Verizon First Responder Advisory Council (VFRAC)
Overview
VFRAC was formed in 2019 to provide strategic input and advice for Public Safety. The council is made up of highly respected, accomplished leaders who represent a wide range of the public safety community, including emergency management, fire, public health and law enforcement.
Rebuilding New York’s fire dept. after 9/11
Sal Cassano spent 40+ years on the FDNY, serving as a crucial leader before, during and after the 9/11 terrorist attacks that took the lives of more than 300 members of the department.
Listen to the podcast
Expert insight and knowledge
For 30+ years, Verizon has supported Public Safety with an unwavering commitment—strengthened by the council. Our members provide thought leadership benefitting first responder agencies and communities. The council also helps us equip public safety professionals with reliable, tailored solutions and technologies to help keep communities safe.
Our members
Get to know the people who make up the council and explore their remarkable career paths.
Chair William J. Bratton
One of the world’s most respected and trusted experts on risk and security issues
Michael Berkow
Served as Director for the Coast Guard, Chief of Police in four cities and Deputy Chief for the LAPD
David Cagno
Spent 22+ years with the NYPD, and worked with the NYPD Financial Crimes Task Force
Salvatore Cassano
Spent 44+ years in the FDNY, and held every uniformed rank, including Fire Commissioner
Brian Dugan
Served for 31 years with the Tampa Police Department, including his final 4 years as Chief of Police
Kara Kalkbrenner
Served for 37+ years in every operational capacity within the Phoenix Fire Department’s 6 divisions
Dr. Kathleen L. Kiernan
A distinguished leader with over three decades of expertise in national security and emergency management, currently serving as President and Chair of the Board of NEC National Security Systems
Sandy Jo MacArthur
Spent 40+ years with the LAPD, 35 of which were full time and 5 as a reserve officer
Edward P. Plaugher
Former Assistant Executive Director of the IAFC, and its Director of National Programs and Consulting Services
Charles H. Ramsey
A leader in developing innovative policing strategies and organizational change, and internationally recognized as a practitioner and educator
Ellis M. Stanley Sr.
Possesses 40+ years of practitioner experience in emergency management, homeland security and major event planning
Karen P. Tandy
Has 40+ years of leadership experience in the public and private sectors, and was the first female to head the U.S. DEA
News and events
Discover announcements and learn about Verizon-led discussions and presentations, across the country, on public safety solutions.
Verizon Business Innovation Sessions
Join our collaborative event series to explore how our advanced network and innovative solutions can help businesses achieve their unique goals and continue their digital transformation.
IACP 2024 conference
Register for the 2024 International Association of Chiefs of Police 2024 conference and join more than 16,000 public safety professionals for this four-day event of law enforcement education and networking.
MCCA 2024 Annual Meeting
Experience the Major Cities Chiefs Association 2024 Annual Meeting of police executives from large population centers to help address policing challenges in support of law enforcement’s mission.
Chair William J. Bratton
- Executive Chairman, Teneo Risk
- Vice Chairman, Homeland Security Advisory Council
- Former Police Commissioner, New York Police Department (NYPD) and Boston Police Department (BPD)
- Former Chief, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)
William J. Bratton is one of the world’s most respected and trusted experts on risk and security issues. During his almost 50-year career in law enforcement, he instituted progressive change and dramatic drops in crime while leading six police departments, including seven years as Chief of the LAPD and two nonconsecutive terms as the Commissioner of the NYPD. He is the only person ever to lead the police agencies of America’s two largest cities.
As the Executive Chairman of Teneo Risk, Commissioner Bratton advises clients on risk identification, prevention and response. Teneo Risk addresses six key areas: cybersecurity, infrastructure protection, counterterrorism, health advisory, internal threat mitigation and crisis management.
Prior to assuming his role at Teneo Risk, Commissioner Bratton was the 42nd police commissioner of the city of New York from January 2014 to September 2016. It was the second time he held the post. During that time, he oversaw 32 months of declining crime, including historic lows for murders and robberies. At the same time, he initiated an unprecedented Neighborhood Policing program to close the gap between the NYPD and the communities it serves. Neighborhood Policing refocused resources on the underlying issues in individual neighborhoods, connected cops with community partners, enhanced outreach and communication strategies, and was a cornerstone of precision policing—the practice of identifying the few who create crime and disorder while safeguarding the many.
Commissioner Bratton also spearheaded the first major technological overhaul in the NYPD in years, the Mobile Digital Initiative, which gave a smartphone with custom-designed apps to every officer and put a tablet in every patrol car. These devices put an entire precinct’s data capabilities in the palm of an officer’s hand, allowing them to read details about calls for help, research locations of interest, search names and license plates, and complete paperwork—all while remaining in the field.
Additionally, the ever-changing threat picture in the world’s number one target for terrorism mandated major reforms to the NYPD’s already robust counterterrorism capabilities. In response, Commissioner Bratton developed two new units—the Critical Response Command (CRC) and the Strategic Response Group (SRG)—which now provide the city with more than 1,000 highly trained and properly equipped officers who are dedicated to counterterrorism, large-scale mobilizations, site security, and rapid deployment citywide.
A U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War, Commissioner Bratton began his career in 1970 as a beat cop in the BPD. In 1976, he was awarded the department’s highest citation for valor— the Schroeder Brothers Memorial Medal—for facing down a bank robber and rescuing a hostage. By 1980, he had risen to Superintendent of Police, the BPD’s highest sworn position.
In the 1990s, Commissioner Bratton established an international reputation for re-engineering police departments and fighting crime. As Chief of the New York City Transit Police, Boston Police Commissioner and in his first term as New York City Police Commissioner, he revitalized morale and cut crime in all three posts, achieving the largest crime declines in New York City’s history.
At the NYPD in 1994 and 1995, he led the development of CompStat, the internationally acclaimed command accountability system now in use by police departments nationwide. CompStat employs accurate, real-time intelligence, rapid deployment of resources, relentless follow-up and accountability systems to focus the work of police on stopping crimes before they happen.
As Los Angeles Police Chief from 2002 to 2009, in a city known for its racial tensions, entrenched gang culture and youth violence, he brought crime to historically low levels, greatly improved race relations and reached out to young people with a range of innovative police programs. At the LAPD, he also led the creation of its Real Time and Predictive Policing initiatives, while successfully implementing the country’s largest federal consent decree.
The recipient of many honors throughout his career, Commissioner Bratton was named by Security magazine as one of 2010’s most influential people in the security industry based on his leadership qualities and the positive impact that his work has made on organizations, colleagues and the general public. This was the second time in two years that he has appeared on the magazine's list of most influential security executives. In 2007, he received Governing magazine’s “Public Official of the Year Award.”
In January 1996, he appeared on the cover of TIME and was featured in the article “Finally, We’re Winning the War Against Crime.” And in 2009, for his collaborative efforts in working with U.S. and British police forces, he was recognized by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with the honorary title Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE).
A noted author, commentator and consultant, Commissioner Bratton holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston State College (now the University of Massachusetts Boston) and is a graduate of the FBI National Executive Institute. At Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, he was a Senior Executive Fellow in criminal justice and a member of the school’s National Executive Session on Policing. He has twice served as President of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) and in 2009 served as President of the Major Cities Chiefs Association. He currently serves as the Vice Chairman of the Secretary of Homeland Security’s Advisory Council.
His critically acclaimed autobiography "Turnaround" with Peter Knobler was published by Random House in 1998. In 2012, Commissioner Bratton and Zachary Tumin, a senior researcher at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, co-authored a management leadership book, "Collaborate or Perish," published by Random House. He is currently working with Peter Knobler on an untitled memoir of his almost 50-year career to be published by Random House in 2020.
Michael Berkow
- Director, Coast Guard
- Former Chief, Four cities including Irvine, CA
- Deputy Chief, LAPD
Mr. Berkow is an experienced police executive with extensive knowledge of both the domestic and international arenas. He is a published author and guest lecturer on a variety of topics including; community-oriented policing, integrity, and the operation internal misconduct systems.
Director Berkow has experience in federal law enforcement, the private sector and local policing. He has served as the Chief of Police in four cities (Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department; Irvine, CA, South Pasadena, CA, and Coachella, CA) as well as serving as a Deputy Chief for the Los Angeles Police Department. Director Berkow led the Coast Guard Investigative Service for almost a decade, leading led over 450 special agents operating out of 40 offices both within the United States and overseas.
An acknowledged expert on police investigations, discipline, and management, Mr. Berkow possesses vast experience in global policing and security solutions, having served in high-level positions in both the U.S. and international law enforcement communities. Through multiple assignments, he has been instrumental in efforts to advance the principles of rule of law in Somalia, Haiti, Jamaica, Kenya, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Tanzania, Uganda, and Yemen. In 2006, he was a member of the Expert Group for the Implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption. As President of Kroll Security Group, Mr. Berkow was heavily involved in significant police re-engineering and training efforts in the US, South American, the Middle East and the Caribbean. Mr. Berkow worked with the London Metropolitan Police Service following the July 7, 2005 bombings in London.
Mr. Berkow began his career with the Rochester NY Police Department, where he served in a variety of assignments ranging from patrol and narcotic investigation to the chief’s staff. He also served as the co-commander of a joint police-FBI investigative taskforce.
Mr. Berkow left the RPD to serve with the United States Department of Justice as an International Police Assistance Project Manager. He served as Director of the effort to rebuild the Somalia National Police Force and was the first director for the Haitian National Police Project, an effort to create the first civilian police force in Haiti’s history. He served as the police liaison for President Jimmy Carter’s election monitoring mission to Jamaica in 1997 and 2002; provided anti-corruption training for police forces in Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania; and provided civil disorder management training to the Tanzanian and Yemeni Police. Mr. Berkow was also responsible for police training and assistance in South and Central America. In addition, Mr. Berkow has served as a member of the board of directors for the Police Executive Research Forum and was the 1999 recipient of a prestigious Eisenhower Exchange Fellowship to study the conflict in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Berkow holds a B.A. in sociology from Kalamazoo College in Michigan, a J.D. from the Syracuse University College of Law and a Masters from Johns Hopkins University.
Mr. Berkow is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the FBI National Legal Institute, and the FBI National Executive Institute.
David Cagno
- Senior Vice President, Teneo Risk
- Former Lieutenant Commander, New York Police Department (NYPD)
David Cagno is a Senior Vice President with Teneo Risk. He serves as Chief of Staff to the Executive Chairman and provides support on matters of security, intelligence, emergency planning and prevention.
Prior to joining Teneo Risk, Mr. Cagno spent over 22 years with the NYPD. During this time, he was an accomplished NYPD Lieutenant Detective Commander, holding full investigative and operational command responsibility. He finished his tenure in the NYPD Financial Crimes Task Force, where he directed and investigated financial frauds and other major criminal investigations.
Mr. Cagno received a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Excelsior College and is a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (CFE) and Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS).
Brian Dugan
Brian Dugan served with the Tampa Police Department for 31 years, his final four years he served as the 32nd Chief of Police.
Throughout his career, Chief Dugan recognized the value of community relationships. He quickly rose through the ranks leading to his appointment of Chief of Police in 2017. This appointment came after a very dark period for the City of Tampa. In the fall of 2017, a serial killer targeted the Seminole Heights community. Chief Dugan led a coalition of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies as the unwavering voice of calm and strength for the city, until the suspect was brought to justice.
Under his command, the Tampa Police Department was the lead agency among 70 other law enforcement partners for Super Bowl LV in 2020, as well as the lead agency for security during back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. The Tampa Police Department also coordinated security for the celebratory boat parades which, due to the pandemic, were the first of its kind.
Brian Dugan is best known for the innovative ways he cultivated police-community relationships through outreach and engagement. He created a integrated approach to fighting crime by developing a sustainable methodology of enhancing public trust and building community partnerships. This was evident through his creation of the Community Investment Grant program, popular podcase series, modern citizen police academies, and his commitment to officer trainings focused on treating all citizens with dignity and respect.
Under Dugan’s leadership, citizens could learn first-hand about their agency through a series of half-day citizens academies. Dozens of community leaders, local business owners, activists, and professional athletes have experienced real-life scenarios experienced by offices through this engagement program. Chief Dugan invited the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tampa Bay Lightning players to participate in the working for social justice program. This partnership created a productive environment for an exchange of ideas, concerns, and challenges.
Chief Dugan will always be proud of his officers for driving down crime, but he is most satisfied with the community policing that takes place in Tampa every day. Officers and employees work side-by-side with citizens to solve and prevent crimes.
Determined to put "bad money" to good use, Chief Dugan implemented a Community Investment Grant program with the use of drug forfeiture funds. The department invested in local non-profits whose missions ranged from empowering underprivileged children through education to providing ex-offenders with employability skills to reduce recidivism.
During his tenure, Dugan launched "Role Call with Chief Brian Dugan" a unique podcast series highlighting the diverse roles of community members in public safety. Each week he traded in his police radio for a microphone to host the 30-minute show alongside a featured guest. With a reach of more than 1,000 listeners, these candid conversations helped draw important parallels between community service and police work.
Chief Dugan earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice form West Liberty University and a Master of Public Administration degree from Troy State University. He is a graduate of the prestigious Southern Police Institute’s Command Officers Development Course. In 2014, he attended the Senior Management Institute for Police. He is a graduate of the FBI’s National Executive Institute and Leadership Tampa. Chief Dugan is also a member of several professional associations, including the Tampa Bay Area Chiefs of Police Association, Florida Police Chiefs Association, International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives, National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and Police Executive Research Forum.
As a cancer survivor, Brian is grateful for each day he can make a difference in the community of law enforcement. However, his most important role is his role as a husband and father of two children.
Contact Brian LinkedIn (@CommissBratton) Twitter (@ChiefDuganRet)
Salvatore Cassano
- Senior Managing Director of Consulting and Lobbying Groups, Pitta Bishop & Del Giorno
- Former Fire Commissioner, Fire Department of New York (FDNY)
Salvatore J. Cassano served as the 32nd Fire Commissioner in the 151-year history of the FDNY, leading the United States' largest fire department with more than 16,000 fire, emergency medical services (EMS) and civilian members, and an annual budget of $1.6 billion.
Commissioner Cassano spent over 44 years in the FDNY and held every uniformed rank prior to his appointment by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in January 2010. Commissioner Cassano served as the FDNY's Chief of Department—the highest-ranking uniformed officer— from 2006 through 2010. He oversaw many of the agency's most important bureaus, including Fire and EMS Operations, Training, Safety, Fire Prevention and Communications. From 2001 to 2006, he served as Chief of Operations—a position he was appointed to immediately after Sept. 11, 2001. Both as Chief of Operations and Chief of Department, Commissioner Cassano played a crucial role in rebuilding the Department in the wake of 9/11 and the loss of 343 members of the Department. In the years that followed, more than 6,800 new firefighters were hired and more than 6,000 others were promoted to various officer ranks as the Department went through a difficult but remarkable resurgence. Under his leadership, the FDNY became better equipped, trained and prepared than ever before in its history, and achieved unprecedented success with the fewest civilian fire fatalities ever and the fastest response times on record.
Commissioner Cassano's career with the FDNY began with his appointment as a firefighter on Nov. 29, 1969. He steadily rose through the ranks with promotions to Lieutenant (August 1977), Captain (April 1984), Battalion Chief (August 1987), Deputy Chief (June 1993), Deputy Assistant Chief (November 1999) and Assistant Chief (April 2001). During his career, he was cited for bravery five times.
Prior to joining the FDNY, Commissioner Cassano served in the U.S. Army from October 1965 through July 1967 and was deployed to Vietnam in September 1966.
While a firefighter, he attended John Jay College of Criminal Justice and received a bachelor's degree in fire science. Commissioner Cassano also received honorary doctor of laws degree from St. John's University in May 2013.
In September 2009, Commissioner Cassano was awarded France's highest decoration, the Legion d'honneur by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and in 2011, he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
Commissioner Cassano grew up in Brooklyn and is a lifelong resident of New York City. He and his wife, Theresa, reside in Staten Island. They have five children and nine grandchildren.
Kara Kalkbrenner
A native Phoenician, Fire Chief Kara Kalkbrenner joined the Phoenix Fire Department in 1985. During her 37 plus years of service, she held the ranks of Fire Engineer, Fire Captain, Division Chief, Deputy Chief and Executive Assistant Chief of Administration.
Chief Kalkbrenner was one of only six female Fire Chiefs of large metropolitan fire departments in the country. Her philosophy is that public administrators are community stakeholders and play an integral role in shaping the community where they work and live. Chief Kalkbrenner led 2,300 members and oversaw an operating budget of more than $550 million dollars, carefully stewarding taxpayer dollars and city resources while serving as Phoenix Fire Department’s Fire Chief.
Chief Kalkbrenner served in every operational capacity within the Department’s six divisions, including Operations (Fire and Emergency Medical Services response), Fire Prevention, Human Resources, Physical Resources, Information Technology, and Training. That experience provided her with the insight and understanding of all aspects of the Phoenix Fire Department.
Chief Kalkbrenner’s Labor/Management Teams had an ongoing commitment to present-day Strategic Plans that addressed the current and future needs of the community and Phoenix Fire Department. The Strategic Plans were the guiding force for continued innovation and customer service to the citizens of Phoenix. The plans include the 26 jurisdictions the Phoenix Fire Automatic Aid System responds into. The plans keep the PFD and the Automatic Aid Consortium relevant and continue to move the organizations forward. These plans include six key initiatives:
- Comprehensive Training and Development
- Technology and Communications
- Assess and Prioritize Fire Department Programs and Needs
- Management of Human Resources
- Analysis and Management of Data
- Emergency Service Delivery and Deployment Model
Chief Kalkbrenner holds an Associate Degree in Fire Science from Phoenix College, a Bachelor’s Degree in Fire Service Management from Ottawa University and is a graduate from the Naval Postgraduate School. She has served as an adjunct instructor for the Fire Services program at Maricopa County Community Colleges.
Dr. Kathleen L. Kiernan, Ed.D
Dr. Kathleen L. Kiernan is a distinguished leader with over three decades of expertise in national security and emergency management, currently serving as President and Chair of the Board of NEC National Security Systems. She specializes in strategic development and execution of advanced technologies like biometrics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning for defense and homeland security. Recognized for her strategic acumen in critical incident management and risk assessment, Dr. Kiernan has significantly influenced national policies and security training programs. Additionally, she is an educator and innovator, developing trademarked analytical processes and educational programs that address complex security threats. Some of her current and former positions include being faculty at the Naval Postgraduate School and Johns Hopkins University, Co-Chair of the Homeland Security Intelligence Committee, and Assistant Director at the ATF.
- Dr. Kathleen Kiernan, Ed.D is the Founder and CEO of Kiernan Group Holdings, a security & risk management firm.
- Kiernan founded PWPORG.ORG (Preparedness Without Paranoia), which focuses on teaching parents how to keep children safe.
- Dr. Kiernan currently serves as President of NEC National Security Systems, Chair Emeritus of InfraGard National Members Alliance, and adjunct faculty member at the Naval Postgraduate School.
- Dr. Kiernan also serves on the Board of Advisors for the San Diego Harbor Police Foundation, and is a Member of the Advisory Board for the Center for Advanced Red Teaming (CART) at the University at Albany, SUNY.
- Dr. Kiernan previously served on the Boards of the Police Foundation’s Center for Mass Violence Response Studies and the InfraGard National Members Alliance.
- Dr. Kiernan previously served as an Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University, Co-Chair of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance’s Homeland Security Intelligence Committee, Council Vice President of ASIS International, and as a Member of GWU’s Homeland Security Policy Institute.
- Kiernan serves as a member of the Board of Regents and as a Senior Fellow of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies.
Sandy Jo MacArthur
- First Responder Training and Education Consultant
- Former Assistant Chief, Office of Administrative Services, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)
Former Captain, Civil Rights Integrity Division, LAPD
Sandy Jo MacArthur has a career in policing spanning over 40 years with the LAPD, 35 of which were fulltime and five as a reserve officer. She attained the rank of Assistant Chief before her retirement in 2015 and continues to work with the Training and Education Division.
Her experience includes: field operations, budget, technology, 911 center, personnel hiring and promotions, police training, and employee wellness. Her expertise includes: handling cases involving people with mental illness; crisis intervention tactics; use of force training, skill development and adjudication; human relations and resources; diversity and discrimination; conflict management; curriculum design; and training delivery.
Ms. MacArthur currently works with the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office as the Mental Health Training Coordinator, teaching law enforcement officers from throughout the county de-escalation skills when handling calls for service involving persons with mental illness.
She is an adjunct professor at the Pepperdine University School of Law teaching mediation and the psychology of conflict. She also consults with law enforcement agencies across the nation. She also works with the University of Chicago Crime Lab assisting with several projects pertaining to the Chicago Police Department, including employee wellness, early intervention programs and various training for in-service personnel.
Ms. MacArthur received a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Arizona State University in 1980, a master's degree in behavioral science, specializing in negotiations and conflict management, from California State University, Dominquez Hills in 1997, and is currently pursuing her doctorate in psychology.
Edward P. Plaugher
- Member, Charity Rebuilding NOMADS
- Former Fire Chief, Arlington County, VA
- Former Deputy Fire Chief, Fairfax County, VA
Former Assistant Executive Director, International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)
In January 2013, Chief Ed Plaugher retired as the Assistant Executive Director of the IAFC and its Director of National Programs and Consulting Services, a position he held with the IAFC since 2006.
Chief Plaugher began his career in the fire service as a volunteer firefighter while in high school. After serving 24 years with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and retiring as a Deputy Fire Chief, he was appointed to the position of Fire Chief of the Arlington County Fire Department, Arlington, VA. He held this position until his retirement in June 2004. At the annual meeting of the IAFC in August 2004, he was named Career Fire Chief of the Year by the IAFC and Fire Chief magazine. Chief Plaugher's career spans more than 40 years as a fire service professional.
In addition, Chief Plaugher is the former President of the State Fire Chiefs Association of Virginia. He is a life member of the IAFC and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and is currently the Chair for NFPA 950 and 951 the Standard and Guide of Data Exchange for the Fire Service, both documents published by the NFPA. As a member of both associations, he served on the National Fire Code and Terrorism Committees. Chief Plaugher was a member of the Emergency Response Senior Advisory Committee (ERSAC) of the Homeland Security Council (HSC) of the Department of Homeland Security, and served as a special advisor to the Defense Science Board for the Department of Defense. He holds a bachelor's degree in fire administration and technology from George Mason University and completed the Executive Fire Officers (EFO) course at the National Fire Academy. Chief Plaugher taught for over 20 years at the Northern Virginia Community College, Fire Science Program. Since 1979, he has been an adjunct faculty member and course developer for the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, MD. He has contributed sections to the Industrial Fire Hazards Handbook and the Fire Protection Handbook, both published by the NFPA.
Chief Plaugher, as Chair of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG), Fire Chiefs Terrorism Committee, directed the regional terrorism preparedness efforts for the National Capital Region and was the Executive Agent for the nation's first Metropolitan Medical Strike Team. On Sept. 11th, 2001, as Chief of the Fire Department, Chief Plaugher led Arlington County’s response efforts to the terrorist attack at the Pentagon. Arlington’s Fire Department coordinated and led the local, regional, state and federal response to the incident. For both the preparedness and response efforts, Chief Plaugher was awarded the Secretary of the Army Public Service Award and the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service in June 2004.
Charles H. Ramsey
- Public Safety Advisor, U.S. Conference of Mayors
- Former Commissioner, Philadelphia Police Department
- Former Chief, Metropolitan (Washington, DC) Police Department
Charles H. Ramsey was appointed Police Commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department on Jan. 7, 2008, by Mayor Michael A. Nutter. He retired in January 2016 after serving eight years as Commissioner and leading the fourth-largest police department in the nation with over 6,600 sworn and 830 civilian members. Commissioner Ramsey brings over 50 years of knowledge, experience and service in advancing the law enforcement profession in three major city police departments, beginning with Chicago, then Washington, DC, and Philadelphia. Commissioner Ramsey was the longest-serving chief of the Metropolitan Police Department since DC Home Rule and the second-longest-serving chief in department history.
Commissioner Ramsey has been at the forefront of developing innovative policing strategies and leading organizational change for the past 25 years. He is an internationally recognized practitioner and educator in his field, and is the Immediate Past President of both the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) and the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA). He is the only law enforcement professional to have served as president of both prominent organizations at the same time and is the only police professional to receive the Leadership Award from three major law enforcement organizations: the FBI National Executive Institute, the PERF and the MCCA.
In December 2014, following several high-profile incidents involving police use of force, President Barack Obama chose Commissioner Ramsey to serve as Co-Chair of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing. In recognition for his contributions to the field of policing and public safety, he has been awarded honorary doctorate degrees from four universities and served as a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation at Drexel University. In January 2017, Commissioner Ramsey became a Law Enforcement Analyst for CNN. He was also appointed by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf to serve as Chairman of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, and Chairman of the Pennsylvania School Safety Committee. In August 2019, Governor Wolf appointed him to serve as his Senior Advisor for Gun Violence Prevention. He is currently Principal Deputy Monitor overseeing federal consent decrees in Baltimore and Cleveland, and is a Founding Partner in the consulting firm 21st Century Policing Solutions, LLC.
In 1999, Commissioner Ramsey partnered with the Anti-Defamation League and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in developing an innovative and experiential training program called "Law Enforcement and Society: Lessons from the Holocaust." As President of the MCCA, he co-founded the Police Executive Leadership Institute, a program specifically designed to develop the next generation of police leaders. In 2015, Commissioner Ramsey partnered with the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia developing an innovative training for police called “Policing in a More Perfect Union.”
In July 2009, Commissioner Ramsey was appointed as a member of the Cambridge Review Committee, an independent national committee to help identify lessons learned from the arrest of Harvard Professor, Henry Louis Gates Jr. In 2010, he oversaw the Kensington Strangler investigation, which resulted in the arrest and conviction of Antonio Rodriguez for the murders of three prostitutes in Philadelphia’s Kensington District. Commissioner Ramsey was asked in Fall 2011, by Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, to serve on the new Executive Session on Policing and Public Safety, an exclusive group of renowned scholars and practitioners that met over a three-year period to set the public policy agenda for the policing profession for the next two decades. He was a member of the Executive Committee for the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), served on the National Homeland Security Advisory Council and is also an advisor to the FBI’s National Executive Institute. He has served as the Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee for both the IACP and the MCCA. He currently serves as an advisor to the U.S. Conference of Mayors. In November 2016, he was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the National Infrastructure Advisory Council.
Commissioner Ramsey holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in criminal justice from Lewis University in Romeoville, IL. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the National Executive Institute. He completed the Executive Leadership Program at the Naval Postgraduate School, Center for Homeland Defense and Security in February 2008.
Commissioner Ramsey has lectured nationally on community policing as an Adjunct Faculty member of both the Northwestern University and Lewis University Traffic Institute's School of Police Staff and Command. He is an expert in the area of policing and homeland security. He is currently a Distinguished Visiting Fellow of the Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation at Drexel University and serves as an advisor to several police departments including Baltimore; Chicago; Cleveland; Grand Rapids, MI; Los Angeles; Sacramento, CA; University of Cincinnati; Miami Gardens, FL; and Wilmington, DE. He also has worked with the Police Executive Research Forum and police departments in the United Kingdom, Israel, Jordan and with the Palestinian Police on the West Bank.
In December 2015, the city of Philadelphia named the Philadelphia Police Department Training Academy Auditorium the Charles H. Ramsey Training and Education Auditorium. In 2015, the U.S. Congress honored him by approving a U.S. postage stamp bearing his likeness. In October 2018, he delivered the keynote address at the grand opening of the National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington, DC.
Ellis M. Stanley Sr.
- Managing Partner, Ellis Stanley Partners
- Chair, Global Board of Directors, International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM)
- Former Director, Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Management Agency
- Former General Manager, Emergency Preparedness Department, City of Los Angeles
Ellis M. Stanley Sr. is the Managing Partner of Ellis Stanley Partners and has over 40 years of practitioner experience in emergency management, homeland security and major event planning. He has an international reputation, currently serving as Chair of the Global Board of Directors for the IAEM. He was part of a multi-disciplinary team that researched Haiti and Chile following major earthquakes. He conducted senior crisis management seminars for Argentina, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Paraguay, Jordan, Turkey and Taiwan.
He began his career as Director of Emergency Management for Brunswick County, NC, in 1975. As First Fire Marshal and then Fire and Rescue Commissioner, he developed one of the first nuclear facility plans in the wake of the Three Mile Island disaster. He went on to serve as the Director of the Durham-Durham County Emergency Management Agency in North Carolina, Director of the Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Management Agency in Atlanta, the General Manager of the Emergency Preparedness Department for the city of Los Angeles, and the Vice President of Emergency Management and Disaster Mitigation for Dewberry, LLC. He has contributed to nuclear facility plans, hazardous materials planning, emergency management research and major event planning.
Mr. Stanley served as Director of the Democratic National Planning Committee for the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver. As a trainer, he has served as the discipline expert for many major events, including the 1984 and 1996 Summer Olympics. As Atlanta’s Emergency Manager for the 1996 Centennial Games, he was responsible for training as well as managing the Emergency Operations Center for the public health aspects of the games, which included developing and rolling out the first operational Metropolitan Medical Strike Team (MMST) in the country for the games. Other major events included the Papal and World Youth Conference in Denver in 1994, the 1995 Special Olympics in the city of New Haven, CT; the 1988 Republican National Convention in New Orleans; the 1988 Democratic National Convention in Atlanta, and the 1996 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. As the nine host cities of the 1994 World Cup planned for their matches, Mr. Stanley was called to provide Integrated Emergency Management System (IEMS) and Emergency Operations Center training. He has also provided training as cities prepared for events like Super Bowls, World Series and NBA Championships.
Mr. Stanley has a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an honorary doctor of public service degree from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
Karen P. Tandy
- Member, Homeland Security Advisory Council and Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking
- Chairwoman, Board of Directors, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
- Former Administrator, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
- Former U.S. Associate Deputy Attorney General
- Former Chairwoman, Board of Directors, National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund
Karen P. Tandy has more than 40 years of leadership experience in the public and private sectors with executive board experience serving on for-profit and nonprofit boards. She heads a government affairs consulting firm in the Washington, DC, area.
Ms. Tandy was appointed by President George, W. Bush and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the first female to head the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), where she managed a $2.4 billion budget and approximately 11,000 employees in 86 global offices from 2003 to 2007. During her tenure, the DEA dismantled 80% more significant drug-trafficking organizations, contributing to a 23% reduction in teen drug use, and the lowest level of workplace drug use in almost 20 years.
Prior to the DEA, Ms. Tandy led the nationwide Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces, comprised of thousands of federal and state law enforcement agents and prosecutors across the U.S. After 12 years as a federal prosecutor, she was named U.S. Associate Deputy Attorney General during the Clinton and Bush administrations, with responsibility for developing national policy and strategies involving drug enforcement and counter money laundering.
In the private sector, Ms. Tandy was the Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for Motorola Solutions, where she was Motorola’s top public-policy spokesperson on issues related to global telecom policy.
Ms. Tandy was appointed by the U.S. Congress to the Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking in 2020. She is Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, previously leading its law enforcement operations committee. She also is a member of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Advisory Council (DHS HSAC), appointed under the Obama and Trump administrations. Previously, Ms. Tandy chaired the Board of Directors of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (2019 to 2020) and chaired several law enforcement-related Homeland Security Advisory Council Panels, including Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Integrity and Use of Force (2015 to 2016): Immigration and Customs Enforcement Use of Privatized Detention Facilities (2016); and CBP Families and Children Care at the Southwest Border (2018 to 2019).
Ms. Tandy is a lawyer admitted to the state bars of Texas and Virginia, and is the Founder and Principal of KPT Consulting, LLC. She resides in northern Virginia.