I have worked for the Prescott Valley Police Department (PVPD) for 18 years, in a variety of assignments. Prior to coming to PVPD, I was in the Army for 10 years as a commissioned officer in the Military Police Corps. I am currently a Patrol Lieutenant, with responsibilities over half of the Patrol Division, as well as Traffic, Field Training and Mobile Field Force. I am a graduate of the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police, and the FBI-LEEDA Trilogy. I graduated from LEPSL in August 2024.
What motivated you to be a LEPSL ambassador?
I thoroughly enjoyed my journey through the LEPSL courses, and feel that I learned, and grew, an incredible amount.
Why did you choose the LEPSL program? What made LEPSL stand out in comparison to other schools/programs?
I met Dr. Fritsvold at IACP Dallas in 2022 when I was looking for a Master’s program. The thing that really stood out to me was the program is 100% on-line, it didn’t require me to take the GRE or any criminal justice undergrad courses, (as my bachelor’s degree is in history,) and LEPSL would give me some credit for senior law enforcement management training.
What were your concerns about starting a graduate program?
I had not been a college student since 1995, when distance learning was almost unheard of. I am also not exactly a wizard when it comes to technology. Those things really concerned me. But this program is very user-friendly, and I quickly found that all I needed was some time management skills, and a hunger to learn.
How did the LEPSL program help you achieve your career goals?
My LEPSL degree will help me if I choose to try and promote to a command-level position, or if I choose to retire and teach at the college level. At this point, both of those are possibilities.
What advice would you share with prospective LEPSL applicants?
For prospective LEPSL applicants, figure out early how the workflow goes for each class, and then work it into your schedule. Don’t wait until the end of the week to start working on assignments. Jump on them early in the week, and stick to your time management plan.
What was your favorite LEPSL course?
I don’t know if it was my favorite class, but Budgeting in Law Enforcement was the most impactful for me. As a newly promoted lieutenant, I had never been very involved in budgeting in my agency. This course gave me a real understanding of how a budgeting process works, and why my agency does some of the things we do in budgeting.
What were you balancing while participating in the LEPSL program?
I am a patrol lieutenant at my agency, and I am a salaried employee, so a 40-hour week is a light one. I also had just gotten married when I started the program, but my wife was awesome and supportive. Luckily for me, my kids were out of the house and in college.
How did you stay motivated throughout the program in the face of competing priorities in your life?
The course goes so fast, and there’s a nice little break at the end of every 14-week term. Those breaks really kept me going, and before I knew it, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.
LESL Graduating Class:
2024