Meet the LEADS Scholarship Recipients

Tim Donohoe retired from the Reno Police Department after serving for 25 years. While with the department, he implemented an evidence-based approach to a multi-phased gun violence reduction strategy; a strategy which combined community outreach, focused deterrence, and problem-oriented policing approaches. Tim has worked on international police reform projects with the U.S. Department of Justice, International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program, serving as the Mission Advisor in the Republic of Armenia and as a Senior Law Enforcement Advisor in Ukraine.

Tim currently works as a Senior Consultant with a Government Consulting Firm and is an Adjunct Instructor at the University of Nevada, Reno in the Department of Criminal Justice. Tim has a master’s degree and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice and is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps.

Deputy Chief Ortiz has served the Glen Cove, New York community for the past 19 years, beginning as a patrol officer and rising through the ranks to Deputy Chief. Currently, he oversees multiple aspects of department operations, including grant procurement, patrol operations, investigations, professional standards, training, data analysis and policy. Chris earned a bachelor's degree in criminology from John Jay College, a master's degree in criminal justice administration from Long Island University, and a doctorate in criminal justice policy analysis from the City University of New York Graduate Center/John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Deputy Chief Ortiz has served as a research investigator on several NIJ projects and has published numerous scholarly articles on police practices. He has also served as a subject matter expert and provided technical assistance to several police agencies on a variety of policing subjects. Deputy Chief Ortiz is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and PERF's Senior Management Institute in Policing.

Lieutenant Glendaly Garcia is a Hartford native who has proudly served with the Hartford Police Department for 19 years. She currently commands the Investigative Services Bureau's Crime Scene Division, which consists of the Crime Scene Unit, Fatality Accident Reconstruction Team, and Identification Unit. Previously, she was commander of the Major Crimes Division. Throughout her career, she has served in various capacities, serving as Chief of Staff and Public Information Officer, and supervising the Background Investigation Unit, Pistol Permit Unit, Domestic Violence Unit, Quality of Life Unit, Auxiliary Services Division, and Patrol. She has a master's in public policy law and government from Trinity College and a Bachelor of Science in health care (emphasis in respiratory care) from the University of Hartford. She is a graduate of the Senior Management Institute of Police (SMIP) Session 60, the Southern Police Institute's 137th Administrative Officers Course, and the City of Hartford Middle Management Institute. Lieutenant Garcia is committed to fostering an environment where scientific and technological creativity can contribute to Hartford becoming a leading place to live and work. With the backlogs of evidence in crime labs crippling investigative efforts to successfully apprehend, prosecute, and convict people accused of committing offenses, she believes forensic science needs to be acknowledged as the pivot of crime prevention and criminal investigations. Having served as a Crime Scene Detective and now leading command of the Crimes Scene Unit, she is committed to developing and implementing innovative solutions that will improve current practices in processing crime scenes.

Captain Jonas Baughman is an 18-year veteran of the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department (KCPD). A native of the Kansas City area, Captain Baughman joined the KCPD after obtaining a B.A. in psychology from Creighton University. He has held assignments in patrol, investigations, administration, and crime/intelligence analysis during his tenure. Captain Baughman quickly found crime analysis to be his professional passion early in his career with more than half of his career having been in positions related to crime or intelligence analysis. He created and supervised the KCPD's first Real-time Crime Center team, directed a squad of detectives tasked with gang intelligence, and worked in the Office of the Chief of Police providing strategic analysis and other metrics for executive staff.  Captain Baughman is currently assigned to the Fiscal Division within the Executive Services Bureau.

Captain Baughman's primary interests include spatial analysis and predictive policing, as well as data mining and data visualization. He is also interested in building upon his background in psychology through exploration of wellness programs for America's law enforcement officers and their families. Captain Baughman feels there is much to be learned by working with international police departments, allowing law enforcement agencies to leverage best practices from across the globe. He looks forward to networking with and learning from others within the LEADS program, and hopes this will ultimately make communities across America, including Kansas City, safer places to call home.

Sgt. Jeffery Egge currently serves as supervisor of Strategic Analysis for the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) and specializes in the study of homicide, gang crime, hot spots, and research translation. With MPD, Sgt. Egge has worked in CompStat, Organized Crime, Homicide, and Patrol. Sgt. Egge holds a master's degree in police leadership, administration, and training from the University of St. Thomas, and a bachelor's degree in organizational management from Concordia University. He was a Senior Research Fellow at the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) and has contributed to publications on crime analysis, research and planning, and predictive policing. Jeff has presented at national symposia for the Center for Evidence Based Crime Policy, Police Executive Research Forum, and the International Association of Crime Analysts. Prior to joining the MPD, he was an Investigations and Training Specialist and Loss Prevention Manager for Dayton Hudson (now Target Corp).

Dr. Obed Magny, CEO of Magny Leadership and former Sacramento Police Department officer with nearly two decades of experience. Throughout his career, Dr. Magny has worked in a variety of units, including Patrol, School Resource Officer, Professional Standards Unit, and Crime Suppression Unit. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology, a Master’s Degree in Emergency Services Administration, and a Doctorate Degree in Organizational Leadership. His areas of expertise include motivation, job satisfaction, organizational leadership, and social/emotional intelligence. In addition to his role as a consultant, Dr. Magny is also a Policing Fellow at the National Policing Institute and a founding member of the American Society of Evidence-Based Policing. He is a strong advocate for utilizing scientific research in the field of policing.

Sergeant Johnson has served the Town of Darien (CT) for the last sixteen years. During his time as a detective sergeant, he leveraged research to increase his agency's investigative capacity by cross-training a subset of patrol officers to function as detectives. In his current role as a night shift supervisor, he lead a multi-site randomized controlled trial to test the relationship between enhanced patrol vehicle lighting and crime. Sgt. Johnson holds a bachelor's degree in sociology from Geneva College, a master's degree in justice administration from Western Connecticut State University, a master's degree in criminal justice from John Jay College, and a doctorate in criminal justice from the City University of New York Graduate Center. His dissertation research focused on the role of relational networks in diffusing law enforcement innovations.

Major Stiver was an invited presenter at an NIJ-sponsored event.

Major Stiver is the commander of the Central Patrol Division at the Dayton (OH) Police Department. She has also served as the commander of the Central Investigations Bureau and in both East and West Patrol Divisions. She holds a master's degree in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati. She is also a graduate of the Police Executive Leadership College and Certified Law Enforcement Executive course. Major Stiver is an adjunct professor at Wright State University and teaches graduate courses in criminological theory. In addition to a current research project on police intervention in infant mortality cases, Major Stiver led a foot patrol evaluation with the University of Cincinnati, quantitative analysis on patrol officer exposure to secondary trauma and is working on a volunteer hot spot patrol project, photo enforcement compliance and a sentinel event crash reduction multi-disciplinary team review.

The University of Illinois Police Department is a fully sworn department that serves a community of over 45,000 students and 6,000 faculty and staff members. Lieutenant Fiesta currently serves as the administrative bureau commander, overseeing the crime prevention, training, telecommunications, and records units. The University is a rich environment for research and educational opportunities; Fiesta connects researchers from various disciplines to the department. The results of the research help the department develop evidenced-based training and practices. Lieutenant Fiesta holds a bachelor's degree in rhetoric with a minor in Russian from the University of Illinois and a master's degree in organizational leadership from Gonzaga University.

Rachel Tolber was appointed Chief of Police of the Redlands Police Department on June 12, 2023. The Redlands Police Department is a full-service, municipal police agency that prides itself on its strong partnership with the community and high levels of public safety services.

Chief Tolber began her law enforcement journey in 1997 when she was hired by the Redlands Police Department as an undergraduate student intern performing as a research assistant. In 1998, she became a police officer, and since then has served the department in a variety of positions and operational, tactical, investigative, and training assignments. Chief Tolber possesses a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology from the University of Redlands, and she holds a master’s degree in criminology, law and society from the University of California, Irvine. She also earned a master’s degree in applied criminology from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. In 2021, she completed the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training Command College. Chief Tolber is a founding member and current Treasurer of the American Society of Evidence-Based Policing and was recently selected to serve on the IACP’s Research Advisory Committee.

Greg Stewart is a sergeant with the Portland, Oregon, Police Bureau (PPB). His 20 years of service include being a patrol officer, patrol sergeant, and investigative sergeant. He supervised the Bureau's Domestic Violence Reduction Unit and implemented an automated actuarial risk assessment system for people accused of (or convicted for) domestic violence offenses. He is currently the sergeant of the PPB's Crime Analysis Unit. His assignments include developing patrol strategies aimed at reducing crime while improving the relationship between police and community members and supervising PPB non-sworn crime analysts. In this capacity, he assists the PPB in operationalizing existing police-related research as well as conducting research on emerging issues.

Chief Clary was named Police Chief of the city of Bellevue, Nebraska, in August 2020. 

Prior to his current position, Ken Clary served as an Area Commander for the Iowa State Patrol (ISP), which included the oversight of four patrol districts including approximately one quarter of the State of Iowa. During his time as a Commander, Captain Clary held a variety of positions including CALEA Accreditation Coordinator for the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Assistant Field Operations for the ISP. In these positions, he utilized research and worked with numerous law enforcement agencies to determine best practices in hiring and promotional processes, as well as resource allocation. He worked directly with the Iowa Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau (GTSB) to implement statewide police training and public education programs to combat drowsy driving. Subsequently, in June, Iowa GTSB and DPS hosted the first of its kind National Drowsy Driving Summit with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Captain Roman currently commands the Criminal Investigations Bureau (CIB). CIB consists of the following units: Homicide, Major Crimes, Robbery, Special Victims, Youth Aid, Auto Squad, Crime Scene, Ballistics, Criminal Intelligence Unit, Real Time Crime Center, and the Narcotics Unit. Roman earned a master's degree in public administration from Rutgers University.

Newark Police is currently operating under a Federal Consent Decree. Roman is interested in research on police perceptions of legitimacy and procedural justice. Extant literature thoroughly explores citizens' perceptions of legitimacy, but there is a dearth of research regarding officers' perception and factors that influence those perceptions. Understanding both officers' and citizens' perceptions on these topics can have broad applications when implementing recommendations from the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing.

After joining the department in January 1999, Major Stewart spent the early part of his career in patrol and served as a field training officer, firearms instructor, and control and defensive tactics instructor. He spent several years in Recruiting before being promoted to the rank of lieutenant in 2009. He spent four years in Operations before being assigned to the Planning and Research Unit. During this assignment, Daniel surveyed other law enforcement agencies and conducted thorough research on topics that benefited the department, such as vehicle equipment and early intervention systems. Additionally, he helped to develop written directives on critical projects such as body-worn cameras and Naloxone. He was promoted to the rank of Captain in 2015. As Captain, he spent time in Operations as a Shift Commander and in Investigations as the Property Crimes Commander. He spent time as the Public Information Officer for the department until his promotion to Major in June 2021. He oversees the Uniform Support Division which encompasses Airport Police, Air Support, the Bricktown Entertainment District, Emergency Management, the Emergency Response Team, the Fatality Traffic Investigations Unit, Hit and Run, the Homeless Outreach Team, Solo Motors and Special Events.

Sergeant Williams is the supervisor over the DUI Enforcement Unit for the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. During his time with the department, he has served as an officer in patrol, Crash Investigator and Reconstructionist, and patrol supervisor. In his current position, Sergeant Williams is responsible for analyzing crash and arrest data pertaining to driver impairment and develops intervention strategies. He also supervises the investigation of crashes involving life-threatening injuries and fatalities. Sergeant Williams has a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Kentucky and a master's degree in Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University. For his master's thesis, Sergeant Williams researched the use and effectiveness of predictive analytics to inform enforcement strategies aimed at reducing traffic-related deaths and offenses.

Jason Potts leads the City of Las Vegas Department of Public Safety, which provides the public with law enforcement and detention services. This department manages the city jail and includes the deputy city marshals (who provide public safety at city parks and facilities), as well as animal protection services.

Potts started his policing career with the Vallejo Police Department in Northern California, where he moved up the ranks to captain, leading the Operations Bureau, Investigations Bureau, and Emergency Services Unit. Before his career in municipal policing, he worked for U.S. Customs and Border Protection as a border patrol agent.

During his career at the Vallejo Police Department, Potts worked in various capacities, including patrol, crime suppression, investigations, SWAT, field training, internal affairs, the FBI’s Solano County Violent Gang Task Force and the Oakland Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force. He also is a military reserve special agent with the Coast Guard Investigative Service.

Potts earned a master’s degree in Criminology, Law, and Society from the University of California, Irvine. He has a bachelor’s degree in Management from St. Mary’s College in California. He holds a certificate of completion from the Police Executive Research Forum, Senior Management Institute of Police. He is a graduate of the California Peace Officers Standards and Training Command College, Executive Development Course and is a National Institute of Justice Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science Program alumni with the U.S. Department of Justice.

An advocate for evidence-based policing, Potts serves on the Executive Board for the American Society of Evidence-Based Policing, is a member of the Council on Criminal Justice (violent crime working group), and is a National Policing Institute fellow. He has been a strong proponent of officer safety and wellness, data-driven patrol deployments, community engagement, practitioner-led research, innovative practices and technology. In June of 2019, he was recognized nationally at George Mason University (evidence-based policing hall of fame) for his collective efforts in advocating and implementing evidence-based policing — both nationally and in his department.

As a sergeant of Deputy Superintendent Rannie Mushatt's staff, Sergeant Powell's main role is a liaison between the Investigation and Support Bureau and the Public Integrity Bureau. Sergeant Powell's responsibilities include assigning, tracking and monitoring all internal investigations. She assists in the conduct of disciplinary hearings, preparing vital notifications and pertinent paperwork. She also review's staffing requirements, court attendance, policy compliance and training. In addition to those duties, Sergeant Powell conducts quarterly reviews of sex crime cases per the consent decree. Sergeant Potts believes that participating in the LEADS scholar program has been truly an amazing experience. She has gained a new perspective about partnerships related to evidence-based approaches in leadership roles and the need for effective community policing. She was honored to interact with OJP Assistant Attorney General Karol Mason and NIJ Director Dr. Nancy Rodriquez at the IACP Conference, and she looks forward to gaining knowledge and experience in continuing participation in the LEADS scholar program.

A native of Dallas, TX, Tarrick McGuire began a career in public service with the Arlington (TX) Police Department in 2003. During his tenure, he has served in multiple positions before being appointed to Police Chief in 2024. As a nationally recognized public speaker and published author, Chief McGuire has been a leading authority on community police relations, police pattern and practice, evidence-based policing, and public policy. In 2020, he was appointed to the Council on Police Reform and Race by the National Policing Institute and was inducted into the Evidence-Based Policing Hall of Fame in 2022.

In 2016, Chief McGuire served as a law enforcement fellow with the International Association of Chiefs of Police contributing research and technical assistance to U.S. police departments on 21^st Century Policing in Washington, DC. During this period, Chief McGuire worked with the Department of Justice COPS Office and Obama Whitehouse Administration to improve policing practices, policy, and community-police relations nationally.

As a pracademic and change agent in policing, Chief McGuire was recognized by the IACP as one of the top 40 under 40 most progressive police leaders in the world. Although he has received many accolades, he is most proud of the Anthony L Sutin Department of Justice COPS Office Award for his work in community police relations and the Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Governmental Leadership.

Chief McGuire has earned a B.S. in Speech Communications from Oklahoma State University, a M.A. in Christian Leadership from Criswell College, and a Doctor of Public Administration from California Baptist University.

Lieutenant Freidline is currently assigned to the Patrol Division of the Riley County (KS) Police Department. Within this division, Lieutenant Freidline uses data and intelligence to increase the effectiveness of their officers through using hot spot policing to try and deter and prevent crime with our intelligence unit providing a minimum of weekly updates about crime trends. As a LEADS scholar, Lieutenant Freidline has gained a new network of mid-level supervisors to communicate with in reference to solving crime problems and sharing ideas. She is also appreciative of the wealth of knowledge available through NIJ and their website, who are working just as hard to progress law enforcement in a positive direction.

Lieutenant Nelson is currently in charge of the Professional Standards and Internal Affairs Office within the Madison (WI) Police Department, a department of approximately 450 commissioned and 150 civilian employees. Having never been to the IACP Conference previously, Lieutenant Nelson came away from the event very impressed; with the major take away being the importance of using data and research to make departments more efficient. After the conference, Lieutenant Nelson contacted an academic researcher at a college in Wisconsin and explained his plan to implement a domestic violence initiative that targets persons convicted of a crime. Lieutenant Nelson and the researcher plan on beginning research and discussions in January 2016.

Lieutenant Victorian is assigned to the Special Victims Division Ð Child Sexual Abuse Unit within the Houston (TX) Police Department. In this position, Lieutenant Victorian is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of personnel investigating sexual offenses involving child victims and children who have committed serious offenses. Lieutenant Victorian earned a doctor of philosophy degree from Texas Southern University in Administration of Justice. Her research interests include police leadership, police-community relations, and police ethics. As a result of her experience thus far as a 2015 LEADS scholar, Sheryl understands how critical her role is as both a law enforcement officer and scholar in positively affecting policy through research.

Shon F. Barnes was hired as Madison Police Department's Chief of Police by the Police and Fire Commission of Madison, Wisconsin in December of 2020. He was previously the Director of Training and Professional Development for the Civilian Office of Police Accountability in Chicago, Illinois. Chief Barnes was the Deputy Chief of Police in Salisbury, North Carolina (2017-2020) and a Captain with the Greensboro Police Department (NC) where he began his career as a patrol officer in the fall of 2000. Chief Barnes was selected by the National Institute of Justice, as a 2015 LEADS Scholar, for using innovative technology to reduce crime. Chief Barnes is a council member on the National Police Foundation's Council on Policing Reforms and Race.

Chief Barnes attended Elizabeth City State University (Elizabeth City, North Carolina) where he received a B.A. Degree in History/Pre-Law, and the University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, Ohio) where he received a master's degree in Criminal Justice. He has earned a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (Greensboro, North Carolina).​

Lieutenant Edward Pallas has been a police officer with the Montgomery County (MD) Department of Police for 21 years. He is currently the Deputy Director of the Major Crimes Division and is also a member of his department's Emergency Response Team, where he has served as a conflict/hostage negotiator for the last 15 years.

Lieutenant Pallas earned his bachelor of arts in criminal justice from the University of Maryland, College Park, and his master of science in management from Johns Hopkins University. He earned his doctor of education in organizational leadership and innovation at Wilmington University. His dissertation research investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence, leadership style, and effectiveness in police supervisors. Lieutenant Pallas is a certified IACP Master Instructor in both the Leadership in Police Organizations program and the Iraqi Police Education Program.

He is also a certified practitioner in the Myers Briggs Personality Type Indicator and the Emotional Intelligence Inventory. As a LEADs scholar he has networked with and explored the research of other police professionals from across the country. He believes the LEADS scholarship program will continue to bridge the gap between practical application and academic research required of 21st century law enforcement leaders.

Captain Charlie Thorpe is a 25-year veteran of the Sarasota County (FL) Sheriff's Office. His current assignment is bureau commander of the agency's Investigations where he oversees over 100 sworn and civilian employees involved in criminal investigations, intelligence, homeland security, forensic services, victim advocacy, crime analysis and support for these sections. Captain Thorpe completed his master's degree in Criminal Justice Administration through the University of South Florida at Sarasota-Manatee while serving as the Lieutenant of the Intelligence Section. In this position, he developed a strong interest in regional collaboration with other agencies and with academia in order to promote intelligence-led policing practices for crime prevention. Captain Thorpe developed the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office current program of "Intelligence 2 Action," which places a strong emphasis on analysis-supported response to crime and hazards. The collaboration with other agencies has resulted in the area law enforcement exchange, or "ALEX" program, that has considerably enhanced information and intelligence sharing among local, state and federal law enforcement in the southwest region of Florida. Captain Thorpe takes a special interest in the effect of those who repeat or are "prolific" in the commissions of crime  on overall crime in a community. His research in this area led to his pursuit of involvement in the LEADS program. The LEADS program has become a quick success in promoting the importance of academic/practitioner relationships in building solid and efficient practices for daily policing in our nation. As this program continues, Captain Thorpe suspects the benefits will become something to behold; but the networking relationships among the LEADS scholars and their new research contacts have already proven to be exceptional.

The Boston (MA) Police Department is a stalwart supporter of community policing strategies reflecting the values of the visitors and residents of Boston. As the Registrar of the Police Academy, Sergeant Detective Gary J. Eblan, M.A., has spent more than 16 of 26 years involved in the creation, design, implementation and execution of all facets of police training. The LEADS program has allowed him to expand his knowledge and resource base, and bring innovative ideas back to the Boston Police Department. Sergeant Detective Eblan now works as an investigator in the Bureau of Professional Standards, Anti-Corruption Division.