Professionals gather to advise Trine's criminal justice program

On Nov. 29, criminal justice professionals from the surrounding Indiana and Michigan areas met with Trine University criminal justice educators to discuss opportunities for enhancing the university’s criminal justice programs. Jackie Delagrange, senior director of the Graduate School, Brittni Heiden, director of the Trine Fort Wayne Education Center, and Cisco Ortiz, chair of the Criminal Justice Department on Trine’s main campus, joined together to host the event, held in the Fred Zollner Athletic Stadium hospitality suite. 

The meeting was the inaugural meeting for the Trine University Criminal Justice Professional Advisory Board, which will serve the undergraduate and graduate criminal justice programs for all campuses. The professional attendees were informed of the programs’ goals and curricula currently offered to undergraduate and graduate students. The educators asked for feedback from the professionals in regards to the “needs of the field” that are identified as vital for entry-level candidates. Coursework, internships, out-of-classroom experiences and research opportunities were discussed as topics to explore and assess. Many attendees identified the need for communication skills (written and oral) and the need for strong work ethics as top priorities. The next meeting will be scheduled for some time in the spring. Other field professionals who were invited, but not able to attend, will be involved via electronic communication and hope to attend the spring meeting. 

Attending Members:

**denotes Tri-State/Trine University alumnus

• Honorable William Fee, Judge—Steuben Superior Court
• Rodney Robinson, Chief Deputy/Sheriff-Elect—Steuben County Sheriff’s Office
• Stu Hamblen, Chief of Police—Angola Police Department
• **AJ Pape, Sergeant/Personnel Director—Allen County Sheriff’s Department
• Jim Price, Conservation officer—Indiana DNR
• **Katie Thomas, Patrol Officer—Fort Wayne PD
• Jeremy Musser, Prosecuting Attorney—Steuben County Prosecutor’s Office
• April Winfield, Chief Probation Officer—Allen County Juvenile Probation
• **Bonijene Gebert, Probation Officer—Steuben County Probation
• Bill Wilson, Jail Services Coordinator—Indiana Sheriff’s Association
• **Marc Edwards, Jail Sergeant—Steuben County Sheriff’s Office
• **Chris Anderson, Asst. Prosecuting Attorney—Eaton County, Michigan, Prosecutor’s Office
• **Jeff Dolson, Sergeant—Indiana State Police
• **Darrin Taylor, Patrol Officer/Detective—Angola Police Department
• **Kyle Hodges, Sergeant—Speedway Police Department

 Non-Attending Members:

• Eric Zimmerman, Director of Court Services/Chief Probation Officer—Allen County Circuit Court/Allen County Adult Probation
• **Adam Kitson, Trooper—Indiana State Police
• **Andrew O’Conner, Sergeant—Parkview Police Department
• Jaime Klopfenstein, Probation/Pre-Trial Services Officer—US Probation/Pre-Trial Services—Northern Indiana District
• Keith Hefner, Director—Trine University Campus Safety
• Honorable Kirk Kashian, Judge—Branch County Probate Court/Juvenile Division