I am a Sergeant for the Clark County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) in Vancouver, WA. I’ve been with CCSO for about 8 years. We are considered a medium-sized suburban agency here in WA State with about 154 commissioned at the Sergeant and Deputy level on the patrol/enforcement side. My current full-time assignment is as our Administrative Sergeant where I get a chance to be involved with many areas of our organization. These include- Recruiting, PIO, Backgrounds, Planning and Accreditation (CALEA) Manager, Sex Offender Registration (SOR), and Internal Affairs. As a collateral duty, I am the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Sergeant and a UAS Operator for one of the larger teams in the Pacific Northwest with 15 FAA Part 1107 Pilots and around 25 UAS platforms. I also serve as a Search and Rescue (SAR) Coordinator. My previous law enforcement experience is as a Patrol Sergeant, Traffic Homicide Unit (Collision Reconstruction) Detective, FTO, Tactical Emergency Medical Support (TEMS) Medic, Patrol Tactics Instructor, and Patrol Deputy. I spent 21 years, including multiple combat deployments, in the military as a medic, with most of my career working in Army MEDEVAC before retiring in January 2020.
What motivated you to be a LEPSL ambassador?
I loved my time in the program, which gave me practical leadership training that will help me throughout my career. I would love to introduce others to this great experience.
Why did you choose the LEPSL program? What made LEPSL stand out in comparison to other schools/programs?
There were a number of factors that attracted me to USD. USD is a Catholic university, which matches my own values and is a West Coast Conference school with a great reputation, which I would be proud to be an alumnus of. I was looking for a program that was grounded in real-world application. I think I first came across USD as I looked online at different Master’s degree programs. The name Law Enforcement and Public Safety Leadership felt much more practical than a degree in Criminology or Criminal Justice. As I looked at the faculty and the graduates, I felt LEPSL was going to be a great fit for me.
What were your concerns about starting a graduate program?
Time was my biggest concern. I have two active school-age children and a successful wife who works full-time. I was not sure I’d have the time to commit to being successful in the program.
How did the LEPSL program help you achieve your career goals?
As a recent graduate, I believe the LEPSL program is just starting to help me achieve my career goals. I have testing for Commander coming up at the end of the month. I feel that my coursework will prepare me well.
What advice would you give to someone to be a more effective leader?
I think the best advice I could give to someone who wants to be a more effective leader is to first learn to be a great listener. Listening allows you to learn so much more about your people and their concerns. It allows you to build rapport and understand problems.
What was your favorite LEPSL course?
My favorite class was Best Practices in Community Engagement.
What were you balancing while participating in the LEPSL program?
I’d say I was pretty busy. A full-time schedule with call-out responsibilities, two active young children, youth coaching, and a wife who both worked full-time and was an officer in the National Guard.
How did you stay motivated throughout the program in the face of competing priorities in your life?
I just kept trying to remind myself that it was going to be worth it. I was motivated by the thought of bringing my kids to graduation to see the result of those long nights and hard work.
LEPSL Graduating Class:
2024