KNOXVILLE — Law enforcement executives from across the region have completed the Southeastern Command and Leadership Academy (SECLA) at the University of Tennessee.
Knoxville Police Chief Sterling Owen IV addressed the SECLA graduates at a ceremony Jan. 25 on the UT Chattanooga campus. Other speakers included Helen Eigenberg, chair, UTC Department of Criminal Justice; Vic Bumphus, professor, UTC Department of Criminal Justice; and Mike Uher, lieutenant, Oak Ridge Police Department and SECLA class president.
Mike Hill, SECLA program manager at the UT Law Enforcement Innovation Center (LEIC), said the graduation ceremony is not only an important occasion for the participants, but also a tribute to the successful partnerships between universities, communities and law enforcement agencies nationwide.
“UT appreciates the willingness of law enforcement agencies, community leaders and funding agents in making this solid investment in public safety,” Hill said. SECLA 2008 was funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance.
SECLA consists of seven one-week sessions held over seven months. The program offers 12 undergraduate credit hours or six graduate level credit hours through UTC. Classes are held on the UTC campus.
Areas of study include leadership and management, emerging trends in law enforcement, ethics and integrity, risk management and liability, planning and budgeting, managing diversity and media relations.
“Not only does SECLA prepare law enforcement supervisors to improve the quality of life in their communities, it gives them the preparation they need to succeed in their profession and prepares them for increased responsibilities in senior administrative positions,” Hill said.
Since SECLA formed in 2001, 173 law enforcement executives from seven states have completed the program.
Applications are being accepted now for the next session, which will begin in July 2008 and graduate in January 2009. Registration is open to all law enforcement agencies. The state of Tennessee, Office of Criminal Justice Programs, and the University of Tennessee will provide funding for SECLA 2009.
SECLA is a partnership between the UT LEIC, the UTC Continuing Education Division, UTC School of Criminal Justice and the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police. LEIC is an agency of the statewide UT Institute for Public Service.
For more information, visit http://www.leic.tennessee.edu.
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Graduates of SECLA 2008 are:
• Joseph Ashmore, Gulfport (Miss.) Police Department
• Hunt Blair, Columbia Police Department
• Billy Church, Johnson City Police Department
• Malinda Claiborne, Knoxville Police Department
• Patrick Coleman Sr., Harrison County (Miss.) Sheriff’s Department
• Joseph Dorman, Pine Bluff (Ark.) Police Department
• Eric Dougherty, Johnson City Police Department
• Robert Drace, Harrison County (Miss.) Sheriff’s Department
• Robert Hembree, Knoxville Police Department
• Gregory Herman, Gulfport (Miss.) Police Department
• Van Hinton, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office
• Nealie Hogg, Chattanooga Police Department
• John Marr Jr., Harrison County (Miss.) Sheriff’s Department
• Alan Massengill, Oak Ridge Police Department
• Michael McCarter, Knoxville Police Department
• Shannon Nobles, Harrison County (Miss.) Sheriff’s Department
• Kathy Pappas, Knoxville Police Department
• Bob Pasinger, Vanderbilt Police Department
• Mitch Perry, Johnson City Police Department
• Troy Potts, Columbia Police Department
• David Powell, Knoxville Police Department
• Bobby Rodgers, Chattanooga Police Department
• Jeff Severs, UT Knoxville Police Department
• Davis Stone, Chattanooga Police Department
• Davis Strange, Vanderbilt Police Department
• Michael Uher, Oak Ridge Police Department
• Jerri Weary, Chattanooga Police Department
• Douglas Wilson, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office
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Contacts:
Queena Jones, (865) 974-1533, queena.jones@tennessee.edu
Mike Hill, 865-946-3222, mike.hill@tennessee.edu