Meet the Board of Commissioners
Debra Baker is the Commanding Officer of the Division Human Resources Section. She is a 24-year veteran with the New Jersey State Police where she began as a Field Operations Trooper and held positions as Sergeant First Class - Assistant Unit Head for the Executive Protection Unit, Lieutenant - Unit Head for the Executive Protection Unit, Captain – Bureau Chief for the Executive Protection Bureau, and now Major. She is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives, New Jersey Women in Law Enforcement and National Governors Security Association. She received a Bachelor's degree in Administration of Justice/Human Services from Thomas Edison State College. The New Jersey State Police has been CALEA Law Enforcement Accredited since 2007.
Theron Bowman is the Chief of Police of the Arlington (TX) Police Department, a position he has held since 1999. Chief Bowman is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, where he serves on the Executive Committee, the Financial Review Committee, and the IACP Foundation, as well as a member of the Police Executive Research Forum and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives. He received a Bachelor’s degree in biology, Master’s degree in public administration, and a Doctorate degree in urban and public administration, all from the University of Texas at Arlington. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the FBI National Executive Institute, and the Senior Management Institute for Police. Chief Bowman is also a lecturer and adjunct professor for several colleges and universities and has frequently published articles on law enforcement topics. The Arlington Police Department has been CALEA Law Enforcement Accredited since 1989.
Gary Cordner is a professor in the Department of Criminal Justice, Kutztown University, Pennsylvania. Prior to his teaching career, he was a police officer in Ocean City, Maryland, and was the chief of the St. Michael’s (MD) Police Department. Dr. Cordner is a past editor of the American Journal of Police and Police Quarterly, past President of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS), and co-founder and past President of the Police Section of ACJS. He is co-author of several textbooks, and has published numerous articles and book chapters on community policing, police administration, and related topics. He has a Bachelor’s degree in criminal Justice from Northeastern University, a Master’s degree in criminal justice and a Doctorate degree in social science/criminal justice from Michigan State University. Dr. Cordner was the recipient of the Outstanding Educator Award by the Southern Criminal Justice Association, and outstanding alumnus awards by Northeastern University and Michigan State University.
The Honorable Stephen DeBenedittis is the Mayor of the Town of Herndon, Virginia. As a lifelong Virginian, and a Herndon resident since 1968, he was first elected in 2006. He represents the town on the Northern Virginia Regional Commission and the Northern Virginia Transportation Association Planning Coordination Advisory Committee. When not serving in his role as mayor, Commissioner DeBenedittis is a health club manager and personal trainer. Mayor DeBenedittis has a Bachelor’s degree in marketing management from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Herndon Police Department has been CALEA Law Enforcement Accredited since 1986.
Louis Dekmar is the Chief of Police of the LaGrange (GA) Police Department and also serves as the President/Chairperson of the Commission. He is a member of the International Association Chiefs of Police, the past President of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, a former Council Member for the Georgia Peace Officer's Standards and Training Council, a current member of the Georgia Board of Public Safety and has served as a Federal Monitor for the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar. Chief Dekmar holds a Bachelor’s degree in administration of justice from the University of Wyoming and a Master’s degree in public administration from Georgia College and State University. He is also an adjunct professor for several colleges and institutions. The LaGrange Police Department has been CALEA Law Enforcement Accredited since 1999.
Joseph A. Farrow is Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol, the first Japanese-American appointed to lead the agency in its 81 year history. Commissioner Farrow commands more than 7,800 uniformed, 3,600 non-uniformed, 700 senior volunteers, and 200 Explorer personnel. He served as a police officer with the Pacific Grove (CA) Police Department before he entered the CHP Academy in 1979. Commissioner Farrow has held every rank from cadet to Commissioner at the California Highway Patrol. He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the California Peace Officers’ Association, and the National Asian Peace Officers’ Association. Commissioner Farrow earned a Bachelor's degree in criminal justice from California State University, Sacramento and a Master’s degree in executive leadership from San Diego State University. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the FBI National Executive Institute. He graduated from the Peace Officer Standards and Training Law Enforcement Command College and completed the University of California, Davis, Graduate School of Management’s Executive Leadership Consortium.
Curtis Holt is the City Manager of Wyoming, Michigan. During his tenure with the city of Wyoming, he has directly participated in the renovation, expansion and financing of several public safety agencies including the opening of a new police station. Commissioner Holt has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in public administration from Grand Valley State University in Michigan and holds a Credentialed City Manager designation by the International City/County Management Association. The Wyoming Police Department is enrolled in the CALEA Law Enforcement Accreditation Program.
Don Hunter serves as the Chief of Police for the Marco Island (FL) Police Department. Previously was the Sheriff of Collier County, Florida, a position he held for 20 years before retiring in 2008. Commissioner Hunter also worked for JARI Research in Boca Raton, Florida after retiring from Collier County. He is a member of the National Sheriffs’ Association, the Florida Sheriffs Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Police Executive Research Forum. Commissioner Hunter has a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree from Florida State University; is a graduate of the FBI National Academy; and participated in Harvard University’s Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government. He has also been an instructor at the Florida Criminal Justice Institute, Center for Executive Studies. In 2008 he was named “Law Enforcement Officer of the Year” by the Collier County Bar Association.
Ray Johnson is the Chief of Police for the Chesterfield (MO) Police Department. He is a Life member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police; Past President of the Missouri Police Chiefs Association; Past President of the Law Enforcement Officials of Greater St. Louis; and Past President of the St. Louis Area Police Chiefs Association. He was the Missouri Police Chiefs Association’s Police Chief of the Year in 1999. Chief Johnson currently serves as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Managers for the St. Louis County and Municipal Police Academy and Treasurer and member of the Executive Board of Directors of the Greater St. Louis Area Major Case Squad. Chief Johnson received a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice Management from Tarkio College, Missouri and a Master's degree in Public Administration from Webster University, Missouri. The Chesterfield Police Department has been CALEA Law Enforcement Accredited since 2003.
Gary Margolis is a managing partner in the professional services firm, Margolis, Healy & Associates, LLC. He is also an associate professor in the College of Education and Social Services at the University of Vermont, a position he assumed in May 2009, after serving as the chief of the university’s department of police service for over a decade. He serves on the state of Vermont’s Homeland Security Advisory Committee and as an adviser to the United States Department of Justice, Department of Education, and Department of Homeland Security on matters relating to campus safety and higher education security. Commissioner Margolis is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators and the International Association of Professional Security Consultants. He has a Master’s degree in education and a Doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies and is a graduate of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government Executive Education Program. Under his leadership, the University of Vermont Police Service has been CALEA Law Enforcement Accredited since 2003.
David Moore is the Director of Public Safety for the Monroe Community College in New York. Formerly he served the City of Rochester, New York as the Director of the Office of Public Integrity and he was previously the Chief of Police with the Rochester Police Department from 2006 until 2010. He has an extensive career history with more than twenty years with the Colorado Springs (CO) Police Department, as chief of the Fountain (CO) Police Department, and as chief of Laurel (MD) Police Department. In March 2000, he received the Purple Heart Award for excellence in tactical operations as a police officer in El Paso County, Colorado. Under his direction, two of the CALEA accredited departments he lead were designated as Flagship Agencies. Mr. Moore has a Bachelor's degree in Language and Communication and a MLS degree in Language and Communication from Regis University, Denver, Colorado.
Richard Myers retired as Chief of Police of the Colorado Springs (CO) Police Department in October 2011, a position he held since January 2007. He had also led departments as chief in Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Commissioner Myers is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, and the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar. He is a past President of the Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association, and the Society of Police Futurists International. He is an active member in several national and regional law enforcement organizations, and currently is on the Board of Directors for the Police Executive Research Forum. Chief Myers holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Michigan State University. The Colorado Springs Police Department has been CALEA Law Enforcement Accredited since 1991.
Daniel Parkinson is the Chief of Police with the Cornwall (ON) Community Police Service. He is the recipient of the Members of the Order of Merit of the Police Force (M.O.M) recognizing contributions that extend beyond protection of the community. He has been awarded the Police Exemplary Service Medal for 20 and 30 years of meritorious police service and is also the recipient of the Queen's silver and golden jubilee medals. Chief Parkinson is the 1st Vice President with the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, as well as a member of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. He is a graduate of the University of Cambridge, England, with a degree in applied criminology and police studies. The Cornwall Community Police Service has been CALEA Law Enforcement Recognized since 2010.
Commissioner Linda Pillo is a 25-year veteran of the Bellevue (WA) Police Department. She began her law enforcement career in 1979 as a police officer on Mercer Island, Washington, where she also served as a detective. In 1986, she joined Bellevue's department, where she became a captain in 1996 and a major in 2000. In 2004, she was promoted to deputy chief in charge of operations and, three years later, became the deputy chief for support services. In the spring of 2007 she was appointed chief of police. Commissioner Pillo graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Washington State University, and has completed advanced training at the FBI National Academy. The Bellevue Police Department has been CALEA Law Enforcement Accredited since March 2005.
Commissioner Julie J. Righter has been the Communications Coordinator for the Lincoln (NE) Emergency Communications Center since 1997. Prior to her appointment, she served in various capacities within the agency, starting as a police dispatcher in 1975. Commissioner Righter received her degree in Telecommunications Systems Management from the College of Saint Mary, Omaha, Nebraska and is a certified Emergency Number Professional (ENP). She is an active member of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International, having participated on many national committees and served as a Regional Representative on the APCO Board of Directors. The Lincoln Emergency Communications Center has been CALEA Public Safety Communications accredited since July 2002.
The Honorable James Robey is the Senator for the 13th District of Maryland, and also serves as Treasurer for the Commission. He served as Howard County Executive for two terms, following his retirement in 1998 as chief of the Howard County (MD) Police Department, a CALEA accredited law enforcement agency since 1990. Senator Robey has served in leadership positions both regionally and nationally in several organizations, including as past President of the Maryland Association of Counties and past President of the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association. He has a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Maryland and a Master’s degree in administration and management from Hood College. Senator Robey also graduated from the Police Executive Research Forum Senior Management Institute for Police, the FBI’s National Academy, and the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar.
Grayson Robinson is Sheriff of the Arapahoe County (CO) Sheriff’s Office, a position he has held since 2002. He also serves as the Vice President/Vice Chairperson for the Commission. Sheriff Robinson is actively involved with the National Sheriffs’ Association and currently serves on the Legislative Affairs, Counter Terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Accreditations, Detention and Corrections committees. He is also a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Police Executive Research Forum. He has a Bachelor’s degree in business administration and a Master’s degree in public administration from the University of Colorado. Sheriff Robinson also is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar, and the State and Local Executives Program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office has been CALEA Law Enforcement Accredited since 1988 and Public Safety Communications Accredited since 2007.
Barton Voigt is currently a Wyoming Associate State Supreme Court Justice, having served as Chief Justice for the previous four years. He was appointed to the Wyoming Supreme Court in 1991. He served as Legal Intern with the United States Attorney Office, Assistant State Public Defender, Campbell County Court Judge, Campbell County Chief Prosecutor, and the Eighth Judicial District Court Judge. Judge Voigt received a Bachelor’s degree in History and a Master’s degree in American History from the University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming. He has also written and published many articles on Wyoming history.
Thomas Warren is the President/CEO of the Urban League of Nebraska, a position he assumed following his retirement in late 2007 as the Chief of Police of the Omaha (NE) Police Department, a CALEA Law Enforcement Accredited agency since 2001. He was chosen Omaha Police Department Employee of the Year in 1999 and was its first accreditation manager. He has a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Morningside College and a Master’s degree in criminal justice with an option in public administration from the University of Nebraska. He is a graduate of the FBI's National Executive Institute Leadership Development Training Program and was selected as a Fellow and was inducted into the National Academy of Public Administrators. Commissioner Warren is a member of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives and serves on the Boards of Directors of several organizations, including the University of Nebraska at Omaha Alumni Association, the Conference for Inclusive Communities, and the Durham Museum.
Craig Webre is Sheriff of the Lafourche Parish (LA) Sheriff’s Office, a position he has held since 1992. Sheriff Webre is currently the chairman of the regional governing board of the Gulf States Regional Center for Public Safety Innovations, chairman of Southeast Louisiana Criminalistic Laboratory Commission and Board Member of Metropolitan Law Enforcement Commission. He is the Past-President of the National Sheriffs' Association. He has a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and Juris Doctor of Law from Loyola University School of Law. The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office has been CALEA Accredited since 2000.
Lisa Womack is the Chief of Police for the Lakeland (FL) Police Department, a position she has held since 2011. She began her law enforcement career in 1992 with the Arlington (TX) Police Department and left as a Deputy Chief in 2004 to become Chief of the Sugar Land (TX) Police Department. Later she served as chief of the Elgin (IL) Police Department. Chief Womack holds a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Texas Woman’s University and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of North Texas.
