INTERACTION ADVISORY GROUP - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Member of the Advisory Board

Job Titles:

• Member of the Advisory Board

Job Titles:

• Member of the Advisory Board
• Sergeant
• Certified Police Officer

Chris Townsend has been a certified police officer since 2002. He currently works for the Madison Police Department in Madison, Alabama as a Sergeant in the Special Operations Division. Sergeant Townsend is the department's training coordinator and is a certified Taser, PPCT (Pressure Point and Control Tactics), and ALERRT AIR (Active Attack Integrated Response) Instructor. He was assigned to the School Resource Unit in the Special Operations Division from 2006 until 2013. He was assigned to Bob Jones High School as their SRO. Chris is also the current Vice President for The Alabama Association of School Resource Officers (www.TAASRO.org). He has been a "radKids" instructor since March 2012 and is currently serving as the Madison Police Department Honor Guard Coordinator. Sergeant Townsend also serves as a co-coordinator for the department's chaplain program.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Advisory Board
• Officer
• Sergeant

Courtney Dempsey has been a certified police officer since 2009. She currently works as a Patrol Sergeant for a local agency within the Birmingham-Metropolitan area located in Alabama. From 2016 to 2021, she was an investigator under the Special Victims Unit where she worked cases involving domestic violence, crimes against children, elder abuse, and SORNA violations. She worked with several Women and Children's Advocacy Centers during her time in Investigations. Courtney is a certified SSGT (Strategic Self-Defense & Gunfighting Tactics), LAP (Lethality Assessment Protocol) Instructor, and a former FTO (Field Training Officer). She also is certified as an ALEAPS Peer Support Member. Her special training qualifications consists of Joint Human Trafficking Task Force, FBI Instructor Development, Regional Child Trauma/Abuse/Neglect Multidisciplinary Team, LE Response to Victims of Domestic and Sexual Violence. Courtney earned her Bachelor's Degree in Social Science Secondary Education from the University of Montevallo with a Minor in Psychology and Sociology where she taught high school for three years before entering into Law Enforcement. She is currently working on obtaining her Master's Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Liberty University and plans to get her Doctorate in Traumatology. She is a member of the American Counseling Association and the Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling.

Job Titles:

• Chief
• Member of the Advisory Board
• Chief of Police for the Calera

David P. Hyche is currently the Chief of Police for the Calera, Alabama Police Department. In May 2020, David retired from the ATF having served as Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Nashville Field Division, Overseeing the Alabama offices of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) as well as the Crime gun Intelligence Unit in Nashville Tennessee. Hyche had been in this position since March 2015. Hyche supervised the five ATF offices in the state of Alabama and one in Tennessee. Prior to this post, Hyche served as Resident Agent in Charge of Birmingham Group III and the Huntsville, Alabama Satellite office. Hyche held this position for fifteen years. Hyche also served as ATF Program Manager at Bureau Headquarters for two years, managing the Bureau's Post Blast Training Programs and conducting explosive training around the U.S. and in 24 countries. Hyche was an ATF field agent in Atlanta for eight years and Birmingham for two prior to getting into management. Prior to ATF, Hyche worked as a Special Agent for the U.S. Department of Labor's Inspector General Office. Hyche is a 1986 graduate of the Alabama Law Enforcement Academy and worked for the University of Alabama Police Department for just under two years while in college. Hyche has been a Certified Explosives Specialist for ATF for the past sixteen years and has held the position of Chapter Director for the International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators for the past twelve years. Hyche holds a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Criminal Justice from The University of Alabama. Hyche and his wife adopted a child who suffered a brain bleed and lost her vision as an infant. His Daughter Rachel is blind and is the motivation for the RACHEL project which facilitates the manufacture of audible Easter Eggs which are distributed around the country to allow accessible, enjoyable Easter egg hunts for blind children. Hyche has been a board member for the Greystone YMCA, the AIDB Birmingham Regional Center advisory board and currently serves on the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services Blind Advisory Board.

Job Titles:

• Co - Founder
• Member of the Board of Directors
• President
• Trainer
• Founder of the Special Education Community Alliance

Dustin Chandler, is a former, certified police officer in the state of Alabama with special expertise in narcotics investigations and tactical operations. During Dustin's nearly decade-long career he served in different enforcement and tactical units such as a Special Operations Group which focused solely on street crimes. Dustin also worked in tandem with the United States Marshal Service's Gulf Coast Regional Task Force in 2008 during Operation Falcon. Dustin is ready to put to work his ability to connect with law enforcement and public safety audiences supported by objective and creative information, insightful presentation skills and experience in law enforcement at training facilities throughout Alabama. In 2012, Dustin's second child, Carly, was diagnosed with a devastating neurological and seizure disorder called CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder(CDD), a condition linked to autism. CDD is a rare X-linked genetic disorder that results in early onset, difficult to control seizures, and severe neuro-developmental impairment. CDKL5 stands for cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5, and is located on the X chromosome. Most children affected by CDD suffer from seizures that begin in the first few months of life. Many cannot walk, talk or feed themselves, and many are confined to wheelchairs, dependent on others for almost everything in life. CDD mutations have been found in children diagnosed with Infantile Spasms, West Syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut, Rett Syndrome, cerebral palsy and autism. Dustin has served as a volunteer on the board of directors for the International Foundation of CDKL5 Research. Since Carly's diagnosis, Dustin's life changed dramatically. Dustin became a full time advocate for children and adults with disabilities. He understands the vulnerabilities the disabled population's face in our society. In 2014, Dustin started and led a statewide effort in Alabama to legalize the use of High CBD and Low Thc Oil for the treatment of refractory Epilepsy. The legislation known as Carly's Law, will allow the use of CBD Oil in Alabama to qualifying patients, children and adults. The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) will conduct the study of the use of CBD Oil and will be able to prescribe the medication to patients. Carly's Law is the first bill of its kind to pass unanimously in the Alabama House or Senate. Dustin is the founder of the Special Education Community Alliance in Hoover, AL that focuses on a positive relationship between educators and parents to ensure all children can reach their full potential. He is a Member of the Special Education Advisory Panel(SEAP) for the state of Alabama, a Member of Disability Advocates for Alabama Public Schools(DAAPS). SEAP advises the state department of special education on matters if unmet needs of children with disabilities. DAAPS is a coalition of advocates and non-profits committed to improving the outcomes of students with disabilities in Alabama public schools. Dustin is also the 2017 recipient of the Dr. Rufus Partlow award - Alabama Civitan Central District. This award may be presented to a non-Civitan or a Civitan; one of the purposes in establishing this award was so that Civitans could reach out into the community and recognize others besides our fellow Civitans who make a contribution to the mentally and physically disabled. This award may be made annually by the awards committee, but since this is a unique award, the committee is not required to choose a recipient if it feels there are no nominations worthy of the distinction. He has advocated throughout the state of Alabama and spoken on the floor of the Alabama House of Representatives about the importance of community involvement in the governmental process as well as the inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all facets of society. Dustin is currently an active member of the board of directors for the non-profit, Carolines Cause (www.carolinescause.com). Carolines Cause provides scholarships to students with demonstrated financial need who have siblings with disabilities. Dustin Chandler is a former certified police officer in the state of Alabama. During his nearly decade-long career he served with two Tactical Units as well as a Special Operations Group. In 2012, Dustin's second child, Carly, was diagnosed with a devastating neurological and seizure disorder called CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder(CDD), a condition linked to autism. CDD is a rare genetic disorder that results in early onset, difficult to control seizures, and severe neuro-developmental impairment. Dustin is a full-time advocate for children and adults with disabilities. In 2014, he began and led a statewide effort in Alabama to legalize the use of High CBD and Low Thc Oil for the treatment of refractory epilepsy. The legislation known as Carly's Law is the first bill of its kind to pass unanimously in the Alabama House or Senate. Dustin has spoken on the floor of the Alabama House of Representatives. He has trained law enforcement, fire fighters, EMTs and other first responder units. He has appeared on local television to educate the community and national television to bring awareness to the tens of millions living with disabilities. To learn more about Dustin read his full bio.

Job Titles:

• Associate Professor
• Member of the Advisory Board
• Member of the International Society for Autism Research

Sarah O'Kelley, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor working within the UAB Civitan-Sparks Clinics where she is involved in psychology and interdisciplinary clinical training, research, and community partnerships throughout the state focused on individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and related disabilities. Dr. O'Kelley is a member of the International Society for Autism Research and American Psychological Association and is active in the Alabama Autism Providers Network and the Alabama Inter-agency Autism Coordinating Council.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Advisory Board

Job Titles:

• Member of the Advisory Board