.  Her science-based, results-focused approach has consistently produced positive results that have earned national-level awards for measurably improving employee health, fitness, and quality-of-life.  Mandy is a Physical Fitness Subject Matter Expert for leading organizations including the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C).  She actively serves as a guest speaker at state, national and international law enforcement conferences to help share scalable best practices for sustainable success.  Mandy also serves as the Tactical Program Manager of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and, as the CEO of The Nice Life, LLC, provides professional consulting services for agencies across the U.S. and beyond.  Mandy is wholeheartedly dedicated to ensuring members of law enforcement and fire/rescue are fully equipped with the essential research, training, tools, and resources needed to establish results-focused, sustainable tactical fitness and health programs.  Her greatest motivator is helping noble tactical professionals optimize their physical job readiness and quality of life while mitigating injury risk so that they can fully enjoy strong, rewarding careers and long, healthy retirements. 

Luann Pannell Chief Executive Officer, Exceptional Edge Consulting

Former Director, Police Training and Education, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)

Dr. Pannell joined the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in 2000 working as a Police Psychologist at Behavioral Science Services until 2005.  Dr. Pannell was then promoted and served as the Director of Police Training and Education for 18 years.  In this role, Dr. Pannell was responsible for the design, development and oversight of LAPD training curriculum from the basic academy training through all promotional levels including command staff.  A career milestone was being able to lead the team that redesigned the LAPD academy in 2008 to a training model that embraced problem-based learning and enhanced scenario training.  She subsequently updated Department courses at every level to support these advances in educational methodology and reinforce a commitment to Department Mission, Vision and Values.

During her tenure at LAPD, Dr. Pannell visited agencies across the United States and Canada to research best practices and advances in police training, including scenario-based training, emotional intelligence, procedural justice, and virtual reality.  She has had the opportunity to collaborate with international experts in police training by serving as the co-chair of the Interpol Group of Experts on Police Training (IGEPT) from 2009-2011, leading a syndicate group in organizational leadership at the Australian Institute of Police Management in 2017 and participating on the advisory board for the Global Consortium of Law Enforcement Training Executives (GCLETE) since 2020. Dr. Pannell’s work with training redesign has paved the way to bring diverse community feedback into police training through chairing the Professional Advisory Committee (PAC), collaboration with community members, gang interventionists, and agencies representing vulnerable populations.

Dr. Pannell has focused her research interests on understanding the impact of exposure to community violence, post-traumatic stress disorder, resiliency, post-traumatic growth and organizational change.  In 2011, she was a contributing author for “Leadership in Dangerous Situations: A Handbook for the Armed Forces, Emergency Services and First Responders,” with a second edition in 2022. Likewise, she has authored several articles for professional journals on topics ranging from the importance of developing partnerships between law enforcement and mental health professionals to improving training outcomes for law enforcement.

After 23 years at LAPD, Dr. Pannell is now the CEO of Exceptional Edge Consulting in San Gabriel, CA, and also serves as the Director of Instructional Design & Academic Innovation for the Policing Leadership Academy, Urban Crime Lab, University of Chicago. The newly launched academy and one-of-a-kind education experience seeks to provide emerging leaders in law enforcement with hands on education in data-driven management to reduce violence and build community trust.

Mike Ramirez Defensive Tactics Coordinator

Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office 

Mike Ramirez is the lead Defensive Tactics Instructor for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office in Northern Virginia. Hired out of the U.S. Marine Corps in 2011, he has served the agency as a patrol deputy, SWAT operator and undercover narcotics investigator. Mike has been instructing Defensive Tactics and Firearms at the agency and academy level since 2014. With certifications from the Force Science Institute, Mike took over the DT program in 2021 with his training overhaul producing quantified, statistical change within the agency and community. Mike works closely with the Internal Affairs Division as part of a newly developing Use of Force Review Board and is recognized as an expert witness by the Loudoun County Circuit Court in a range of law enforcement topics.

Mike is a recipient of the Sheriff’s Office Meritorious Service Award for the DT program, Chamber of Commerce Certificate of Valor, Chamber of Commerce Unit Citations, Chamber of Commerce Meritorious Action ribbon, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Unit Citations, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Meritorious Action ribbons, and was selected as the Sheriff’s Office Deputy of the Year.

Mike is a father of three, suffers from wanderlust and has an affinity for the outdoors.

Bob Rossi Leadership and Curriculum Administrator

Phoenix Regional Police Academy

Bob Rossi is the Leadership and Curriculum Administrator at the Phoenix Regional Police Academy. He came to the Academy after almost 40 years in higher education. During the past five years Bob has applied his four decades of teaching and leadership expertise to the field of law enforcement.

During his first year at the Academy, Bob has significantly increased the academic performance of recruits while building capacity for the training staff.  His redesign of the Academy model will increase the number of officers trained this year (2022) by 75% over the previous year’s number.

Bob has developed and presented curriculum for Certified Police Instructors and Field Training Officers who want to master easy and effective ways of sharing that knowledge with their fellow officers. Thousands of Certified Police Instructors and Field Training Officers from every agency in the State of Arizona have attended Bob’s course with tremendous success.  Many participants credit the course with dramatically influencing their teaching style. 

Bob is a lifelong educator. During his four decades in education, Bob worked as a teacher, counselor, coach, principal, director of high schools and CEO of several Charter School Districts. Bob’s experience has made him a sought-out consultant whose work has brought him to more than 30 schools in seven different states.

Bob is a native of New York who has been in the metropolitan Phoenix area since 1969. He attended high school in the Valley of the Sun and graduated from Arizona State University where he majored in Education. He went on to receive a master’s degree in Counseling and his Doctorate in Educational Leadership in 2002. 

Bob’s true love is working with leaders, teachers and instructors in a coaching and mentorship role.  His goal is to develop leadership capacity for the future of law enforcement to better and better serve our communities.

Clay Swensen Lieutenant, Patrol Division

Sandy Police Department 

Clay Swensen is the Lieutenant over the Special Operations Division with the Sandy Police Department, in Sandy, UT. He is the commander over the Motor Unit, Crime Suppression Unit, and School Resource Unit. Clay has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Broadview University and is currently enrolled in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling master’s program at Grand Canyon University.

In 2005, Clay began his career with Sandy City as a patrol officer. In 2006 he was chosen for the Crime Suppression Unit. Clay was selected as a K9 Handler in 2009 and served with his partner “Hook” until he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2016. During his time as an officer, Clay served as an FTO and in several capacities as an instructor.

As a sergeant, Clay held multiple roles including patrol sergeant, investigations sergeant, public information officer, and administrative sergeant. While assigned to the administrative sergeant position, Clay recognized the need to streamline the hiring process. He implemented a new recruiting and hiring platform, a new background investigation program, and onboarding system, which were completely paperless. These advancements helped the department recruit and hire with greater efficiency, getting the department back to full staffing levels. The improved proficiency allowed the department to quickly hire and retain lateral applicants at a rate never achieved previously.

Clay is the recipient of numerous awards including the Medal of Valor, Medal of Merit, Supervisor of the Year, Unit Citation, and Community Service Award. He is passionate about mental health and officer welfare, and helped establish the Sandy PD Peer Support Team. He is an active member of the Utah Critical Incident Stress Management Team.

Clay is married to his wife of twenty years, has two daughters, and numerous pets. He and his family love travel, snow sports, the outdoors, and riding motorcycles.

Ross Swope Author and Speaker, Police Ethics & Leadership

Past Chief of Police

Graham Tinius, INCI Master Field Training Officer

NAFTO Training Coordinator

Graham Tinius is a Park Police Officer and a Field Training Officer with the Sandy Police Department in Sandy, UT, where he patrols 41 local and regional parks and over 110 miles of mixed-use trails. Graham has a degree in Evidence Technology from Phoenix College. He began
his career as a Crime Scene Technician with the Chandler (AZ) Police Department in 2001. In 2004 he was hired as an officer and promoted to Field Training Officer in 2007.

In 2009, Graham assisted in rewriting the Field Training Program at Chandler PD. Graham is the
recipient of a Meritorious Service Award, as well as a Unit Citation Award for his work in redesigning the Field Training Program and its implementation within the department. Since receiving his General Instructor Certification from Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training
in 2007, Graham has taught numerous classes, including Cultural Diversity, Adult Learning, Leadership, Ethics, Officer Safety, and Basic and Advanced FTO Schools for local, county, and state law enforcement across the Country, as well as US Army civilian police, civilian police and
sheriff staff, and supervisors. He has taught FTO schools to agencies across the country, from California to New Jersey, Florida to Washington, and as far away as Guam and Hawaii.

In 2017, Graham was the recipient of the Champion of Hope Award, for designing and helping
to implement a recovery and treatment program for opiate addicts. Graham is an Executive Board Member, the Training Coordinator, and an Instructor for the National Association of Field Training Officers. Graham is also a member of the International Law Enforcement and Educator
Training Association.

In 2019 Graham moved his wife and two sons to Sandy, UT, to enjoy a colder climate and be closer to the Wasatch Mountains. Within law enforcement, Graham’s passions are training, instructing, proactive policing, and quality of life issues.