TCC Speakers

2023 TCOLE Conference - Speaker Bios

Cullen Grissom is the Deputy Chief of Credentialing, Field Services, and Education Services for the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.   Cullen has 37 years of experience within the law enforcement profession, including 30 years as a law enforcement trainer.  He has developed, designed, and implemented police/security training programs at the state, national and international level. Cullen holds master’s degrees from University of Houston and Texas A&M University. He has been with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement since 2016.

 

Josh Smith is an independent journalist and media consultant who has trained hundreds of first responders from agencies of all sizes. Josh focuses on communication strategies, crisis management and improving workflows and infrastructure. He has worked in the media industry for 30 years, including time as reporter, producer and News Director. In 2004, he founded his own media company and for the last 15 years, he has helped companies, charities and first responders articulate their message.  A documentary film producer with extensive experience, both in front of the camera and behind it, Josh brings a unique perspective to public relations and media relations training. He has interviewed hundreds of people from all walks of life, including music legends Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen, veterans of every major conflict since World War II (including a Medal of Honor recipient), Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, as well as Panamanian President Martin Torrijos, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, numerous flag officers including several four-star generals, presidents of fortune 500 companies, cabinet members, congressmen, governors and many more.

 

Officer Joel Miller joined the Houston Police Department in March 2019. He spent over six years as a patrol officer and transferred to the In-Service Training Unit at the Training Academy in March of 2017, developing over 60 lesson plans and composing three lesson plans for department wide mandatory courses in communications. Having taught over 300 hours of classroom instruction to officers and cadets, he was recognized as the HPD Instructor of the Year in 2021. In September of that same year, he took over the Certification Testing Office and reorganized the curriculum and testing to be in compliance with the 2019 Basic Peace Officers Course. While testing over 700 cadets, he initiated a test item vetting process, including statistical and content analysis, the establishment of a test review board, and comprehensive classroom reviews. During the past three years, Officer Miller invested over 70 hours in course work on statistics, cognitive ability research, teaching methods, and testing analysis and development, studying materials written and taught by Cognitive Scientist, Professors, and PhD's including Daniel T. Willingham, Stanislas Dehaene, Thomas M. Haladyna, Patti Shank, Patrick N. Allitt, and Richard J. Haier to name a few.As the current primary instructor for Verbal Communication and Public Interactions, Written Communication, Crew Resource Management, and Tactical Interactions courses, Officer Miller continues to receive outstanding reviews from the officers and cadets he teaches.

 

Tom Kimbriel: Military Police US Army, Harlingen Police Department, Patrolman, Crimes Against Persons Detective, Patrolman Sergeant, US Border Patrol, Linewatch, Marine Operations, Helicopter Operations Observer, Ranchland Operations, Developed Evidence Collection Team in the Rio Grande Valley and trained over 200 agents to process crime scenes.  Developed Ranchland 911 system used across entire southern border.  Developed postmortem Identification using chemical processes and Macrophotography.  Served on US Marshal fugitive task force.  Also served as a FBI task force officer for two years. Texas Southmost College Adjunct Instructor 3 yrs Police Academy, In service training, Forensic Macrophotography, 3D Crime Scene Modeling, Consulted for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Delhi India.

 

Sgt. Brian Casanova is an investigator with one of the largest metropolitan police agencies in Texas. He is currently assigned as a Task Force Officer with a Federal Cybercrime Task Force. Detective Casanova has been utilizing social media and open source investigative techniques since 2013. Sgt Casanova has utilized these techniques to advance narcotic, violent crime, human trafficking and missing children cases. He was selected to create a Violent Crimes Task Force for his department where he utilized social media intelligence to advance homicide, robbery, sexual assault and domestic terrorism cases. This led his Violent Crimes Task Force to be selected as unit of the year. He was then selected to be a part of a federal task force where he utilizes social media investigative techniques for cases at both the national and international level. Sgt Casanova currently supervises a plain clothes street crimes unit where he continues to use social media and open source investigative techniques to advance his investigations. He is regularly sought out to assist other investigative details both at the state and federal level. He lectures extensively on social media investigations in both the public and private sector.

 

Alberto Valbuena has over 20 years of public safety experience where he has served his community as a Firefighter, Emergency Medical Technician, and a Public Safety dispatcher. He became interested in public safety during the horrific event on September 11 where he found out that he was unable to help unless he was a first responder, in public safety or in construction. A few years later after taking a Firefighter Instructor class he found his passion for teaching and has continued to improve it since. Alberto has since been teaching multiple subjects to a variety of students.

· Training and re-training public safety dispatchers.

· Fire safety in pre-schools, elementary schools,

middle schools, daycare, and senior care centers.

· Firefighter training and drills.

· BLS CPR to First Responders, and medical providers.

· CPR and first aid to families, employees, and

community leaders.

 

Richard Bryan is an honorably retired Texas and Federal Law Enforcement Officer and Retired Law Enforcement Academy Manager/Director.  He is an active TCOLE certified Advanced Instructor and Federal Certified Police Instructor and has taught peace officers, corrections officers, and communication specialists since 2001.  Richard attended specialized training in recruiting and retention, and service excellence methods and techniques.  He is also a Texas Certified Public Manager, and has a Master's Degree in Law Enforcement Leadership and Management.  Richard planned and coordinated multiple police recruitment job fairs for police cadets and peace officers during his tenure as a Law Enforcement Academy Manager in the San Antonio area.

 

Lee H. Duren is a proud graduate of both Sam Houston State University and Lamar University, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, and a Master’s Degree in Education focusing on Digital Learning and Leadership. Lee is currently a Lieutenant for the Texas Board of Criminal Justice Office of the Inspector General. He is assigned to the Support Services Division of the agency, headquartered in Huntsville, Texas. Lee is the Training Coordinator for the agency, holds a Master Peace Officer Certification, has an Advanced TCOLE Instructor Certification, is a Firearms Instructor, and is a certified Field Training Officer (FTO). Lee graduated from the East Texas Police Academy in October 2002. Since then, he worked for the Walker County Sheriff's Office as a Deputy and a Jailer. Lee also worked for the Anderson County Sheriff's Office where he rose through the ranks to Sergeant Investigator. Since joining the Office of the Inspector General, as an Investigator, Lee was assigned collateral duty as a firearms instructor, patrol rifle instructor, and ALERRT instructor. Since moving to the training department full-time in 2019, Lee has traveled Texas training not only the Inspector General’s Investigators but other law enforcement officers across the state. Lee is a member of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA) and in October 2021 was published in the ILEETA Journal.

Duren, L. H. (2021, October). Is Your Training Enough? ILEETA.org. Retrieved October 21, 2021, from https://www.ileeta.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ILEETA-Journal-Volume-....

 

Antonio Zarzoza, better known by colleagues and students as “Instructor Z”, is an internationally recognized police & corrections trainer, he is a Below 100 Core Instructor, A Certified Force Science Analyst, and a Texas Master Peace Officer with over 20 years of combined law enforcement experience. He is a Certified Microsoft PowerPoint Expert and a Certified Microsoft PowerPoint Educator. He currently serves as the lead instructor & training coordinator for the University of Texas Advanced Law Enforcement Training Center in Edinburg, TX where he trains local, state, and federal law enforcement officers year-round. Zarzoza has been qualified in state & federal court as a Subject Matter Expert in police use of force, defensive tactics, and crisis intervention. Zarzoza is a contract trainer with the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training and has served with the US Department of State as an expert police trainer providing specialized training for law enforcement officials in Mexico, and other countries in Latin America. He is a published writer and an entrepreneur operating his own training firm as Instructor Z & Associates International, LLC.

 

Tanida Mullen has a proven track record of excellence and has been a trainer in the hospitality and restaurant industry for over 20 years. With a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in Business Administration from Texas A&M University-Central Texas, she has been able to tune into what customers want and create result-producing training programs to ensure that it benefits her client's bottom line. Tanida has been selected to facilitate customer service programs for several divisions within her company and has created and led leadership and sales classes to promote employee development. Her success in working with teams has been the result of her creativity and thirst for knowledge. Tanida is a member of MPI Texas Hill Country Chapter and has served on the board for MPI THCC in communication & membership positions. Tanida has served as chair for the Global MPI Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Committee. Curator at The Savvy Young Professional, Tanida has built a platform for young professionals to garner career advice with a passion for helping teams build camaraderie and focus on creating the best experience for their target customer, Tanida focuses on using custom strategies for the unique needs of her clients.

 

Stephen James, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine at Washington State University and core faculty in the Sleep and Performance Research Center. His research focus includes the interaction between physical stressors [such as sleep-related fatigue], law, policy, training, and practice and its effect on operational performance for military and law enforcement personnel. Dr. James strives to better understand the dynamics of performance in a wide variety of military and policing tasks, including driving, citizen encounters, crisis intervention, and deadly force encounters. Prior to becoming an academic, Dr. James spent more than 20 years in the British infantry as a soldier and officer, serving in Cyprus, the Former Yugoslavia, Northern Ireland, and Afghanistan.

 

Bret Batchelor: I serve as the is the 9-1-1 Training Coordinator for the North Central Texas Emergency Communications District.  I have 13 years of service in Public Safety. I started her career as a 9-1-1 Telecommunicator and joined the North Central Texas Council of Government’s Regional 9-1-1 Program in 2019. I am certified TCOLE Instructor, and Master Licensed Telecommunicator. This topic covered in this presentation is the overview and steps for creation of a Regional CISM Program. I serve as an Administrator for the NCT9-1-1 Regional CISM Taskforce Coordinator.

 

Dr. Marshall Jones leverages his combined experiences as a law enforcement practitioner, consultant, executive coach, trainer, educator, and applied researcher to explore problems impacting organizations. A practitioner at heart, Dr. Jones considers himself an “accidental academic,” who has earned much of his graduate education in criminal justice and industrial-organizational psychology while working full-time in law enforcement. He also holds a doctorate in business administration with a focus on organizational behavior. Marshall has trained and presented on a variety of policing topics at state and regional police chief and sheriff associations, IACP, FBI NA, FBI, National Advocacy Center, Association of Threat Assessment Professionals, and numerous law enforcement professional organizations and agencies. Marshall is currently researching leadership challenges, including police recruiting and retention, generational differences, and leadership development systems.  Dr. Jones has recently co-authored the book Law Enforcement Leadership, Management and Supervision with John Blackledge published by Blue360 Media.

 

Anthony Bandiero is a police officer turned attorney. As a police officer he realized the need for additional training to better understand search and seizure law as it pertains to the Fourth and Fifth Amendments. After earning his law degree, Anthony has dedicated his life to passing along his knowledge and experience.

 

Brian Martin: https://gcscomm.com/about-us/

 

Dr. Michael Goold, Rancho Cordova PD (ret.), Principal.  Dr. Goold is the principal of SiTNA Solutions; a leadership development firm specializing in public safety teams. He is certified in the PSEQ, EQi 2.0, MBTI, 6 Working Genius, VIA, Certified Executive Coach, Level 2 administrator of the Team Diagnostic Survey, facilitator of the 5 Dysfunctions of a Team, and certified Systemic Team Coach. Dr. Goold is also an adjunct faculty member for Umass Global Ed.D. leadership program. Chief Goold recently retired as the Chief of Police for the City of Rancho Cordova. His previous assignments included the Asst. Commander of Investigations (Homicide, Robbery, Child Abuse, Elder Abuse, Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Human Trafficking), CSI Bureau Commander, Communications Commander (9-1-1), Patrol Sergeant, Internal Affairs, and some other really cool assignments. Dr. Goold has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from CSU Sacramento, a Master’s Degree in Organizational Development from the University of San Francisco, and a Doctorate of Education from the University of La Verne.  His doctoral dissertation examined traumatic stress in 9-1-1 personnel. Chief Goold has been married for over 31 years and has four children. When not volunteering, he enjoys trying to stay fit and has run 10 marathons and several triathlons.

 

Josh Crosby has over 20 years in law enforcement experience including patrol, FTO, narcotics, sex crimes and training.  Josh has spent 2 years overseas as both a contractor to the US Department of State for law enforcement training and a law enforcement instruction advisor for the TEEX PSS division in Abu Dhabi. Over the past 20 years, Josh has become proficient as a firearms instructor, field training officer and Advanced law enforcement instructor.  Josh has served as an instructor at ILEETA, IALEFI, and multiple local LE agencies across the country for multiple disciplines.

 

Katharine Manning is the author of The Empathetic Workplace: Five Steps to a Compassionate, Calm, and Confident Response to Trauma on the Job (HarperCollins Leadership 2021) and the President of Blackbird DC. She has worked on issues of trauma and victimization for more than 25 years. As a Senior Attorney Advisor with the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, for fifteen years Manning guided the Justice Department through its response to victims in cases ranging from terrorism to large-scale financial fraud to child exploitation. Some of the cases she advised on include the Boston Marathon bombing, the Pulse nightclub and South Carolina AME church shootings, the uprising in Charlottesville, the Madoff investment fraud, and the federal case against Larry Nassar, doctor for the U.S. Women’s Olympic Gymnastics team. Manning now uses her expertise to help organizations prepare for and respond to the challenges they face involving employees and clients who may be in trauma. Her work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Thrive Global, and CEOWorld. Prior to her government service, Manning served as an attorney with the law firm Pillsbury Winthrop in San Francisco, where she represented Fortune 500 companies in class actions, insurance, and media cases. She is a graduate of Smith College and the University of Virginia School of Law and teaches at American University and in the Master’s in Trauma-Informed Leadership Program at Dominican University.

 

Sofia Brabham is currently a Training Coordinator at the Tarrant County 9-1-1 District. She has about 9 years of Public Safety Experience as a trainer and telecommunicator. Sofia is passionate about training 9-1-1 telecommunicators on a variety of topics from mental health to domestic violence awareness. At Tarrant County 9-1-1 she focuses on curriculum development and instruction.  Sofia currently holds a BS and MS in Criminal Justice from the University of North Texas.

 

Trevor Anderson is Communication Access Oversight Specialist at the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHS) with Texas Health and Human Services. Before DHHS, Trevor taught high school social studies to Deaf and Hard of Hearing students for six years. As a Deaf Texan, Trevor believes in advocating for best practices in providing accessibility and sharing knowledge of the Deaf culture and communication strategies. Outside of work, you will find Trevor enjoying state parks and/or staying current with news.

 

Kerry Mensior, a 30-year law enforcement veteran,  is the consummate First Responder.  He spent 9 years in the US Navy Submarine Service, is a former Firefighter, current EMT and retired as a Police Sergeant from the San Diego Police Department.  A POST Master Instructor, IADLEST Nationally Certified Instructor (NCI), international speaker, college professor and best-selling author, Kerry is well recognized for his expertise in Brain-centric Instructional Design, neuroscience research, as well as communication and leadership skills. Kerry teaches you skills that are easy to understand, easy to remember and even easier to implement! 

 

Jim Markham is the Director, Crash Data & Analysis for the Texas Department of Transportation Traffic Safety Division. As the CDA Director, he is the custodian for crash records for the State of Texas and is responsible for the Crash Records Information System and its components, including providing crash data analysis for TxDOT, other state agencies, the Texas Legislature, and the public, to include media.  A retired U.S. Army officer, he served for over 20 years in the U.S. Army and Air Force as a Military Intelligence officer and Operations Research Systems Analyst.  He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Kentucky and a Master of Science in Operations Research from the Air Force Institute of Technology.  He has served as a Wargame Analyst, Personnel Analyst, Foreign Military Trainer, Operations Officer, Warrior Transition Unit Commander, Doctrine Editor, Division Assessments Officer, Training with Industry Fellow, and a Director of Medical Analytics. He has been assigned all over the continental U.S. and Hawaii and has deployed to Iraq and Poland in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Atlantic Resolve, respectively.  After retiring from the Army, Jim served as an Army Civilian Operations Research Analyst with Operational Test Command at West Fort Hood, TX before coming onboard with TxDOT in September of 2022.

 

Dustin Schellenger joined the CPI Team on January 14^th 2022 as the State Director for the Texas Law Enforcement Peer Network.  Dustin has valuable experience working with both the military and Law enforcement in a variety of positions.  Prior to joining CPI Dustin was project manager for Dallas Police Department and a retired Gunnery Sergeant in the US Marines.  He is passionate about supporting law enforcement and preventing police suicide.  Dustin Served for 20 years as a Military Policeman in the US Marines and has experience in crisis management, Special Reaction Team (SRT) tactics and management, and law enforcement management.  He has worked on high risk warrants, hostage situations, drug raids, and lovingly as a regular patrolman.  Dustin has served in Iraq as well as 13 other countries and is very familiar with PTSD and what families go through both in law enforcement and military service.

 

John “JW” Wilkerson entered public service at the age of 17, enlisting in the United States Army. JW completed his commitment to his country, with distinguished service, and returned to Texas to pursue his dream of becoming a law enforcement officer. Since becoming a Texas Peace Officer, JW has worked in both the municipal and county law enforcement levels. JW’s work assignment history includes patrol level operations, narcotics, K9 Handler, Investigator, Investigations Supervisor and Patrol Supervisor. JW began formally instructing law enforcement in Texas in 2009. Since then, he has instructed countless officers throughout the State in areas of underage impaired driving prevention & enforcement, Standardized Field Sobriety Testing, Sexual Assault/ Family Violence Investigator course, Advanced Child Abuse Courses, Legislative Update(s), Firearms Instructor Courses, Basic TCOLE Instructor Courses, academy and In-Service Firearms and Force on Force/ Active Shooter training courses. JW works for the Texas Municipal Police Association as a Legislative Liaison, where he works at the State Capitol, educating policy makers on matters affecting law enforcement. He holds an associate degree in criminal justice, a Texas Master Peace Officer License and is commissioned with the Bell County Sheriff’s Office. Additionally, JW continues to routinely instruct firearms at the Central Texas College Basic Peace Officer Academy and is currently serving his second term as the elected Mayor of the City of Kempner. JW resides in Lampasas County with his wife, Sarah. Together, they have five children, 20, 19, 18, 16 and 11.