Illinois Events

Collin Davis BOARD MEMBER & CORE TRAINER

Lieutenant Collin Davis has been a member of the New York State Police since 2005 and has served in Troops D, F, G and H. He currently serves as the Assistant Zone Commander of Zone 1, Troop D, in Marcy, New York. While serving as a Trooper in Troop F, he was recognized by Mid-Hudson Stop DWI as Greene County’s “Top Cop” for 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. Lieutenant Davis is a 2012 recipient of the NYSP Superintendent’s Commendation Award for his actions during a critical incident stemming from a domestic dispute. He was a member of the NYSP Collision Reconstruction Unit from 2009 to 2018 and has trained thousands of recruits of the NYSP Basic School in Collision Investigations. He is also a member of the New York Statewide Traffic Accident Reconstruction Society (NYSTARS).

Lieutenant Davis served for two sessions of the NYSP Basic School as an Academy Training Officer and has been certified as a Field Training Officer, Breath Test Operator Instructor and Field Recertification Officer, “Hybrid-Electric Vehicle Safety for Emergency Responders” Course Instructor, Multi-Disciplinary Traffic Incident Management Trainer, and National “Below 100” Core Trainer. He is a New York State Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) Municipal Police Training Council Certified Master Instructor and has taught their Instructor Development Course numerous times. Lieutenant Davis is also a five-year veteran of the United States Army where he served as a Military Policeman, SFST Instructor, RADAR/LIDAR Instructor, EVOC Instructor and Military Police Training Program Instructor. Lieutenant Davis last served in the Army as the Noncommissioned Officer-In-Charge (NCOIC) of the Traffic Section of the Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri Provost Marshal’s Office.     

Susan Moody BOARD MEMBER

Susan Moody has been involved in Below 100 since 2012, and currently serves as the President of the Northern California Chapter of C.O.P.S. Susan actively speaks around the Country on law enforcement survivor related topics. Her previous work in law enforcement and the loss of her husband, Richmond Officer Brad Moody in 2008, gives her a unique perspective and ability to help others understand the importance of officer safety.

The mother of two beautiful girls, Susan has always been committed to community service, volunteering her time in various charity events and creating new ones. Susan is passionate about helping others wade through the rough waters of law enforcement life and enjoys lending an ear or hand in whatever is asked of her.

John Bennett BOARD MEMBER & CORE TRAINER

John is an accomplished 28-year (retired) veteran police officer, trainer and patrol lieutenant from Charleston, IL; and the president of John Bennett Training & Consulting, Inc. He is also the Master Control Tactics Instructor for the Macon County Law Enforcement Training Center in Decatur, Illinois and a field assistant with the Southern Illinois Criminal Justice Training Program (MTU 15). A member of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association, John has trained officers both in and outside his agency for more than 25 years; both nationally and abroad. John continues to teach and learn in the field with the primary emphasis on use of force, officer-safety, risk management, leadership and a philosophy of proactive police service, individual readiness and professionalism.

John’s experience includes expertise with police policy and procedure development based on state and federal law, case law, regulations and nationally recognized best practices; as well as policy integration, implementation and training at the agency level.  His policy-related background, combined with experience as a long-time firearms, control-tactics and conducted-energy-weapons instructor-trainer, give him a unique perspective on effective and constitutionally-based policing in the 21st century.

On the whole, John has dedicated himself to awareness, education, research, training and motivation specifically tailored at saving officers’ lives, families and careers. John continues his mission after his tour via his work as a trainer, consultant, subject-matter expert and author, as well as a board member and core instructor for the nationally recognized Below 100 officer-safety initiative.

Rod Rifredi BOARD OF DIRECTORS & CORE TRAINER

Rod Rifredi has served the City of Davis since 1999 in various assignments. Rod has worked patrol, two separate arson task forces, traffic as a motorcycle officer, as a Major Accident Investigation Team Investigator and a Certified Motor Training Officer. In 2007 Rod promoted to the rank of Sergeant where he returned to patrol as a watch commander until 2010 when he became the traffic (motorcycle) sergeant, a position he held until he returned to patrol as a watch commander in 2016.

Rod has been involved in training for the past 25 years. Prior to his career in law enforcement he spent 13 years in the fire service where he achieved the rank of senior fire captain. Part of his position was to train new recruits who came on the department as well as assisting with training at the local fire academy. As a police officer, Rod spent nearly 6 years as a field-training officer. Once he promoted to sergeant, he became the FTO supervisor and is currently the department’s FTO Program Administrator.

Through California Peace Officer’s Research Association of California (PORAC), Rod sits on several committees for California POST such as, Safe Driver Campaign, Motor Operations and Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA.)

Rod holds his POST Advanced Certificate and has completed the California POST Master Instructor course where he developed a course on “Managing and Supervising a Death in the Agency.” Rod holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Criminal Justice Management from Union Institute and University.

Craig Gripentrog CORE TRAINER

Craig has served as a Peace Officer with the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office since 1994. Craig is currently a Lieutenant in the Spec Ops Division where he hold the position of Training Coordinator. Craig is an Adjunct Instructor for the Texas Municipal Police Association (DWI Detection/SFSTs) and also teaches Basic Peace Officer classes for Capital Area Council of Governments. In addition to that, Craig is a Core Instructor with Below 100.

Craig has had positions within the jail system, patrol division, traffic division, training division, fugitive division, as well as leadership rolls such as Traffic Lieutenant, SWAT Lieutenant, and Crisis Intervention Lieutenant.

As the Training Coordinator he is responsible for the development and auditing of the department’s training program to include the firearms program.

He holds a Master Peace Officer License and TCOLE Instructor Certificate. He received the FBI-LEEDA Leadership Trilogy Award for completing the FBI-LEEDA Leadership Trilogy. In 2018 he graduated from the Bill Blackwood LEMIT Command College. Craig is a member of the Association of Professional Law Enforcement Emergency Vehicle Response Trainers (ALERT), LEMIT Command College Alumni and Texas International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA).

Craig has completed numerous instructor courses including Police Emergency Driving Instructor, Advanced Police Emergency Driving Instructor, National Academy of Professional Driving Instructor, N.A.P.D. SUV Driving Instructor, Stop Stick Instructor, RADAR/LIDAR Instructor, Mobile Video Instructor, Low Light CQCR Instructor, Firearms Instructor, Edge Weapons Instructor, NRA Patrol Rifle Instructor, Standardized Field Sobriety Task Instructor, Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response (Active Shooter) Instructor, and Live Fire Shoot House instructor.

Craig uses his years of experience as a street deputy as well as his years as a supervisor to teach various classes ranging from officer safety to leadership. He has a strong background in officer safety tactics, traffic enforcement, and leadership.

Craig’s article about Below 100 was published in the Texas Police Associations Police Journal in March/April 2014. In 2018 he was published through Sam Houston State University for a whitepaper titled “The Warrior Mindset Attributes.”

Jeff Stewart CORE TRAINER

Jeff Stewart started his law enforcement career in April 1998, with the Flowood, Mississippi Police Department as a Patrolman. He also served as a member of the SWAT team and was later promoted to Detective. During his time as a Detective he was assigned to a DEA HIDTA Task Force. In July of 2006, he started work with the Mississippi Agricultural Theft Bureau as a state investigator. In 2012 he was appointed as the Director of the Mississippi Agricultural Theft Bureau. In 2015, Jeff was hired as a criminal investigator with the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office in the Medicaid Fraud Division.      

Jeff Crow CORE TRAINER

Jeff Crow began his law enforcement career as a Wildlife Officer with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in 1986 where he served 10 years before accepting a position with the Arkansas State Police where over a 15-year period he served in highway patrol, criminal investigations, training and SWAT. Crow retired from law enforcement in 2011 after 25 years of service at the rank of sergeant to serve as a law enforcement instructor at the University of Arkansas’s Criminal Justice Institute. In 2012 he returned to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission as Colonel of the agency’s Enforcement Division. In 2013, Crow was promoted to the AGFC Deputy Director, then was named the agency’s Chief of Staff in 2014 before being selected as the agency’s 17^th Director in 2016. After serving six years in the administrative levels of the agency, Crow left the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in December 2017. He currently serves as the Director of Safety and Emergency Management at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, AR.

Crow has extensive experience developing and delivering law enforcement training in critical skills, high risk law enforcement operations, use of force, officer safety, leadership and instructor development. Crow is the founder and president of Modern Day Knight Training Group LLC. In addition to being a trainer for Below 100, he is also an adjunct instructor for Texas State University’s Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training, the University of Arkansas Criminal Justice Institute and the National Center for Rural Law Enforcement.

Crow served 25 years on active duty and as a member of the reserves, in the United States Marine Corps. A combat veteran of Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom II, he retired in 2007 at the rank of Sergeant Major. He has an associate’s degree in criminal justice from National Park College, a bachelor’s degree in organizational management from John Brown University and a master’s degree in public administration from Arkansas State University.

Steve West CORE TRAINER

Captain Steve West began his career in 1999 with the California Highway Patrol (CHP). He has served 19 years of his career including assignments as a motorcycle officer and sergeant, commercial vehicle enforcement officer, and officer arrest techniques instructor. Steve was charged with managing the CHP employee safety unit, the Regular Basic Course Director at the CHP Academy, Commander of the Cordelia Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facility, and now oversees recruiting, hiring, and continual professional training for the California Highway Patrol.

In 2012, Steve was recognized, along with his team, by the Governor of California for their safety campaign efforts; receiving the prestigious Governors Employee Safety Award for Excellence. He currently instructs courses at the Academy which focus on creating a safety culture and minimizing human error.

Steve served 10 years active duty in the USAF before becoming a CHP officer and continues to serve as a Chief Master Sergeant in the Air Force Reserve at the Pentagon. He is responsible for the effective management of more than 36,000 military police authorizations within the Air Force.

Steve holds a Masters of Management with a Concentration on Organizational Leadership from American Military University, and a Bachelors of Science in Criminal Justice from Chapman University.

Eric Dickinson VICE CHAIRMAN & CORE TRAINER

Eric Dickinson is a Captain with the Vinton (IA) Police Department and an Advanced EMT. He serves as adjunct faculty at Kirkwood Community College (Cedar Rapids, IA) and has been a frequent guest instructor at the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy (Johnston, IA) and previously for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center’s (FLETC) Rural Policing Institute. He has presented courses for law enforcement and EMS throughout the United States and was the recipient of the 2014 Trainer of the Year Award from the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA) and Law Officer magazine.

Eric instructs various topics related to officer survival, weapons, use of force, and pre-hospital emergency medical skills. He has extensive training in wilderness and tactical medicine and teaches Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) for the National Association of EMTs (NAEMT).

Eric is the author of the book, The Street Officer’s Guide to Emergency Medical Tactics, and has written more than 40 articles that have been published in various professional publications including the Journal of EMS (JEMS), Law Officer magazine, The Firearms Instructor, and EMS World. He wrote and contributed chapters to the books W.I.N. II: Insights into Training and Leading Warriors, and American Blue, and provided technical consultation regarding medical tactics for the book, Officer Down: Lessons from the Streets.

Eric graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration from Upper Iowa University. He is an active member of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA), the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), charter member of the National Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor Association (NLEFIA), and a life member of the National Eagle Scout Association (NESA).

Roy Bethge EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CORE TRAINER

Roy Bethge is a veteran police leader with more than 29 years of experience. He retired in May of 2017 as Deputy Chief of Operations for the Buffalo Grove Police Department in Northern Illinois, where his responsibilities included the Patrol and Investigations Division and he functioned as the department’s public information officer. He holds a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice from Columbia College and has an extensive background as a trainer in the subject areas of leadership development, use of force, and adult learning. He is a subject matter expert for Louisiana State University’s National Center for Biomedical Research and Training and a private consultant focusing on leader development. He is an advisory board member for International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA) and member of the IACP Training Committee. He is a sought after speaker having presented before the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, Michigan State Police Leadership Forum, Empire State Traffic Conference and many more.

John Bostain CORE TRAINER

John Bostain is the Co-owner of Command Presence, LLC, a law enforcement training and consulting company headquartered in Brunswick, GA. He is a former police officer with the Hampton Police Division in Virginia, where he served as a patrol officer, academy instructor, supervisor, and SWAT Team member. In 2001, John joined the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) where he served as an Instructor and Senior Instructor for Arrest Techniques, Use of Force, and Patrol Operations.

John is one of the original Core Instructors for the Below 100 program, delivering the message to more than 3,000 police officers nationwide in the first year alone. He continues to instruct both Intensive and Trainer the Trainer sessions, while mentoring new instructors in the delivery and implementation of Below 100 programs in their agencies.

Judson Beedy CORE TRAINER

Judson Beedy is currently serving the Daphne Police Department in Criminal Investigations Division as their division head. CPT Beedy has served the Daphne Police Department in Patrol for 10 years and in the Criminal Investigative Division for 10 years. Since 2012, CPT Beedy has been a licensed Polygraph Examiner in the State of Alabama. He currently serves on the SWAT team as a certified ranking hostage negotiator, head of internal affairs, public information officer and is the assistant commander on the Baldwin County Major Crimes Unit. CPT Beedy is a graduate of the University of South Alabama and graduated the FBI National Academy 252nd session.

As of November 2013, he attended the train the trainer course for Below 100 and has since become passionate about reaching the overall goal of the Below 100 concept.

Mike Jaeger CHAIRMAN & CORE TRAINER

Mike began his career in 2000 with the Tucson Police Department, where he has served in various assignments including patrol, SRO and training. He is currently on contract with AZPOST as a Training Specialist and Mobile Driver Training Simulator Coordinator.

He is a Tactical Driving Instructor, EVOC, 4×4, ATV and a High Risk Vehicle Stops Instructor. Prior to his law enforcement career he served in the U.S. Marines for 12 years as a vehicle operator and driving instructor.

Mike is currently serving in the Arizona Air National Guard.

Tommy Loftis BOARD OF DIRECTORS & CORE TRAINER

Tommy Loftis currently serves at the Law Enforcement Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Alabama. He served as a police officer, narcotics investigator, and Chief of Police in his 13 years of law enforcement service. Since April of 2012 when he was afforded the opportunity to attend a train the trainer course for Below 100 he has presented this information to more than 70 law enforcement groups from Alabama to Arizona. His goal is to reach each and every department in his home state of Alabama.

As the Law Enforcement Coordinator he is responsible for hosting multiple training events for Law Enforcement throughout the calendar year.

Jonathan Davis BOARD OF DIRECTORS & CORE TRAINER

Jonathan S. Davis is a Sergeant with the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP). In his 14 year career he has served as a Deputy Sheriff for 1 year, 5 years as a city Police Officer and 8 years with the OSHP. In his career he has worked on narcotics task forces, Criminal Patrol teams, Investigations and is currently an academy instructor. Sgt. Davis is course director for Emergency Vehicle Operations, Physical Fitness Programs and Basic Training for new Police recruits for OSHP training academy in Columbus, Ohio. He has designed and implemented new Emergency Vehicle Operations training courses for OSHP and assisted other agencies with EVO training for their officers.

In 2014, as a Subject Matter Expert in Emergency Vehicle Operation’s he assisted in revamping the Ohio Peace Officer Basic Driver’s Training Program. These cutting edge programs are designed at decreasing agency liability and improving officer safety. He has also been instrumental in bringing the national “Below 100” campaign to the State of Ohio and is a Core Instructor for the program. Sergeant Davis holds the position of Secretary on the executive board for the Association of Law Enforcement Emergency Response Trainers. Sergeant Davis is a Master Instructor and Train-the-Trainer for numerous training programs.

Away from the OSHP, Sergeant Davis is a consultant for a fortune 500 company that provides agencies and officers with support and various resources designed to improve operations and quality of life.

Tom Dirlam TREASURER & CORE TRAINER

Tom Dirlam retired after 31 years with the Michigan State Police as the Assistant Deputy Director of the Administrative Services Bureau. He was first assigned to the Owosso Post and then spent the next 22 years in the Forensic Science Division, including two years as a liaison to the Detroit Police Department and the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office. After two years at Headquarters in the Support Services Bureau as the Assistant Deputy Director, he was reassigned to First District Headquarters (Lansing) as the Assistant District Commander. In August of 2015 he transferred back to Headquarters to the Field Services Bureau and in February of 2016 to the Administrative Services Bureau. He is a graduate of the 225 th Session of the FBI National Academy and the 117 th Class of the Northwestern University Traffic Institute School of Police Staff and Command. He was an adjunct professor at Schoolcraft College and Henry Ford Community College for several years. He has been a Below 100 instructor for three years, and a National Core Instructor and the State of Michigan Below 100 Coordinator for two years.

Geoffrey Bush CORE TRAINER

Corporal Geoffrey Bush is currently assigned as a full time Instructor at the Pennsylvania State Police Academy in Hershey Pa. He is the Departments lead EVOC instructor and is also a certified Taser, use of force, and officer safety instructor. He is also a certified instructor through the Pennsylvania Municipal Police Officers Training Commission. Cpl. Bush has over 20 years of law enforcement experience including 2 years as a municipal police officer in Pennsylvania, 7 years as a Trooper with the Virginia State Police and 11 years with the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP). In addition to his current position, in his career he has worked in Patrol, Investigations, participated and supervised narcotics task forces, and participated in City/State Aggressive Patrol Partnership task forces. He is a graduate in Criminology from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Cpl. Bush initiated and played an integral part in revamping the EVOC program and curriculum for the PSP, including preparing a 200 page comprehensive driver training manual. He introduced the Below 100 program to the PSP and has trained over 600 members in the Department. He is a Master EVOC instructor and is responsible for training other EVOC instructors throughout the state of Pennsylvania

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He is a nationally certified EVOC and Precision Immobilization Technique Instructor through the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.

Cpl. Bush is a member of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA) and the International Association of Law Enforcement Emergency Response Trainers (ALERT), where he is a regional representative. He received the ALERT “Zman” award in 2015 and is a 2016 outstanding nominee for the IACP State and Provincial Police Academy Directors Instructor of the year.

Jeff Chudwin CORE TRAINER

Jeff Chudwin is the Law Officer Tactical Ops columnist. He’s also the 2009 Law Officer Trainer of the Year and serves as chief of police for the Village of Olympia Fields, Ill. A founding member and current president of the Illinois Tactical Officers Association and co-chair of the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System Region 4, Chudwin is a former assistant state’s attorney and has been a firearms, use-of-force and emergency response trainer for more than 25 years.

Thomas Dworak CORE TRAINER

Thomas Dworak is a retired Sergeant (31 years) from a suburban Chicago police department where he was the Field Training and Evaluation Program Coordinator and the Lead Defensive Tactics/Use of Force Instructor. As consultant for the Virtus Group he developed and facilitates The Adaptive FTO. Thom’s knowledge of experiential learning, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, creative problem solving and decision making shaped The Adaptive FTO into a program for the changing training environment Field Training Officer’s and their trainee’s find themselves in daily.

Thom facilitates training throughout the mid-west in Field Training, Instructor Development, Leadership, Supervisory Skills, Use of Force and Defensive Tactics. He holds the position of adjunct faculty at the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy at the College of Du Page providing instruction to recruits in defensive tactics and scenario-based training. Thom can be contacted at Thom@virtusleadership.com and follow him on Twitter @dworakt

Tom Gillman CORE TRAINER

Tom Gillman comes from a long line of law enforcement. His great-grandfather, father, three brothers and a brother-in-law have all been involved in law enforcement. Tom retired as a road patrol Sergeant from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office after 28 years, a career that included being a PPCT defensive tactics instructor, firearms instructor, a LIDAR Speed timing instructor, narcotics investigator, marine patrol deputy, traffic enforcement and accident investigation. After retiring from the Sheriff’s Office in 2010, Tom became the Criminal Justice Training Coordinator at Delta College setting up in-service training for law enforcement, corrections and Private Security and is the Coordinator for Delta College’s Local Michigan Sheriff’s Coordinating and Training Council’s 160 Hour Correctional Officer Academy.

He is also a Delta College campus police officer, a State of Michigan certified firearms instructor, a NRA Certified rifle Instructor, BELOW 100 Instructor, Delta College police academy instructor, R.A.D. (Rape Aggression Defense Systems) instructor and assists in setting up safety training for college employees on numerous topics, one being hostile intruder training. Tom is also a member of ILEETA-International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association and the NRA-National Rifle Association.

Jim Glennon CORE TRAINER

Lt. Jim Glennon, the third generation in a family of law enforcement officers, began his career in 1980 with the Lombard, Ill. Police Department. Retiring as a Commander, Jim held positions as a patrol officer, detective, sergeant, and Commander of the Investigations Unit. In 1998 he was selected as the first Commander of Investigations for the newly formed DuPage County Major Crimes (Homicide) Task Force.

Lt. Glennon has a BA in Psychology and a Masters Degree in Law Enforcement Justice Administration from Western Illinois University. Jim attended the School of Police Staff and Command at Northwestern University where he was elected class president, received the prestigious Kreml Leadership Award, and began teaching for Northwestern within months of completing the 400 hour course. Lt. Glennon was one of the two original Defensive Tactics Coordinators for the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy in DuPage County, IL.

Jim is the lead instructor for LifeLine Training. Teaching various courses for both law enforcement and private industry, Lt. Glennon specializes in seminars that deal with Officer Safety, Interaction Skills (Arresting Communication), and Leadership (Finding the Leader in You: The More Courageous Path).

Jim has columns featured on lawofficer.com and bluesheepdog.com and is the author of the book: “Arresting Communication: Essential Interaction Skills for Law Enforcement“. In 2010, Jim won the prestigious Maggie Award for Columnist of the Year for his column on policeone.com.

Scot Haug CORE TRAINER

Scot Haug is the Chief of Police for the Post Falls, Idaho Police Department. He is a graduate of the 201st FBI National Academy and is a member of the board of directors for the Montana/Idaho Chapter of the FBI National Academy Associates. Haug is a past SWAT Commander and has been an arrest techniques instructor since 1992, serving as the primary arrest and handcuffing techniques instructor at North Idaho College for nearly ten years. He has been recognized as a use-of-force expert in federal court and has consulted with numerous agencies regarding use of force issues. Haug was an early adopter of Below 100 and was a co-presenter in the very first Below 100 training session.

Michael “Mike” Mitchell CORE TRAINER

Michael “Mike” Mitchell is an officer with the California Highway Patrol (CHP), currently assigned to the Office of Employee Safety and Assistance Unit, in Sacramento, California. Mike began his law enforcement career with the California Department of Corrections (CDC) at San Quentin State Prison. Mike was also a corrections officer at two additional Prisons (Salinas Valley Prison and Deuel Vocational Institution) before promoting back to San Quentin as a sergeant. While working for CDC, Mike served in various assignments including transportation, security housing units, administrative segregation units and condemned units.

In 2009 Mike attended the CHP Academy in Sacramento, California and became a patrol officer. In 2011, Mike was involved in an on-duty patrol vehicle collision, which resulted in the amputation of his right leg above the knee as well as various additional injuries. In 2012 Mike returned to full duty as a patrol officer, with the help of a computerized prosthetic leg. After returning to full duty, Mike became a departmental Firearms Instructor, Training Officer, Area Representative (union representative for officers), CHP Below 100 Instructor, Traffic Incident Management Instructor and was voted Officer of the Year by his fellow officers at his assigned field office. Mike recently joined the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA) and works on officer/employee safety programs statewide and is currently working on a Correctional Officer safety program”.

Jodi Stevens CORE TRAINER

Officer Jodi Stevens has been in Law Enforcement for 24 years, four of those years serving as a U.S. Army Military Police Officer. She is currently employed by the Oro Valley Police Department assigned to the Patrol Division. Jodi returned to patrol in January 2015 after a ten year assignment as the department training coordinator. As the department training coordinator, Jodi was responsible for coordinating all employee training both internal and external. She served as the academy liaison for new recruits and was responsible for the pre-academy, post-academy and lateral officer orientation program. During her career, Jodi has held such positions as dispatcher, field training coordinator, field training officer, school resource officer and terrorism liaison officer.

After 17 years serving in certified peace officer positions Officer Jodi Stevens assumed additional duties as a dispatcher in 2015 due to a critical personnel shortage in the emergency communications center. Working as a dispatcher early in her career and again 17 years later has given her a unique perspective in public safety service delivery. She has been a certified AZPOST general instructor since 2003. She is an instructor for emergency vehicle operations and high risk vehicle stops and most recently Below 100. She has taught such subject areas as domestic violence, report writing, patrol functions and interpersonal communications. She is a subject matter expert for the general instructor program and has been teaching general instructor schools throughout the state for the past seven years.

Dale Stockton CORE TRAINER

Dale Stockton is a 32-year-veteran of law enforcement, having worked in all areas of police operations and retiring as a police captain from Carlsbad, California. He is a graduate of the 201st FBI National Academy, the California Supervisory Leadership Institute, the FBI Southwest Command College and holds a graduate degree from the University of California, Irvine, in Criminology, Law and Society. He has served as a Commissioner for California POST and has been recognized as the most widely published public safety writer and photographer in the country. He has taught criminal justice classes for more than 20 years and is the Editor-in-Chief of Law Officer Magazine and LawOfficer.com.

Stockton is the architect of Below 100, an officer-safety initiative designed to reduce police line-of-deaths, and has been involved in the presentation of the program across North America.

Dennis Valone CORE TRAINER

Lt. Dennis Valone began his career in Public Safety as a Paramedic in 1994. He spent six years as a charge paramedic and served three years as a Tactical Medic for a Florida Sheriffs Office.

In 2001, Dennis became a full-time Deputy Sheriff with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office inBradenton,FL. Dennis served in several assignments to include Uniform Patrol, Canine, Investigator in the Crimes Against Children Unit, and SWAT. Dennis was also an instructor at the Manatee Technical Institute Criminal Justice Academy in the areas of Investigations and Defensive Tactics.

In 2007, Dennis moved his Family to North Georgia and went to work for the Alpharetta Police Department in Alpharetta,GA. After a brief time in the Uniform Patrol Division, Dennis was assigned to the Training Division to work as the Departments Training Coordinator. Currently, Dennis is serving as a supervisor in Uniform Patrol, and is a SWAT Team Leader for the North Fulton SWAT Team. In 2009 Dennis had the opportunity to help develop and implement a new Law Enforcement Academy at Reinhardt University in Alpharetta, GA.

Dennis currently holds instructor certifications in Firearms, Defensive Tactics, Emergency Vehicle Operations, and Emergency Medicine. Dennis is also a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command.

Dennis is currently the President of the Georgia Tactical Officers Association.

Jeff Welch CORE TRAINER

Sergeant Jeff Welch began his career in law enforcement in 1998 as a patrolman with Western Kentucky University Police Department in Bowling Green, Kentucky. In 2000 he was hired by the Henderson Police Department in Henderson, Kentucky. Within the Henderson Police Department, Sergeant Welch has served in positions within traffic and patrol both as a patrolman and later a shift commander when promoted to sergeant in 2004. He also served as a detective within the investigative unit and was a member of the Tactical Team and was later provided the opportunity to serve as the Tactical Team Commander. In 2010, Sergeant Welch was assigned to his current position as the Training Sergeant for the Department.

As the training sergeant, he holds numerous instructor certifications to include firearms, defensive tactics, active shooter and emergency vehicle operations. He is a certified Kentucky Law Enforcement Council Instructor. Sergeant Welch holds a bachelors degree from the University of Central Arkansas and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy Session 246. He is a charter member of ILEETA and a Certified Force Science Analyst. Sergeant Welch has a great passion for Below 100 and truly believes in the core concepts of the program. He is dedicated to providing others with the knowledge and skills provided by Below 100 in an effort to reduce line of duty deaths.

Brian Willis CORE TRAINER

Brian is an internationally recognized thought leader, speaker, author and trainer and the President of Winning Mind Training. His focus is on helping law enforcement officers, trainers and leaders achieve personal excellence and create a Legacy of Excellence by understanding Life’s Most Powerful Question – What’s Important Now? (W.I.N.) Brian is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his contribution and commitment to Officer Safety in Canada and in 2011 Brian was named as the Law Officer Trainer of the Year.

Brian is the editor, publisher and contributing writer for the acclaimed books W.I.N.: Critical Issues in Training and Leading Warriors, W.I.N. 2: Insights Into Training and Leading Warriors, If I Knew Then: Life Lessons From Cops on the Street, and If I Knew Then 2: Warrior Reflections as well as a contributing writer for Warriors: On Living with Courage, Discipline and Honor.

Brian serves as the Deputy Executive Director for the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA). He is the past editor of the ILEETA Review, writes the W.I.N. Column for the ILEETA Use of Force Journal and has had numerous articles published in law enforcement periodicals.

Brian began his law enforcement career with the Calgary Police Service in 1979 and over the next 25 years he worked as a patrol officer, tactical officer, patrol supervisor and trainer. From 1995 to 2004 he was the head use of force trainer for the Calgary Police Service (an agency of 1750 officers). In that role he was responsible for researching, developing, instructing and overseeing the Officer Safety, Subject Control Tactics, Crowd Management, Incident Command and Emergency Vehicle Operations programs. Brian also served on the Crowd Control Unit for 19 years as a constable, supervisor in charge of training and development, Platoon Commander and Deputy Commander. He served in integral roles during the World Petroleum Congress and G8 Summit in Calgary.

Brian served as a member of the National Advisory Board for Police Marksman Magazine from 2000 to 2007 and is a member of the National Tactical Officers Association, the Illinois Tactical Officers Association, the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors and Canadian Association of Professional Speakers. In addition to numerous law enforcement certifications Brian holds a Certificate in Adult Learning from the University of Calgary and Mount Royal College. He has given presentations on mental preparation and conditioning at numerous international conferences and is sought after as a speaker across North America for his presentations Excellence in Training, Harnessing The Winning Mind and Warrior Spirit, Dare to Soar: The Pursuit of Personal Excellence and Your Life IS Your Legacy.

Travis Yates CORE TRAINER

Major Travis Yates began his career in 1993 with the Tulsa (OK) Police Department. He has served 16 years of his career in a patrol function with other assignments in Gangs, Media Relations, Training and Planning. Travis has been recognized throughout the world in regards to law enforcement training and received the International Police Trainer of the Year Award in 2008 by Law Officer Magazine and ILEETA. Travis is the Director of Training with SAFETAC Training and is known throughout the country for his Seminars relating to Officer Safety, Leadership & Risk Management. He is a frequent contributor to various law enforcement publications & is one of the most widely published authors within law enforcement. Travis holds a Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Northeastern State University and is a graduate of the 227th Session of the FBI National Academy.

Travis is the Past President of ALERT International and the Director of Ten-Four Ministries. He co-founded Vest For Life Inc. that has given away over 5,000 ballistic vests to police officers in need. He was a founding member of the Below 100 Initiative in 2011 which strives through a series of articles, classes and “train the trainer” courses to reduce line of duty deaths in America to below 100 per year.

Read Exclusive Below 100 Articles by Travis Yates:

3 Words To Eliminate
The Ten Deadly Errors
Responding The The Critics
We Must Believe
A Statistical Insignificance

Keith Wenzel CORE TRAINER

Sgt. Keith Wenzel began his career in law enforcement as a patrol officer with a mid-size police department after a tour with the U.S. Marine Corps. Four years later, in 1982, Keith was hired onto the Dallas PD and worked various assignments to include patrol, covert deployment, and an academy advisor. During this time between a career and family, he graduated from the Dallas Baptist University with a bachelors degree. In 1987 he was selected for the SWAT team where he stayed until he was promoted to the rank of sergeant in 1993. As a supervisor, Keith held leadership positions in patrol, deployment, and the bike unit. He supervised patrol officers in five of the six patrol divisions in Dallas.

In 2007, Keith left patrol and began supervising in-service training at the Dallas Police Academy, developing new curriculum for his 3600 member department. His responsibilities include vehicle operation, defensive tactics, reality based training and use of force.

Sgt. Wenzel’s current clients include police agencies, technical colleges and professional organizations including ALERT, TWILE (Texas Women in Law Enforcement) and several private security firms.