Saint Leo University Partnering with Russell Sage College, University of Saint Joseph to Present Free Webinar for Current, Aspiring Criminal Justice Leaders

Saint Leo University’s School of Criminal Justice is partnering with Russell Sage College in New York and the University of Saint Joseph in Connecticut to present a free webinar for current and aspiring criminal justice, corrections, and community corrections professionals. Pathways to Leadership and Management in Criminal Justice: Law Enforcement, Corrections, & Community Corrections will be presented at noon (EDT), Wednesday, August 6. 

Attendees will choose breakout sessions for their field — law enforcement, corrections, or community corrections — and join panelists with local, state, national, and international perspectives in those fields, who will share their ideas and experiences.

Topics include:

• What criminal justice leaders look for in future leaders and managers;
• How to improve your opportunities to enter management and leadership roles within your field.

All attendees will receive a free compendium of resources on leadership and management in criminal justice, including links to organizations that support leadership and management training, the three institutions that hosted the webinar, and the hiring contacts at the agencies represented by the panelists.

The event will be hosted by Dr. Phillip Neely, Saint Leo University professor of criminal justice and director of the Doctor of Criminal Justice (DCJ) Program; Dr. Jeff Golden, Russell Sage College assistant professor and program director of the master’s degree in criminal justice & community corrections (and former Saint Leo faculty member); and Dr. John Watts, University of Saint Joseph assistant professor of criminal and restorative justice, and a Saint Leo alumnus. Watts earned his doctorate in criminal justice in 2023 from Saint Leo University and was a member of the university’s first DCJ cohort. 

The three hosts will briefly share information about their respective bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs with specializations. Attendees will then enter breakout sessions for their field. 

“This will be a powerful and informational webinar for those who currently are leaders and those who aspire to be leaders in criminal justice fields,” said Neely, of Saint Leo University. “Not only will there be engaging conversations with top representatives from a variety of corrections, community corrections, and law enforcement, but participants will receive tools to help them pursue degrees, management training, and more.” 

Panelists and categories include (with more speakers to be added):

Corrections
Dr. Laurel Harry, secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections; 

Dr. Jennifer Wallitsch, director, Bureau of Training & Staff Development, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections; 

Shelith Hansbro, confidential assistant for the director, Illinois Department of Corrections;

Kellie Wasko, director, South Dakota Department of Corrections; and,

Bree Derrick, director, Idaho Department of Corrections.

Community Corrections

Marcus Hodges, president, American Probation and Parole Association;

Mike Randle, executive vice president, operations, Oriana House; 

Pamerson O. Ifill, commissioner of probation, state of Massachusetts; 

Mary Ellen Heng, director, Hennepin County, Minnesota Department of Community Corrections and Rehabilitation;

Dr. Yolanda Bethea, acting director, Division of Parole and Probation at the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services; and,

Tiana Johnson, chief probation officer, Hamilton County, OH.

Law Enforcement

Walt McNeil, sheriff, Leon County, FL; past president, International Association of Chiefs of Police;

Wes Mullins, chief of police, Cocoa Beach, FL;

Julie Rodriguez, captain, Los Angeles Police Department, and president of the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives;

Rafael Medina III, chief of police, Wethersfield, CN; 

Tat Shum, vice president, operations, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association;

Cody Collins, national chapters director, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association;

Jeremy O’Hara, national recruitment director, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, and supervisory special agent, Immigration & Customs Enforcement;

Catrina Bonus, president and executive director, Women in Federal Law Enforcement (WIFLE), and retired U.S. Secret Service; and,  

Dr. Tanya Meisenholder, The Policing Project, New York University (NYU) School of Law, and former deputy commissioner, New York Police Department.

Dr. Delmar Wright, professor of criminal justice, Saint Leo University, and past president of the Virginia Association of Criminal Justice Educators.

Registration Information

Those wishing to attend must register at Pathways to Leadership and Management in Criminal Justice A Zoom link will be sent upon registration. Participants must attend live to access the information as the webinar will not be recorded so as to encourage candid discussion.

For more information, contact Dr. Phillip Neely, professor and director of Saint Leo University’s Doctor of Criminal Justice program, phillip.neely@saintleo.edu. 

Admissions Information for Saint Leo University Criminal Justice Programs 

For information about Saint Leo’s bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in criminal justice, email admissions@saintleo.edu or call (855) 806-4347.