APCO International is pleased to announce that the following individuals have earned the Certified Public-Safety Executive (CPE) designation, following completion of the culminating course, a two-week capstone seminar at APCO Headquarters in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Congratulations to the newest APCO Certified Public-Safety Executives: Front row, left to right: Ralene Poncelow, CPE; Matthew Fuller, CPE; Sara Crosswhite, CPE; Michael Banks, CPE; Shinar Haynes, CPE; Jason Kern, RPL, CPE; and Joell Kight, RPL, CPE. Middle row: Tenesia Wells, RPL, CPE. Back row, left to right: John Blalock, CPE; Eric Parker, CPE; Program Instructor Dr. Robert Miller; Tangela Gibson, CPE; Cheryl Konarski, CPE; Lori Preuss, CPE; and Program Instructor Dr. Steven Edwards.

At a graduation ceremony January 26 in Daytona Beach, class president Cheryl Konarski, CPE, addressed her fellow graduates. About the intensive two weeks, Konarski shared this with her classmates:

“We bonded over discussions in class, shared meals and late nights doing homework. We spent many evenings downstairs just hanging out, simply enjoying being together.  We spent time away from class, further deepening our friendships and shared experiences.

“We laughed, faced challenges together, talked about our families and just hung out when we could. We shared our interpretations of the material and opened each other’s eyes to new possibilities.”

“This nucleus we have developed and nurtured will stand by us during our progress forward.”

She challenged her peers to encourage other like-minded individuals to apply for the program, to demonstrate through their leadership what impact the CPE Program has had on their lives and to take “the opportunity to pay it forward by helping shape the future of our profession and organization.”

Read the complete graduation address.

Drawing on resources from renowned leadership professionals and distinguished academic resources, the CPE Program allows participants to explore topics that include management versus leadership, models/theories of leadership, leadership styles, public safety leadership issues, and executing and managing change.

Instructors include masters and doctoral level professionals in the field of organizational development and leadership. The CPE program consists of two 12-week online courses and an intensive nine-day capstone seminar at APCO headquarters in Daytona Beach.

Congratulations to the following individuals who have earned the prestigious professional designation of Certified Public-Safety Executive:

Michael Banks, CPE – Wadsworth Fire and EMS, Wadsworth, Ohio

John Blalock, CPE – Director, Floyd County E-911, Rome, Georgia

Sara Crosswhite, CPE – Deputy Director, Deschutes County 9-1-1 Service District, Bend, Oregon

Matthew Fuller, CPE – Emergency Communications Supervisor, Denver 911 Emergency Communications Center, Denver, Colorado

Tangela Gibson, CPE – Professional Standards Coordinator, Augusta 9-1-1, Augusta, Georgia

Tanisha Shinar Haynes, CPE – Director of Operations, Orleans Parish Communication District, New Orleans, Louisiana

Jason Kern, RPL, CPE – Executive Director, Southeast Emergency Communications, Crystal Lake, Illinois

Joell Kight, RPL, CPE – Communications Manager, Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office, Warrenton, Virginia

Cheryl Konarski, CPE – Dispatch Supervisor/CTO, Dade County Emergency Services, Greenfield, Missouri

Eric Parker, CPE – Radio System Manager, Alexandria Department of Emergency Communications, Alexandria, Virginia

Ralene Poncelow, CPE – Communications Specialist Supervisor, Weld County Regional Communications Center, Greeley, Colorado

Lori Preuss, CPE ­– Winter Springs Police Department, Winter Springs, Florida and Adjunct Instructor, APCO Institute

Tenesia Wells, RPL, CPE – Public Safety Communications Supervisor, Alexandria Department of Emergency Communications, Alexandria, Virginia

A new CPE session started in January 2018, and two new sessions have been announced beginning in July 2018 and January 2019. While a public safety communications professional need not be an APCO member to apply for the program, APCO members can apply for a scholarship to cover some of the costs, including travel for the capstone course.

CPE applicants must meet at least one of the following requirements: possess an associate’s degree or higher; be a graduate of APCO’s Registered Public-Safety Leader (RPL) Program; or have a high-school diploma and a minimum of 10 years’ experience in public safety communications at the supervisor, manager or director level.

For more information, contact CPE Program Coordinator Dr. Timothy Scanlon at (386) 944-2486.