2017 Speakers/Panel Members


Monday, September 11
Auxiliary

Betsy Hansen, LCPC

"Managing the Front Line at Home"

Betsy Hansen is a licensed therapist in private practice.  She specializes in the treatment of metal health conditions in adolescents and adults, including First Responders and their loved ones.  Betsy is excited to share her knowledge and expertise of holistic health care techniques to address the specialized needs of law enforcement personnel including substance use/abuse, suicide, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, domestic violence and bereavement.  



 

Tuesday, September 12

Dr. Carolyn Cumpsty-Fowler

Session title-Winnable Battles: Lessons from Highway Safety during the Opioid Pandemic

Dr. Carolyn Cumpsty-Fowler was appointed Director of the Center for the Practice of Nursing Leadership at the Johns Hopkins Hospital on July 1, 2017. Prior to this she held faculty appointments both at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. As core faculty of the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy, she has served as academic director of the award-winning Summer Institute: Principles and Practice of Injury Prevention since 1998. Much of Dr. Cumpsty-Fowler’s career has focused on program design and evaluation and capacity-development-focused education; including public health workforce and leadership development. Following training in nursing, midwifery and community health at the University of Cape Town (UCT), Dr. Cumpsty-Fowler completed a PhD at the University of Cape Town. Her doctoral work included interventions around South Africa for the prevention of child pedestrian injuries for which she received both UCT’s doctoral research prize and the South African Department of Transportation’s Highway Traffic Safety award. In 1991 she completed a post-doctoral fellowship in injury prevention at Johns Hopkins, followed by an MPH. From 1998-2010, Dr. Cumpsty-Fowler led the Baltimore County Health Department’s Injury Prevention Program, and founded and chaired the County’s Child Death Review Team. She has served for many years on the Advisory Board of the Partnership for a Safer Maryland. From 2005-2014, Dr. Cumpsty-Fowler chaired the Advisory Committee for Injury Prevention and Control at CDC, as well as the Board of Scientific Counselors for the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at CDC.

David R. Fowler. MB.ChB. M.Med path.(forens)

Session title-Winnable Battles: Lessons from Highway Safety during the Opioid Pandemic 

Dr. David Fowler is a board-certified anatomic and forensic pathologist practicing as Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Maryland.  He graduated from the University of Cape Town in 1983 and did a year of general medical and surgical internship, followed by a year of pediatric pathology at the Red Cross Children's Hospital in Cape Town. He then started and completed a five-year full-time training program in forensic pathology at the University of Cape Town earning his master of medicine in forensic pathology.Following this, he did additional training in the United States at the University of Maryland and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the state of Maryland. Dr. Fowler is an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland in the departments of pediatrics and pathology, faculty at the National Study Center for Trauma and EMS and is a visiting professor at both Tongji Medical School and Fudan University in the People's Republic of China. Dr. Fowler is active on multiple committees in the National Association of Medical Examiners and is a past president of that organization. He has numerous book chapters, scientific journal articles, and formal presentations to his credit.


 Lieutenant Marc Junkerman

"Decide to Thrive": A Leadership Primer on Resiliency

Lt. Marc Junkerman is a 24 year law enforcement veteran and the current Training Director for the Harford County Sheriff's Office.  He has served on various duty assignments during his career to include Patrol, Special Investigations, Special Operations/SWAT, and Warrant Apprehension.

Marc has been heavily involved in behavioral health, wellness and resiliency since 2006.  This includes serving as Crisis Intervention team member, leader, trainer and consultant. . .as a Mental Health First Aid instructor and law enforcement trainer. . .and as a local, state and regional Peer Support coordinator focusing on team development and mutual aid.  He has also been fortunate enough to present the "Decide to Thrive" concept to a number of local, state, national and international audiences over the past year.

Marc is a US Army veteran having served as both an enlisted soldier and commissioned officer, holds a Bachelor's Degree from Lebanon Valley College and a Master's Degree from Johns Hopkins University.


 Paul Butler

"Leadership for a Lifetime: How the Past Prepares Us for the Future"

Paul Butler is a speaker, presenter, instructor and entertainer.  He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Communication with a concentration in Culture and Communication, as well as an Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice.  He excels in the areas of motivation, leadership, customer service and attitude empowerment.  During his 27 years of law enforcement, he has been a public servant, training officer, sergeant, crisis negotiator, chief of police and chief deputy.  These opportunities have given him a unique perspective on a vast array of situations and circumstances that many people find themselves in every day.  These experiences have helped him to develop the answers to questions and cures to problems most people are facing at work and in life on a continual basis

Paul became the chief of police of the Aynor Police Department at 22 years of age, making him the youngest police chief in the history of South Carolina.  Born and raised on a small farm, his parents served as examples of hard work, common sense, personal responsibility and respect for self and others.  This has played heavily in his success in life and within each organization in which he has served.  He believes the power of a positive attitude can take you to the top or help you simply find happiness and pride in the current roll you fill.  A healthy attitude is often the key to both personal and professional success-this has certainly been the key to Paul's success.

As Chief Deputy of the Horry County Sheriff's Office, he was selected to attend the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia in 2005 for the 220th Session.  This 10-week, executive level course was host to 250 attendees from all 50 states and 29 countries around the world.  Paul was selected by his class to be their graduation day speaker alongside then-FBI Director Robert Mueller.  He continues to serve on the national level with the FBI National Academy Associates as their official Master of Ceremonies.  He has performed with them in Orlando, Philadelphia, Seattle, St. Louis and is already scheduled to appear in Washington D.C. in 2017.


 


 Wednesday, September 13

Brett Hood

"Perfect/Imperfect Leader"

"Psychopathy & Leadership"

After serving 25 years as a Special Agent in the FBI, Michael “Bret” Hood became the director of 21st Century Learning & Consulting, LLC upon his retirement in 2016. During his tenure with the FBI, Bret led and served in three different divisions finishing his career by spending the last four years as an adjunct professor of leadership for the University of Virginia at the prestigious FBI National Academy.

In 2010, Bret was selected to be part of an elite team tasked to develop a new executive leadership program for the FBI. As such, Bret joined the FBI Academy staff in 2012 and created unique and interactive courses on the psychology behind leadership, executive leadership, ethics, decision-making and contemporary issues in leadership. In addition to these duties, Bret has led over 70 international delegations on behalf of the FBI teaching our foreign law enforcement partners about leadership, financial crimes, anti-money laundering and anti-corruption prevention and investigation. Bret has also worked with various private sector entities facilitating discussions about the psychology of the leader/follower relationship. Recently, Bret was chosen to be a guest speaker at Europe’s top-rated leadership seminar hosted by the IMD business school.

Since retiring, Bret has traveled around the world teaching leadership and financial crime to members of various public and private sector entities, which include among others, Coca-Cola, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department, Google, Kansas City Police Department, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Currently, Bret is scheduled to speak at the Ohio, New Jersey and Maryland Chiefs of Police conferences and is expected to speak at the European, Canadian and U.S. Global Fraud conferences.

Bret is the author of the critically acclaimed book, Eat More Ice Cream: A Succinct Leadership Lesson for Each Week of the Year. Currently, Bret currently travels all over the world offering the FBI’s National Academy Leadership program to various public and private agencies giving people a chance to experience the National Academy in their home location. 


Victor Brito, Chief

"Current Issues In Body-Worn CameraUsage"

Chief Victor V. Brito was sworn in as Hagerstown’s Chief of Police in June of 2016. He began a second career in the Hub City after serving 25 years with the Metropolitan Police Department, the primary law enforcement agency in our nation’s capital. He received multiple promotions and recognitions throughout his career in Washington and retired at the rank of Captain in 2014. Chief Brito has led an extensive and comprehensive career in law enforcement, with responsibilities ranging from supervising patrol operations and overseeing special investigations to designing and implementing public safety management plans for large-scale events in Washington, D.C. The majority of his experience has developed from uniformed patrol duties with a focus on community-oriented policing. Chief Brito holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Management/Leadership and a Master's Degree in Management/Community Development from Johns Hopkins University. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy's Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar (LEEDS).


 

Karen J. Kruger,  Executive Director of the Maryland Police & Correctional Training Commissions

"Current Issues In Body-Worn Camera Usage"

Karen was appointed on May 24, 2017 as the Executive Director of the Maryland Police & Correctional Training Commissions. Karen is an attorney who has spent her entire career in law enforcement, beginning at the Fresno County, California District Attorney’s Office. Upon her relocation to Maryland, Attorney General Joe Curran hired her to work as a prosecutor in the Criminal Investigations Division of his office. After three years, she was appointed as the first full-time police legal advisor to the Maryland Transportation Authority Police where she oversaw a major transformation of that force as it encompassed policing at BWI Airport and the Port of Baltimore. During this time she also earned an advanced law degree (LLM) in Law & Government from the Washington College of Law at American University. She also fulfilled an assignment creating curriculum for the Police Corps, an innovative police training program sponsored by the U.S Department of Justice.

After twelve years with the MdTA Police, Karen accepted the invitation of Sheriff Tom Golding to become his legal advisor in Harford County to assist with both law enforcement and correctional operations. During this time, she earned a Graduate Certificate in Teaching Adult Learners from the Johns Hopkins University School of Education.

Five years later, she joined the law firm of Funk & Bolton creating a client base of local law enforcement agencies throughout the State. One important client was the Maryland Sheriffs’ Association, for whom Karen served as Executive Director and General Counsel. For many years, she also served, and continues to serve, as the General Counsel for the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association. In these dual capacities, she had the opportunity to file a brief in the United States Supreme Court on behalf of these associations in the case of King v. Maryland.

Karen is an active member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, is the immediate past chair of the Legal Advisors Section and has served on the Policy Committee. She also works closely with the National Sheriffs’ Association on policy and legislative projects. She is the author of several law review articles, dozens of articles published by The Police Chief magazine, and numerous policy papers and model policies. She frequently teaches law enforcement officers both at conferences and stand-alone classes, with an instructional emphasis on investigating and litigating police misconduct matters under the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights. She has testified on a number of occasions before the Maryland General Assembly.

Karen is a member of the Maryland, District of Columbia and California bars, as well as several federal appellate courts and the Bar of the United States Supreme Court. She is a graduate of Hamilton College and the Rutgers University School of Law where she earned her J.D. degree.


 

Scott Roth

"Current Issues In Body-Worn Camera Usage"

:Officer Scott Roth is a 14-year veteran of the Montgomery County, Maryland, Police Department (MCPD), and is currently assigned to the agency's Body-Worn Camera (BWC) Systems office. Officer Roth helped the MCPD implement a year-long pilot program and full patrol program and full patrol deployment of BWCs, helping with technical hurdles, training, planning, and systems administration. Officer Roth has received an Instructor of the Year award from the Maryland Police Training Commission, and he has also obtained a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania.


 

Chief Tim Altomare, Anne Arundel County Police Department

"Responding to the Opioid Crisis in Maryland:  Enforcement, Prevention, Treatment"

Tim was born in Washington D.C. and raised in Bowie Maryland in the D.C. suburbs. Tim was the youngest of six children in a blue collar, single income family. After graduating Bowie High School in 1987, Tim joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1988.

Tim served as an Infantryman (machine gunner) and made Non Commissioned Officer rank in two years. After an initial 2 year assignment with the Presidential Honor Guard, Tim deployed with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Special Operations Capable to the 1st Gulf War. Tim was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon and numerous other expeditionary awards. Tim also received a Meritorious Mast for his leadership in combat operations in the Gulf. Tim was honorably discharged in 1992.

While stationed in California following the Gulf War, Tim met his wife Kristy and their daughter Ashlee, aged 27. Kristy and Tim had a son, Matthew in 1992. Tim was hired by the Annapolis City Police Department in late 1993. In July of 1994, Tim graduated first in his class at the Baltimore County Police Academy, having achieved the highest averages in academics, physical fitness and overall performance. During his five year tenure with Annapolis City, Tim served in patrol and worked street level narcotics enforcement in public housing communities.

In late 1998, Tim made a lateral transfer to the Anne Arundel County Police Department. As an officer, Tim served in Patrol in the Western District before going into narcotics/street drug work with the Western District Tactical Narcotics Team and serving as a robbery detective with the Criminal Investigations Division. Tim has been decorated three times for risking his life to save another. Tim was promoted to Sergeant in 2003 and served as a patrol shift supervisor, supervisor of a District problem solving and drug unit and as a team leader with the Quick Response (SWAT) Team.
Tim was promoted to Lieutenant in 2008 and commanded Patrol platoons in three of the four districts in Anne Arundel County, as commander of CID Narcotics/Gang/Vice unit and as the Executive Officer (deputy commander) for two of the four patrol districts. Tim was promoted to Captain in 2012 and assigned as the Northern District Commander and then the Southern District Commander.

Tim was appointed to the Office of Chief of Police on December 1, 2014. As Chief, Tim has overseen the origination of the first ever Intra-County Heroin Task Force, comprised of investigators from the County Police, Annapolis Police and County Sheriff’s Office. Tim has also driven a return to a community policing paradigm, re-instituting outreach units, youth activity programs and faith based partnerships in long under-served communities of color in Anne Arundel County.

Tim holds his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Management from the Johns Hopkins University, Police Executive Leadership Program. Tim is a member of the Fraternal Order of Police, The Maryland Chiefs of Police, The International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Police Executive Research Forum.


 Reginald Burke

"Responding to the Opioid Crisis in Maryland:  Enforcement, Prevention, Treatment"

Reginald Burke is the Specialist for School Completion and Alternative Programs at the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), and serves as the Education Branch lead on the Governor’s Opioid Operational Command Center (OOCC). The OOCC brings together state and local agencies to support the prevention, treatment, and enforcement efforts to address the heroin and opioid crisis in Maryland. Mr. Burke is also the Project Director of Maryland Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education, a federally funded initiative aimed at improving behavioral health awareness among school-aged youth and their communities. Prior to joining MSDE, Mr. Burke was the Director of the Safe Schools Healthy Students grant designed to support District of Columbia Schools in the areas of school safety, improving school climate, and increasing the delivery of mental health services to children and youth. During his 22 years as an educator, including 12 years as a principal and assistant principal in the District of Columbia Public Schools, he developed effective programs and strategies to meet the academic and social-emotional needs of students. Throughout his career, he has provided training and technical assistance in the implementation of evidence-based programs, communicated with school and community leaders in order to foster citywide relationships and inter-agency linkages, facilitated program and community meetings, and consulted with school staff and leadership to develop effective and supportive educational environments.


 Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler, Harford County

"Responding to the Opioid Crisis in Maryland:  Enforcement, Prevention, Treatment"

Sheriff Jeff Gahler was elected to the role of Harford County Sheriff in 2014. As the primary law enforcement agency in Harford County and one of the largest full service Sheriff’s Office in the State of Maryland, the Harford County Sheriff's Office is responsible for providing court services, law enforcement, and correctional services to the county's 255,000 residents. Sheriff Gahler leads a workforce of nearly 600 sworn and civilian personnel and oversees an annual budget of $76,000,000.

Beginning his career in law enforcement, Sheriff Gahler was hired as a Cadet for the State Police in August of 1984. In January of 1986, he was accepted into the Department’s 90th Academy Class. During his 28 year career with the Maryland State Police, Sheriff Gahler served in a variety of assignments and ranks. He served as the assistant commander of the State’s Criminal Intelligence Division post September 11, 2001, served on the executive staff for the Secretary of State Police, served as Northern Troop Commander, and, in his final assignment before retiring, he served as the Commander of the Automotive Safety Enforcement Division. Sheriff Gahler retired in 2012 holding the rank of Captain.

Sheriff Gahler is a strong advocate for continual self improvement and education, having earned his A.A. Degree, Bachelors Degree and Masters Degree all while employed by the State Police. He has taken this commitment further by adding his expertise to the public safety leaders of tomorrow by returning to teach in the Public Safety Leadership Program at Johns Hopkins University and also by being a founding operating partner in the Advanced Leadership Consortium, a company focused on providing quality training and consulting services to public safety organizations and private businesses.

Sheriff Gahler, a 41 year resident of Harford County, resides in the Forest Hill area of the county with his wife Sonya and their two daughters, Shelby and Sydney.


 

  Matthew Lowry

"Responding to the Opioid Crisis in Maryland:  Enforcement, Prevention, Treatment"

Matthew was raised in Upper Marlboro, Maryland with his parents and two brothers. Matthew graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2002 with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology and a Master’s degree in 2007 in International Finance and Management.

Matthew entered on duty with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in July 2003 as an Investigative Specialist working Counterintelligence, Counterterrorism and National Security investigations. In March 2009, he became a Special Agent with the FBI and assigned to the Washington Field Office. As a Special Agent, he worked Narcotics and Gang Investigations in the Washington D.C. and Prince George’s County, Maryland area.

In 2007, Matthew was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis and started taking the prescribed pain medication Vicodin in 2011. Ultimately, he became addicted to the pain medication and in July 2013, began using heroin from gang and narcotics investigations. He entered an Outpatient Treatment Program in September 2014 and successfully completed the program.

In March 2015, he plead guilty to Obstruction of Justice and Conversion of Property and was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison. He was released from Pekin, Illinois Federal Corrections Institution on January 5, 2017.

Matthew frequently speaks about his experience to groups and conferences with the hope of raising awareness about addiction and giving hope to individuals struggling from addition that treatment can be effective.

Matthew is currently an Operations Manager for a Fire Protection Company and plans to attend Law School in the Fall of 2018. He currently lives in Davidsonville, Maryland with his wife Shana and their three-year-old son Luke.


 Tim Weber, APS

"Responding to the Opioid Crisis in Maryland:  Enforcement, Prevention, Treatment"

Tim Weber is the Drug Treatment and Education Liaison for the Carroll County States Attorney’s Office and an instructor for Naloxone training, the lifesaving medicine that reverses the effects of an opiate/ heroin overdose. He is currently on the Carroll County Behavioral Health and Addictions Planning Committee and the founding board member of the Triangle Recovery Club. He is also the Founder of The Weber Addiction Group, Weber Sober Homes and a published author of Gutters and Roses with notes from a sober home. Tim is also a certified through MAPPA, (Maryland Association of Prevention Professionals and Advocates) as a prevention specialist. Tim was also a 2017 recipient of a Governor's citation for his work in the field of prevention and treatment for substance abuse disorders.


 Kevin Welkner, DIO

"Responding to the Opioid Crisis in Maryland:  Enforcement, Prevention, Treatment"

Kevin Welkner is a retired Lieutenant with the Maryland State Police. The majority of his law enforcement career was spent within the Drug Enforcement Division. Upon retiring in 2010, he was hired by the Washington/Baltimore HIDTA and was assigned as the Deputy Program Manager within the Investigative Support Center (ISC) where he served until 2013. As the Deputy Program Manager, he oversaw the day to day activities of the ISC as well as managed several intelligence projects. Kevin is currently assisting the WB HIDTA with the HIDTA Heroin Response Strategy, serving as a Drug Intelligence Officer (DIO).