For twenty-nine years, Michael honed leadership skills while serving his nation in the policing profession before retiring as a Police Commander with the Aurora, IL Police Department. As a police officer, he served in many capacities and led the department’s re-engineering from a traditional police agency to a community-policing department. His vast experience in the field has made him the trainer of choice for police agencies and communities nationwide. A valued and sought after speaker, Michael has trained and certified thousands of employees, executives and trainers for notable organizations worldwide, such as the U.S. Department of Justice, Chicago Police Department, Los Angeles Police Department, New York City Police Department, The United Nations, as well as the military, government agencies and Fortune 500 Companies.

Currently, Michael is Blue Courage’s Chairman, an organization that develops and delivers an educational process designed to optimize performance, enhance leadership skills, develop a culture of continual learning, and enhance the overall well-being of people at all levels of the organizations we serve.  Michael is also certified in delivering FranklinCovey’s signature classes and is a certified Master Trainer in Resilience by the HeartMath Institute. He is the 2016 recipient of the Attorney General’s Award for Meritorious Public Service and the HeartMath Institute Humanitarian Heart Award in recognition for improving the health and well-being of policing through resilience training.

Contact Michael Nila: [email protected]

Daniel is a Master Instructor and a member of the Board of Directors for Blue Courage, LLC. He is part of the Blue Courage law enforcement and military team. Dan was the co-founder of the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department’s (KCPD) Leadership Academy. The Leadership Academy was developed to bring principle and value based leadership to law enforcement. Dan holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice Administration and obtained a Master Degree in Education. He has experience in primary and secondary education and was recently involved in a cooperative venture between the KCPD and Benedictine University in developing and facilitating a new MBA in Leadership degree program.

Daniel is a veteran of the United States Army Military Police Corp. and served for 26 years with the Kansas City, MO Police Department. While with the KCPD he served in numerous capacities; patrol, traffic enforcement (motorcycle unit), Gang Resistance Education and Training, the Training Division and as a Hostage Negotiator. He holds numerous nationally recognized leadership and personal development content certifications, including from FranklinCovey; 7 Habits, Great Leaders Great Teams Great Results, Focus and Writing Advantage and from the Arbinger Institute; Choice and Choice at Work and World Class Leadership. He has been certified as a Master Instructor in Resilience from the HeartMath Institute. Dan and his wife, Carol, reside in Kansas City, Missouri.

Contact Daniel Schmer: [email protected]

Howard L. Powers proudly served the state of Michigan for more than 38 years as a law enforcement official. During his 32 year career with the Michigan State Police (MSP), he developed a reputation for personifying the MSP Value Statement, A Proud Tradition of Service through Excellence, Integrity, and Courtesy. Howard spent a large part of his MSP career as a First Lieutenant and section commander in the MSP Training Division where he was responsible for the training, development, and mentoring of recruits, veteran troopers, sergeants, and members of local and county police agencies. Before retiring, Howard played a significant role in the development and delivery of training and education in the areas of supervision, leadership, and executive leadership. After retiring from the Michigan State Police, Howard served six years as the Security Director at the Hall of Justice for the Michigan Supreme Court. He continues to exercise his passion to develop police officers as a guest lecturer for the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police, training annually in the area Developing Subordinates.

Howard comes from a family of educators and has a sincere love and a passion for training, developing and educating law enforcement professionals. He holds a B.S. degree from Madonna University in Criminal Justice, is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the Lansing Community College Leadership Academy and holds numerous training certificates. He has been certified as a Master Instructor in Resilience from the HeartMath Institute.

Contact Howard Powers: [email protected]

Jack Hart is a 18-year veteran of the San Francisco Police Department, having served in various patrol assignments, as an FTO and as an attorney with the Department’s Legal Division where he appeared in civil and criminal courts on behalf of officers. As a California POST certified instructor, he teaches search and seizure and patrol procedures to continuing professional training classes and has recently completed his 49th SFPD Recruit class as an instructor on search and seizure, laws of arrest, constitutional law, criminal statutes, evidence, and leadership. As a Sergeant, he led a street crimes (gangs and guns) plainclothes enforcement detail in the Bayview Police District, and as a Lieutenant, was the officer in charge of SFPD’s Candlestick Park detail that included the management of over 100 officers at San Francisco 49ers’ home games. Currently, he is a Captain assigned to the SFPD’s Homeland Security Unit, where he is in charge of the Marine Unit and Department Operations Center.

Contact Jack Hart: [email protected]

David Dubois is a second-generation police officer from the State of New Hampshire. He started public service in 1981 when he enlisted with the New Hampshire Army National Guard and served as a Nuclear Biological Chemical Warfare Specialist with Service Battery of the 3^rd Battalion 197^th Field Artillery. He is a retired chief of police with the City of Rochester, New Hampshire Police Department and former four term elected sheriff with the Strafford County Sheriff’s Office in New Hampshire.

He is a graduate of the 177^th session of the FBI National Academy and the 55^th session of the Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar held in Quantico, Virginia. He is licensed by the Heart Math Institute as a Resilience Advantage Instructor as well as a certified Force Analyst and Realistic De-Escalation Instructor.

David has worked over the years as a trainer with the Regional Community Policing Institute of New England and the Carolina’s Institute for Community Policing in the areas of community policing, police ethics, and leadership for law enforcement. He is a sworn law enforcement officer employed as the Accreditation Manager with the Strafford County Sheriff’s Office in the State of New Hampshire.

He is a Master Educator for Blue Courage, LLC as part of their law enforcement and military team.

Contact David Dubois: [email protected]

Ian began his call to serve with the U.S. Air Force, where he spent four years in Security Forces (policing). He continued to serve when he began his career in Corrections in 2007. Corrections was an ideal fit for Ian as it combined his intrigue of the human condition with his love for helping people.

Ian quickly became an instructor of multiple disciplines and eventually became the primary instructor for Corrections academies in Washington State at the Criminal Justice Training Commission. As an ardent student of mindfulness and resilience, Ian has become an instructor in Blue Courage, HeartMath’s Resilience Advantage, and multiple other leadership courses.

Ian eventually resigned his post as the Training Sergeant at his jail to accept his current position as Assistant Commander in Basic Training at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission. Ian resides in Washington with his wife Angela and three children Tuzla, Blaiz and Jazlyn.

Contact Ian Edwards: [email protected]

Lena Pace recently retired from law enforcement after 21 years of sworn service with the National Park Service.  Born and raised in Alaska, she grew up with a sincere love of the outdoors and a passion for public service.  She began working in law enforcement at age 21, quickly finding passion and meaning in the work, first in the field and then in leadership.  She obtained her Masters of Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga in 2012 and continues on a path of discovery, particularly in the area of Servant Leadership. 

Today, Lena serves as the Chief of the National Park Service's Office of Public Trust, a new office dedicated to strengthening public trust in NPS law enforcement through transparency of information.  The office oversees the body worn camera and law enforcement records systems, and centralizes law enforcement information and records requests.

Lena and her husband live in Manassas, Virginia.  Lena has a passion for whole-person wellness, and has spent time as a CrossFit and olympic weightlifting coach as well as a nutrition coach.  She plays piano and guitar, is an avid reader, and enjoys spending time in the outdoors, biking, kayaking, and hiking. 

Orlando D. Lilly is a Captain in the Baltimore County Police Department and currently assigned to the 2^nd Precinct in Woodlawn. He has been a member of the agency for 27 years. He was previously assigned as the Precinct Commander of Youth/Community Service Section, Recruitment Unit and the Precinct Commander of the 12^th Precinct in Dundalk for three years. He is also an Adjunct-Professor at the University of Baltimore in the Forensic Science Department and previously at Baltimore County Community College where he taught Ethics and Diversity in the Criminal Justice Department. He received his Master of Science in Management from The Johns Hopkins University. In addition, Captain Lilly is an Associate Minister at New Psalmist Baptist Church, a Master Mason within Prince Hall Freemasonry, The Sergeant of Arms for MD National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) Chapter, Director of Mentoring and Retention for the Collective Agreement of Black Law Enforcement, a graduate of the FBI National Academy Session #268 and a member of Phi Beta Sigma Inc.; he is also a United States Navy veteran. 

Jen Hart is Senior Probation Officer with the San Diego County Probation Department. Her robust law enforcement career includes 23 years of service as a dispatcher, police officer and P.O., and she is currently assigned as the wellness and peer support coordinator for her department, previously assigned to the In-Service Training Unit. Jen believes transformation is possible and vulnerability is a superpower. She has passion for people, exudes vitality and loves motivating and inspiring others to be the best version of themselves. Jen is dedicated to enhancing officer wellness and resilience and providing her team with continued opportunities for personal growth and development. She is a certified HeartMath trainer and a lead instructor for her department’s Professional Development Academy, Narcotics Trends, Naloxone, PREA, Inclusive Leadership, and a multitude of other classes. Jen is an avid Toastmaster, gardener, and home cook and maintains her commitment to wellness through yoga, mindfulness and connection with nature. 

Sean Smith joined the Blue Courage Team in 2021.  

Sean has been a life long student of Law Enforcement starting his Junior year of High School.  After completing Peace Officer Basic Training in conjunction with an Associate’s Degree at Hocking College in 2004,  Sean joined the City of Uhrichsville Police Department in 2005. He served in several roles including a liaison officer to the Tuscarawas County Drug Task Force, an operator on the Twin City Metro SWAT Team, and was promoted to the Rank of Sergeant and supervised the afternoon shift. 

Sean began instructing in Ohio’s Peace Officer Basic Training for Buckeye Career Center in 2012, finding he had a passion to be an instructor. 

In 2015 he pursued a career as an instructor full time with the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA) in the Advanced Training Division. Shortly after this move, Sean was approached to head up Blue Courage’s Immersion into Ohio’s Peace Officer Training curriculum. 

Sean met Blue Courage Team Members Howard Powers and Dave Dubois in November of 2015 as a participant of the Blue Courage Academy. He continued to mentor with the Blue Courage Team over the next months, until Sean and the OPOTA team were set to run The Blue Courage Academy in 2016. Until the restructuring in 2020, OPOTA’s Blue Courage Team created online training modules for Blue Courage, introduced Blue Courage in the Ohio’s basic police academy, and continued to run both the two day Blue Courage workshop, and the Blue Courage Academy.  Their efforts accomplished training over 10,000 officers in both online and brick and mortar courses.  They also created over 250 instructors.  

Today, Sean continues his employment with OPOTA as a Peace Officer Basic Training Compliance Specialist. He lives in Tuscarawas County, Ohio with his wife Tori, two sons Kholten and Khreston, and labs Khendric and Khozzie.  He loves the outdoors and is an avid bow hunter. This passion lead him to create the Kountryfried Outdoor Productions YouTube Channel.  He even freelances as a DJ, spinning tunes for weddings and graduation parties. 

In 1991, Kristen started her law enforcement career as an Aurora Police Cadet. In 1994, Kristen took an oath to serve and protect and become a sworn police officer in Aurora. Through her career, she wasn’t your stereotypical cop and she lived by the motto, “never look down on anyone – look at them.” Kristen became known as the police officer that could talk offenders into handcuffs.

As a young officer, she became a Field Training Officer and then joined APD’s Community Policing Unit. Even as an officer, she led by example and encouraged her peers to get out of their squad cars and walk down the block to interact with the community.

In the late 90’s, Kristen moved to APD’s Investigations Division and saw spikes in domestic violence in Aurora. She saw first-hand that domestic violence victims weren’t getting the support that they needed and launched the Domestic Violence Reduction Unit, a specialized unit within Investigations to investigate and arrest those responsible for domestic violence.

In 2003, Kristen became one of the very few females ever in rank when she was promoted to Sergeant. Five years later, a mentor suggested to Kristen to test to become a Lieutenant at APD, something no other female had ever done in the history of the department. When others learned about her intentions to test for Lieutenant, she was told that she shouldn’t test because women couldn’t do that job. That lit a fire inside Kristen and she asked herself "Why not me?"

In 2008, Kristen took the Lieutenant’s test and placed first on the promotion list. Shortly thereafter, she became the first female Lieutenant in the history of the Aurora Police Department. In 2010, Kristen became the first-ever female Commander at the department. She continued her passion of community policing and helped build long-lasting relationships with the community that attributed to huge overall crime reductions in Aurora. As part of her community-policing effort, the City of Aurora documented zero murders in 2012. In 2016, Kristen busted barriers again and became the first female Police Chief in the 159-year history of the Aurora Police Department. 

Kristen is always working to better herself through the community, continuing education and training. She holds an associate degree from Waubonsee Community College, a bachelor’s degree from Aurora University, and a master’s degree from Boston University. She also has a second master’s degree in Homeland Security and Defense from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. Kristen is a graduate of PERF’s Senior Management Institute for Police, the FBI National Academy #249, and several other leadership programs.

Kristen believes we can better law enforcement and community relationships overall by working together, not just on a community level, but on a regional and nationwide level. She serves as Vice President At-Large of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and is a member of the Illinois Sentencing Policy Advisory Council (SPAC). She also serves as the Member At-Large of the Police Executive Research Firm (PERF). Kristen and the Aurora Police Department have received honors for their response to a mass shooting in Aurora on February 15, 2019 in which five employees of a warehouse were killed, and five officers were shot.

Kristen leads by example and encourages her department, no matter the rank or the position, to always speak up if they have an idea or concern. “Leadership is about surrounding yourself with people who challenge you — diversity of thought is the key driver,” Kristen says, “Don’t surround yourself with people who look like you or think like you.”

Rick began his public service in the U.S. Army where he served for 5 years as a Military Intelligence officer.  After his military service he followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the law enforcement profession.  During his 25 years in active law enforcement Rick was privileged to serve and supervise in many capacities including patrol, narcotics/vice, major crimes and advanced training.

After retiring from active law enforcement Rick immediately went to work at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission where he served as the Basic Training Commander for 4 years.  He then moved over to the Advanced Training Division as a Program Manager where he worked as part of the leadership training team delivering and developing curriculum for an additional 2 years before retiring again.

Rick is very passionate about leadership, officer professionalism, officer wellness and investing in the law enforcement professionals and their families who continue to serve.  

Inclusive Leadership Senior Consultant and Facilitator

An accomplished trainer and facilitator, Chisa Miller brings enthusiasm, passion and energy to the training team. Prior to joining the team, Chisa was the Casino Operations manager at the Excalibur Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. She helped the organization identify problems, pinpoint solutions, ensure customer satisfaction and developed ongoing training programs for over 400 casino employees. She created ACES HIGH, a 6-month professional growth and development program. She was the driving force behind We Create the Results We Get, an experiential learning course each month for all casino leadership that focused on leadership and high performance teams. Chisa earned a Bachelor of Arts in both Psychology and Sociology from Rutgers University. She has delivered training programs for Fortune 500 companies, federal, state and local governments.

For twenty-five years, Ramon served with the Reno Police Department. Ramon has instructed school based programs like Drug Awareness Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) and Gang Resistance Education And Training (G.R.E.A.T.). When the Reno Police Department shifted from a traditional policing model to a community policing department, Ramon was instrumental in training police personnel. This required officers to be trained and certified as instructors of Community Policing Through Environmental Design, Community Mobilization and Problem Solving. After retiring in 2005, Ramon signed on as an educator with Blue Courage, conducting trainings across the country.

George P. Belsky, Jr. is a certified Blue Courage instructor. He has an extensive military and law enforcement career. As an instructor he has conducted and facilitated training on a variety of topics including leadership, wellness and resilience, ethics, operational techniques, and use of force, to military and law enforcement personnel in both domestic and international environments. 

A 1984 graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point, George served on active duty as a rifle platoon leader, anti-tank platoon leader, company executive officer, assistant operations/air officer, and as a staff officer at the US Army Infantry School. Leaving active duty after five years for law enforcement, he served as a captain in the US Army Reserve for seven years. He is a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, and the US Army Airborne School.

George’s career as a criminal investigator/special agent spanned over twenty years with both the US Postal Inspection Service and the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). He retired from ATF as the Special Agent in Charge (Senior Executive Service) of the ATF Newark Field Division in January 2017. George served as a field agent, instructor, program manager, supervisory special agent, second level manager, and law enforcement executive. His only non-operational assignment was as an instructor and later program manager at the ATF National Academy. He served as the primary Use of Force instructor, and his additional duties included firearms instructor, field operations instructor and tactics instructor. He also led in the development and writing of the ATF Control and Arrest Techniques program, an agency-wide program on less lethal subject control and threat management. In this capacity he conducted extensive research on the physiological, cognitive, and psychological effects of stress on combat performance. 

Contact George Belsky: [email protected]

David H Lau (Kawika to his family and friends) is a Blue Courage Master Instructor. David Lau has extensive experience in both CONUS and OCONUS delivering training and education to the military, law enforcement, and humanitarian organizations on a variety of areas that include resilience and antifragility, leadership, ethics, emotional intelligence, and a wide range of operational techniques.  David has also developed a session on resiliency and mindset that he personally delivers to all AFOSI personnel before they deploy to a combat theater.

D.H. Lau began his law enforcement career twenty-one years ago, as a Border Patrol agent in Falfurrias, Texas.  He joined the Federal Air Marshal Service a few months after the events of 9/11, and was assigned to the Seattle Field Office. In addition to serving as an International Missions Team Leader, Lau was also an instructor for Mission Tactics at the Federal Air Marshal academy.  David has served as a firearms instructor, physical training instructor, tactical medical instructor, and use of force instructor for the Federal Air Marshal Service. He has a baccalaureate degree in International Affairs (Cum Laude) from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas.

David retired from the U.S. Army in 2014 with 21 years of service in the active, reserve, and National Guard components. D. H. Lau served as the Deputy Team Chief of an Embedded Counterinsurgency Advisor mission to Afghan National Security Forces during his last deployment.  He deployed to northern Afghanistan in September 2011 as the Deputy Team Chief of an embedded counterinsurgency advisor team.  In April 2012, a suicide bomber attacked David’s foot patrol.  The bomb vest was large and covered in ball bearings; every member of David’s patrol was either killed or seriously injured.  David recovered at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.  His healing and recovery process would not have been possible without an inculcated warrior ethos, positivity, faith, and family.  In the Blue Courage curriculum, David recognizes all of the key elements required to flourish forward after a traumatic event.

Contact David Lau: [email protected]

Mia Maley started her career as an Accounting Clerk for Equipto Electronics Corporation. During her employment of 19 years at Equipto Electronics, she held several positions and was the Production Control Manager for the last several years of her employment. In 2005, she joined the team as an administrative assistant. She works behind the scenes to ensure that our trainers can prepare and present the best possible classroom experience for clients. She’s proud to be a part of a company that can touch so many lives in such a meaningful way. Mia find’s the passion that the team brings to all its endeavors to be very rewarding. Mia lives in Aurora, Illinois with her beautiful daughter, Jessie.

Contact Mia Maley: [email protected]

Rebecca Trebolo has lived in the Chicagoland area for over 23 years and graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth with a BFA in acting. Rebecca has been with Blue Courage since the fall of 2014, beginning her journey as a logistics specialist for the Inclusive Leadership courses and then moving into her current role. Before that she worked at Rock Bottom Brewery for 17 years while pursuing her acting career, being a mom, and working as a producer and co-owner of her own production company, 34th Street Films, LLC. She feels truly blessed to be a team member with Blue Courage and to play a role in supporting the legacy of influencing and touching hearts around the world.

Contact Rebecca Trebolo: [email protected]

Jocelyn Little has spent many years sharpening her skills in the diversity and education environment. She joined the MGM MIRAGE’s Diversity Education department in 2002, supporting their very first Diversity Champions Workshop. In December 2006, Jocelyn joined Bellagio’s Convention Services department, assisting with convention groups and the coordination of their events. In July 2007, when Jocelyn moved to Newport, RI, she jumped at the chance to re-join the passion and energy of the team as a logistics support. She feels the real reward of her job comes from her influence in touching lives and leaving a legacy. In April 2009, Jocelyn took on additional administrative responsibilities. She is currently a part of the Blue Courage team as the President and Chief Operations Officer. She has a Bachelors of Science degree in Hotel Administration and currently lives with her son in Las Vegas, NV.

Contact Jocelyn Little: [email protected]

Native to Kansas City, MO – home of the Royals and Chiefs!  I am a retired civilian from Kansas City, MO Police Department after 30 years of service.  During that time I worked as a Dispatcher, Administrative Assistant, and Computer Specialist – building, installing and training employees on the first personal computers for the department.  In my last 10 years of service, I was in charge of training records for all employee (civilian and law enforcement), coordinating and facilitating training for the Regional Police Academy.  After retirement, my main focus is my children and grandchildren.  I love attending all their sporting events and sleep-overs!  

Contact Robin Jackson: [email protected]

David G. Dominguez is a retired Chief of Police with over thirty-three years of public safety experience in California and has the unique career experience working in a major metropolitan Sheriff’s Department and two municipal law enforcement agencies, San Bernardino County Sheriff, Riverside and Palm Springs Police Departments. As a resolute leader with a history of progressive leadership and command experience, he has held virtually every assignment in law enforcement with recognized expertise in leadership/organizational development, internal affairs, criminal intelligence, risk management, and community policing. David has significant program management experience operating as Chairperson of a regional gang and narcotic task force, board member of HIDTA, JTTF task forces and managing various law enforcement grant funded programs. Early in his career, David recognized the importance of advocating for the rights of police officers through representation and finding common ground when there was conflict. 

David is a graduate of the Senior Management Institute of Police from the John F. Kennedy Government Center at Harvard University and the Supervisory Leadership Institute with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in public administration from California State University, Fullerton, and a lifetime teaching credential for California community colleges. David is past president and lifetime member of the California Peace Officers’ Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the California Police Chiefs Association. David has extensive international experience as a Senior Law Enforcement Advisor with the U.S. Department of Justice, International Criminal Training Assistance Program (ICITAP). ICITAP’s mission is to work with foreign governments to develop professional and transparent international law enforcement organizations that protect human rights, implement the rule of law, leadership development and combat public corruption while reducing the threat of terrorism and transnational crime. As Deputy Chief of Police in Riverside, CA, David was honored to receive the law enforcement NAACP Freedom award and the National Latino Peace Officers Association community service award for “Outreach and Bridging with Communities of Color,” where David says that it is the most gratifying recognition ever received; not because of him personally but seeing the results of making significant change and a positive impact resulting in restored trust in the police department throughout various underrepresented neighborhood communities in Riverside. 

David is very proud of the law enforcement and public safety legacy in his family, with his father and two uncles who served honorably in WW II and with the Los Angeles Police Department, two brothers in the fire service, son and son-in law police officers and twenty extended family members in law enforcement and the fire service.  As David has often commented “Public Safety and serving others and our communities is in the Dominguez DNA”. David resides in Temecula, Southern California   

Contact David Dominguez: [email protected]