Beyond the Boardroom
Was there a defining moment in your life when you realized advocacy would become part of your purpose? When I came to the college full-time as the director of the police academy, it opened a lot of doors for me to create change, because I was in a position to be able to do so. I came in at a time when California was still recovering from the Rodney King incident in 1991. I had the chance to be able to change the way law enforcement training was delivered at our academy as part of a state-sanctioned pilot, where we infuse community policing leadership and ethics into every aspect of police training - from driving to physical training to laws of arrest, every aspect of it. Then I was able to create a whole different way of evaluating student readiness for being hired as a police officer using a competency-based model. That changed the way cops were trained in our academy. Being in my role at the college allowed me to bring several programs to the community that I wouldn’t have been able to without it.. As a professor, what do your students teach you about the next generation’s understanding of identity, inclusion, and social justice? Hands down, my students have a whole different view of the world in a very positive way. I'll give you a great example. Gender, which is something this country is struggling to understand and accept in all its different variations, is an easy concept for high school kids to understand. They don't care whether the person sitting next to them is dressed in gender non-conforming clothing or has decided they’re starting some level of a transition. They're very at ease with that, in ways that our elected officials and leaders, in some cases, are angry over. The students very easily accept science and the ideas that science has taught us about gender so far, while still embracing their own faith traditions. They don't see a conflict there. So, I think there’s great hope. ‘Out To Protect’ began as a scholarship program and has grown into a national nonprofit offering training, grants, resources and professional development. What need did you see when you founded it? Has that mission evolved? The organization started out as a scholarship-providing entity, because what I didn't want to do was sell my story and other people's stories to make a profit. So, the idea was always to put any royalties back into scholarships to help support LGBT people starting out in law enforcement. That ended up evolving into providing training when that need emerged. I think law enforcement was ready for it in 2016. And then, of course, it's just exploded since then. We're trying to build something that will have a life beyond. We'll see where that goes. Technology will be a big part of that. If someone made a movie about your life, what scene would absolutely have to be included? There are several examples I could use, but this one just popped into my head. Years ago, during my second week of the police academy, I met this class for the first day of training. It was a paramilitary environment; the cadets were all very nervous. A cadet in the academy came up to me and asked if he could speak to me privately during the break. I said of course but wondered if something happened in my class? He came in and sat down during the break. He was barely 21 years old. He was physically shaking and I really thought something horrible happened. He said, “I'm gay. I've never told anybody this in my life, but I heard your story as you introduced yourself to us. I never, ever imagined that I would meet an officer that was gay, certainly not here. I just want to know if I'll ever have a chance at being a police officer?” I said yes, of course. There are lots of LGBT officers out there. You're going to have a wonderful career if you can pass the academy and do well. About two months later, the cadet ended up coming out to his whole class. He got a standing ovation. He came out to his family and friends. Eventually, the same cadet asked me to officiate his wedding. It was pretty incredible. He’s a sergeant now with a very successful career. Do you have a favorite phrase, mantra or saying that you return to often? Always live an authentic life. What is the most unexpected skill from law enforcement that has helped you in the kitchen – or vice versa? To follow the recipe. In law enforcement, the most dangerous thing to do is to not follow what you've been taught to do or to become complacent and start taking shortcuts. The same is true in the kitchen, especially baking. If you take shortcuts, it's not going to come out well and it’s certainly risky, so, follow the recipe. Do you have a signature dish? Pastas, for sure. A handmade pasta with a fresh, basic tomato sauce. Doesn’t get any better than that. If your life had a theme song, what would it be? Rise Up by Andra Day What is one small way the public can support the relationship between our local Police departments and the LGBTQIA+ community? Encourage your local police chief or your county sheriff to adopt and support an LGBT liaison program.
Where Ideas Are Born 2026
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