Registration Desk

Registration Desk Hours: 8:00AM - 4:00PM

Exhibit Hall Open

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Conference Co-Chairs:

Mike Boward, Sergeant, Personnel and Training Unit
Fort Collins Police Department

Tracie Keesee, Associate Professor
University of Virginia
Co-founder, Center for Policing Equity

Keynote Address: How to Identify a Great Law Enforcement Officer Candidate

• Explore the competencies, qualities, and attributes of an effective law enforcement officer
• Gain strategies for finding and selecting candidates that will be effective officers
• Discuss ways to retain those effective officers once they’ve been hired

Patrick Oliver, PhD, Associate Professor and Director of the Criminal Justice Program 

Cedarville University 

Author of Recruitment, Selection & Retention of Law Enforcement Officers 

Elevate Your Department’s Public Image to Boost Interest in Law Enforcement Careers

• Learn how to build relationships in your community that will benefit your department’s reputation
• Hear how departments have overcome traumatic events, such as police-involved shootings
• Get tips for educating all officers about how their actions positively – or negatively – reflect on the whole department

William Slaton, Recruitment Services Division Director

Pennsylvania State Police

Yasmin Brown, Captain, Assistant Chief, Patrol Services

Maryland-National Capital Park Police

Fast and Effective Ways to Screen Job Applicants to Avoid Bad Hires and Improve Quality

• Improve the quality of job applicants and reduce risk for the hiring agency
• Obtain 98-99% confidence in hiring trustworthy applicants
• Streamline the hiring process and implement it quickly for a competitive advantage

Todd Mickelsen, Chief Executive Officer

Converus

Ted Barnard, Lieutenant 

Page Police Department 

Building a Department That Reflects Your Community

• Understand and manage implicit bias and inequities in recruiting and hiring
• Explore ways to cultivate an environment that fosters inclusiveness and belonging
• Learn techniques for recruiting and supporting women, people of various racial and ethnic backgrounds, and those from the LGBTQ+ community

Jo Castaños, Talent Acquisition Specialist, Career Team

Colorado Department of Corrections

Dr. Tracie Keesee, Associate Professor

University of Virginia

Co-founder, Center for Policing Equity

Proven Techniques for Streamlining the Application and Hiring Process

• Discuss how the traditional months-long application process is a barrier to hiring more qualified applicants
• Learn to use technology to reduce the time from application to academy
• Walk away with many strategies for a shorter but equally effective hiring process

Moderator: 

Mike Boward, Sergeant

Fort Collins Police Department

Gary Backous, Lieutenant, Support Services Commander

Story County Sheriff’s Office

Dominic Morrocco, Chief Executive Officer

RecruitApp.ai

Case Study: Reaching Out to the Military for New Recruits

• Hear one agency’s experience building a successful comprehensive military recruitment program
• Get insights on how to engage and build relationships with nearby military bases
• Discuss ways to support veterans after they are hired
• Learn how to capitalize on veteran hires to recruit other candidates

Kimberly Maki, Recruitment and Retention Officer

Washington State Patrol

Bryan Villanueva, Trooper, Recruiter 

Washington State Patrol 

Strategies to Keep Your Officer Pipeline Full

• Explore various ways to start a strong pipeline program or enhance the one you have
• Hear real-life stories of how agencies are developing the next generation of recruits through initiatives such as internships, explorer programs, and cadet programs
• Get strategies for partnering with universities to reach students who are interested in law enforcement

Tiffney Lindley, Sergeant, Recruitment and Training Division Supervisor

Fayetteville Police Department

Steven Soyka, Sheriff

Stearns County Sheriff’s Office

Fast-Track to Talent: 3 Strategies to Accelerate Your Hiring and Background Process

• Gain insights into creating a candidate-first experience 
• Learn how to optimize workflows for investigator and applicant efficiency 
• Adopt tools that enhance communication and transparency 

Chris Smith, Deputy
Larimer County Sheriff’s Office

Kristine Rzewnicki, Sales Engineer and Implementation Consultant, Vetted
NEOGOV

Closing Remarks

Conference Co-Chairs:

Mike Boward, Sergeant, Personnel and Training Unit
Fort Collins Police Department

Tracie Keesee, Associate Professor
University of Virginia
Co-founder, Center for Policing Equity

Registration Desk

Registration Desk Hours: 8:00AM - 11:00AM

Exhibit Hall Open

Opening Remarks

Conference Co-Chairs:

Mike Boward, Sergeant, Personnel and Training Unit
Fort Collins Police Department

Tracie Keesee, Associate Professor
University of Virginia
Co-founder, Center for Policing Equity

Developing Leaders Who Foster a Positive Culture and Officer Loyalty

• Explore the behaviors of effective leaders and leadership practices that can impact retention 
• Gain insight and tools for supervisors to use to develop leadership practices  
• Understand the importance of culture and how to build it so that it is sustainable 

Bob Rossi, Ed.D, Leadership and Curriculum Administrator

Phoenix Regional Police Academy

Creating a Culture of Wellness

• Discuss how creating a culture of wellness and removing the stigma of addressing mental health can improve recruitment and retention
• Explore resources law enforcement agencies can offer officers to meet their mental health needs
• Discover how officers can help each other through peer support programs

Nikki Woodrow, Sergeant, Pre-Employment and Recruiting

Wichita Police Department

Erin Wannow, Sergeant, Recruiting

Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office

Everyone’s a Recruiter! Training Existing Officers to Bring in New Ones

• Discover how to instill a recruitment mindset in all your officers
• Learn the elements of an effective recruiter training program for all officers
• Get buy-in from managing officers about the importance of front-line officers being involved in recruitment activities

Moderator: 

Graham Tinius, Executive Board Member 

National Association of Field Training Officers 

Shandra Mutchie, Recruitment Coordinator 

Utah Department of Corrections 

Micheal Reyes, Recruiter 

Utah Department of Corrections 

Kristen Wright-Van Meter, Deputy 

Thurston County Sheriff’s Office 

Former Recruiting Sergeant, Arizona Department of Public Safety 

Successful Recruitment and Retention for the Intergenerational Workplace

• Understand how each generation works and structure your workplace to increase retention
• Learn what motivates the different generations to attract them to your organization
• Explore team-building activities to bridge the gaps

Mike Crawford, Lieutenant, Recruitment and Training Division  

East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office 

Ettice Brickus, Lieutenant Colonel, Deputy Chief of Patrol, Area 2 Commander

Baltimore Police Department

Preparing Candidates for Success

• Hear about ways agencies are helping potential candidates prepare for the application, testing, and other steps of the hiring process
• Understand the importance of interacting with candidates and making a human connection with them
• Learn tactics for encouraging candidates to prepare and apply again, if appropriate, when they don’t succeed the first time

Moderator: 

Kristen Wright-Van Meter, Deputy 

Thurston County Sheriff’s Office 

Former Recruiting Sergeant, Arizona Department of Public Safety 

Anton Maltby, Deputy

Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office

Brisa Daniel, Hiring and Recruitment Coordinator

Surprise Police Department

Morgan Zerbe, Detective, Recruiting Coordinator

Pima County Sheriff’s Department

Closing Remarks

Conference Co-Chairs:

Mike Boward, Sergeant, Personnel and Training Unit
Fort Collins Police Department

Tracie Keesee, Associate Professor
University of Virginia
Co-founder, Center for Policing Equity