PILUM - Key Persons
Captain Joseph Padilla has commanded the Gang, Juvenile and Traffic Operations and Civil Liability/Professional Standards Bureaus of the Denver Police Department. He has managed several large events including the traffic and transportation plan for the Democratic National Convention, the World Series, Presidential visits, large protests, parades and other high profile activities.
Captain Padilla has previously served as the manager of the Investigative Support Center for the Rocky Mountain H.I.D.T.A. (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) program. During his thirty-plus year career Joe has survived several critical incidents, including fatal police shootings.
Captain Padilla has received his department's Medal of Honor (including being nominated for the Presidential Medal of Valor), three Medals of Valor, two Distinguished Service Crosses and numerous other commendations. He is a graduate of the 235th session of the FBI National Academy and retired from law enforcement in 2015.
Job Titles:
- President & CEO of ShadowAir Ltd.
- Retired Special Agent With the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Jim MacDonald is the President & CEO of ShadowAir Ltd. Mr. MacDonald manages a company focused on providing Pilum clients with Counter-Terrorism (CT) services in the airborne Intelligence/Surveillance/Reconnaissance (ISR) arena. His company provides lease, sales, consulting and highly discreet surveillance services vis-a-vis highly unique Counter-Terrorism assets.
Mr. MacDonald is a retired Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Washington, D.C. He Conducted investigations regarding Foreign Counter-Intelligence (FCI), Organized Crime -Narcotics, and General Criminal matters. He has extensive Special Operations Group (SOG) covert ground/airborne surveillance experience and is Special Weapons & Tactics (SWAT) qualified.
In addition, Mr. MacDonald served as 1st Lieutenant, United States Marine Corps (USMC). He was the Battalion S-2 Intelligence Officer; COMSEC Custodian; Surveillance/Target/Acquisition (STA) Platoon Commander; Sniper-Employment Officer; Weapons Platoon Commander; Rifle Platoon Commander; Qualified Military Parachutist (U.S. Army Airborne).
Mr. MacDonald operational specialties are Security; Executive Protection; Airborne ISR; Special Ops; Homeland Security; Counter-Terrorism.
Joe Morales, a career law enforcement professional, was appointed by Governor Hickenlooper in 2013 to serve a three-year term on the Board of Parole. Mr. Morales was then appointed to serve as the Chairperson for the Board of Parole.
Mr. Morales served in the Summit County Sheriff's Office for 24 years, 12 years as the three-term elected Sheriff of Summit County. In 2003, at the end of his third term as sheriff, he was appointed by Governor Bill Owens to serve as the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Public Safety and as his Homeland Security Advisor (HAS).
Mr. Morales was then recruited by DoS to serve in Afghanistan for the next three years as an Executive Mentor in Kabul at the Ministry of Interior for Security. Mr. Morales was also a mentor in the Regional Command West in western Afghanistan. The next two and one-half years in Amman Jordan as a Tactical Operations Team Advisor assisting to develop National Security Forces in the region, which was a joint DoD/DoS project.
Mr. Morales was elected in 1999 as president of the County Sheriffs of Colorado, was appointed in 1999 to the Colorado POST Board by Governor Owens, and served with AG Ken Salazar and AG John Suthers on the POST Board from 1999 to 2007.
Mr. Morales graduated the FBI LEED Academy, Kennedy School of Government, numerous law enforcement and leadership training programs and has over 28 years of law enforcement service. Mr. Morales serves as a former law enforcement officer on the Board of Parole. Mr. Morales also served as a U.S. Marine.
Job Titles:
- President
- Chairman of the Air Directorate Field Advisory Committee of the National Guard Bureau
Major General (retired) Mason C. Whitney served as the Director of the Governor's Office of Homeland Security for Colorado under Governor Bill Ritter from 2007-2010 where he developed and implemented the State Homeland Security Strategy. He also served on the Colorado Governor's Cabinet as Colorado's Adjutant General and Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs from 2000 to 2007.
General Whitney is currently the President of a homeland security and defense consulting services company. He retired from the military in April of 2007 with 39 years of commissioned service in the United States Air Force and the Colorado National Guard.
General Whitney, served as a command pilot with more than 6,000 military flight hours, completed 343 combat missions and 758 combat hours in Vietnam.
General Whitney has served as Chairman of the Air Directorate Field Advisory Committee of the National Guard Bureau and a member of the Board of Directors of the National Guard Association of the United States, the Reserve Forces Policy Board of the Department of Defense, the Adjutants General Association of the United States, and the Homeland Security Advisors Council of the National Governors' Association.
General Whitney presently serves on the Rocky Mountain United Services Organization (USO) Advisory Board, the Air National Guard Council of the Air Force Association, and the Board of Directors for Bye Unmanned Aerial Systems, Inc.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars
Michael Mancha oversees all services and team members for Pilum Defense Agency. He brings over 25 years of experience in public safety, military intelligence, and criminal defense investigations. He worked several years as a Senior Criminal Defense Investigator for the nationally recognized Colorado State Public Defender's Office. He is a former National Trainer for the National Crime Prevention Council and is currently a Certified Negotiation Expert.
Mr. Mancha served nine years as a Non-Commissioned Officer with the United States Marine Corps, punctuated by multiple combat tours with Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. As a senior NCO, Mr. Mancha was responsible for overseeing intelligence gathering, analysis and dissemination in support of combat operations.
Mr. Mancha is a recipient of numerous awards, including the Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation, and Navy Achievement Medal during combat duty. Mr. Mancha graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Colorado, Entrepreneurial Certificate from University of Colorado, and an MBA from Trident University International.
While much of his experience is highly tactical and investigative in nature, Mr. Mancha applies a distinct psychological angle to his work - finely tuned from a rich civilian, military, and academic background.
Mr. Mancha is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, The American Legion, Disabled American Veteran, Wounded Warrior Project, Professional Private Investigation Association of Colorado.
Mr. Mancha is also passionate about firearms training and has the following training certifications:
Job Titles:
- Instructor Training ( BIT )
Job Titles:
- Personal Protection in the Home Instructor
- Personal Protection Outside the Home Instructor
Job Titles:
- Investigator in the State of Colorado
Ralph Villarruel is a licensed Private Investigator in the state of Colorado with over 30 years of law enforcement experience at the state, federal and international level. Mr. Villarruel brings a vast amount of experience to the Pilum team, is dedicated to serving his clients with the utmost respect, and is prepared to solve complex cases.
Mr. Villarruel is fluent in Spanish and is equipped to serve any Spanish-speaking clients. He has a vast range of expertise - from working undercover, investigating money laundering & drug traffic cases, to dismantling high profile criminals and briefing officials on confidential cases.
Mr. Villarruel has TS/SCI clearance with a CI polygraph security clearance. His training includes JOTC Special Forces Training from Fort Sherman, Panama; Surveillance Detection (SD) from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); International Money Laundering from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Quantico, VA; and Counter Terrorism from Special Forces in Quantico, VA.
Mr. Villarruel mentored and managed Sensitive Intelligence Units (SIU) in Mexico and Peru on how to target and dismantle the highest criminal organizations. He has also worked in undercover operations in both the US and overseas.
Mr. Villarruel has been awarded for numerous DEA Special Performance awards and nominated for the Attorney General Award.
Mr. Villarruel started out as a police officer in Indiana from 1980 to 1983; then was employed as a Special Agent/Group Supervisor with the DEA from 1983 to 2008. During his time with the DEA Mr. Villarruel worked for the Denver Field Division's High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force (HIDTA) and was in charge of the Asset Forfeiture Group in Denver, CO.
After retiring from the DEA, Mr. Villarruel transitioned into the private sector. He has worked for Science Application International Corporation (SAIC), Spectre Group International (SGI) and was involved in the Biometric Voice Speaker Identification program. He has also worked with Conduit Language Specialist as a SIGINT Intelligence Supervisor collector in Tucson, Arizona. Prior to joining Pilum, in 2014 Mr. Villarruel worked as a contract investigator with FIS/Altria performing background checks and criminal checks on suspects and businesses. In this position he managed Confidential Informants (CI's) and coordinated the information provided by the CI's with the appropriate US authorities and foreign officials.
Mr. Villarruel is proficient in analyzing investigative leads. His experience has given him the ability to make critical decisions and take proper actions when deemed necessary. He has proven his ability to react quickly and calmly in emergency and high-stress situations.
Lastly, to stay fit Mr. Villarruel works as a part-time trainer instructing boxing classes as well as coaching amateur and professional fighters.
Job Titles:
- Expert and Master
- Founding Member of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the UDT / SEAL Association
Chatrick "Rick" Clark is a highly accomplished Navy SEAL who has served on SEAL Team Six and Two.
Mr. Clark is an expert and master "trainer of trainers." He was recruited from SEAL Team Six to a Naval Special Warfare Center-BUD/S Instructor, only the top 10% percent team members are picked for this position. As a BUD/S Instructor, Mr. Clark was responsible for training over 500 SEAL candidates a year.
Mr. Clark is an expert in multidisciplinary fields. He has amassed multiple deployments across various countries. He conducted and was responsible for operations for SEAL Team members for air operations, communications exercises, and clandestine missions around the world. Mr. Clark even trained foreign nationals in various military operations worldwide.
Mr. Clark received a Marketing Degree in from the University of Colorado. Mr. Clark has run several successful business ventures. He also prides himself on his ability to help companies like Pilum embrace growth management opportunities.
Mr. Clark is a Founding Member of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the UDT/SEAL Association, a Committee Member of the Navy SEAL Foundation and the Founder and Trainer of SEAL Basic Training-an intense full body workout system for all levels of fitness.
Job Titles:
- Licensed Lead Investigator
- Member of the Rocky Mountain UDT / SEAL Association
Stephen Barela is Licensed Lead Investigator. He is also a protective security expert trained in advanced special operations tactics with over eight years as a United States Navy SEAL. He is a decorated, combat-proven international security professional focused on the protection of life and critical assets.
Mr. Barela has amassed more than 15 years of successful team-building, management, and leadership experience via numerous combat tours, and is a small arms expert, HUMINT collector specialist, and TDC graduate. During Clandestine Operations, he was responsible for civilian and team members alike, including millions of dollars in state-of-the-art military assets.
Since joining Pilum Defense Agency, Mr. Barela has taken on multiple investigation cases using the human intelligence (HUMINT) skills he gained as a Navy SEAL. He has developed higher performance investigation standards and enhanced safety awareness while increasing productivity during periods of aggressive investigation deadlines.
His many awards include the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V", multiple Navy Achievement Medals, one with Combat "V", multiple Combat Action Ribbons, the Kuwait Liberation Medal, and the Humanitarian Service Medal.
Mr. Barela is a member of the Rocky Mountain UDT/SEAL Association and the Danny Dietz Leadership and Training Foundation.
Mr. Barela is also passionate about firearms training and has the following training certifications:
Job Titles:
- United States Department of Justice
William Presson brings more than three decades of experience in local and federal law enforcement to his role at Pilum, including more than a quarter-century in the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mr. Presson has unique blend of leadership, strategic awareness, advanced education, and operations experience. Mr. Presson has served as Chief Inspector with the U.S. Marshals Service since 2002, where he oversaw a staff of 10, manages $7.3 million in training and procurement funds, and supervises the Western Region of the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) Strategic National Stockpile Security Operations program.
In this role, he planned, managed, and oversaw a broad range of law enforcement, security, liaison, medical countermeasures, intelligence, emergency/consequence management, training exercises, force protection, security, interagency coordination, and related operations in response to terrorist events, biological events, or natural disasters.
He also serves as a key policy advisor on international affairs and engagement topics, and leads multiple organizations in developing, gathering coordinating, and disseminating intelligence.
Mr. Presson holds a Master's degree in Military Arts and Sciences with an emphasis in Homeland Security from U.S. Army Command General Staff College, as well as a Graduate Certificate in Homeland Security from Denver University. Mr. Presson served in the US Army.