911 TRAINING INSTITUTE - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• CO - FOUNDER

Deborah Achtenberg, ENP-Retired, is a 9-1-1 professional and trainer who completed her 26 year career after successfully launching Michigan's first Dispatch Academy. She established 911 Training & Consulting, LLC, the predecessor to 911TI.

Job Titles:

• CFO
• OPERATIONS MANAGER
• 911TI 's CFO

Deborah Gagnon serves as 911TI's CFO, managing all financial activities. In addition, she leads all 911TI operations, including design of customer services, contract management, and logistical support for 911TI's partnering agencies and our faculty. Deborah Gagnon serves as 911TI's CFO, overseeing all financial activities. In addition, she leads all 911TI operations, including design of customer services, contract management and logistical support for 911TI faculty and partnering agencies. She coordinates organization and planning to optimize operations. She also fulfills information requests from 9-1-1 communication managers and conference organizers. Deborah manages all 911TI contracts, ensuring our hosts and sponsors enjoy the partnership in bringing 911TI faculty to events. Prior to serving at 911TI, Deborah worked at the University of Illinois, Chicago, for several years as a Masters-Level Certified Genetic Counselor. She specialized in, and coordinated clinics for, pediatric metabolic diseases and cranio-facial genetics, as well as adult onset neurological genetic disorders. She regularly presented on various topics to the medical residents at UIC, and presented her Master's research on Gaucher Disease at the National Institutes of Health in Washington D.C.. She has been published in the Journal of Genetic Counseling and the American Journal of Human Genetics. Deborah was instrumental in starting a faith-based high school in Northern Michigan and served for several years on their Board of Directors. In addition, she also owns her own Financial Services business, primarily meeting the billing, bookkeeping, payroll and financial management needs of mental health professionals. She previously served as Office Manager and biller for a group of psychologists in Northern Michigan. These experiences and connections in the mental health field, as well as her counseling experience, have allowed her insight into 911TI's niche: mental health resilience. Deborah holds a Master of Sciences degree in Genetic Counseling from the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology with a concentration in Genetics and Development from Cornell University.

Job Titles:

• Owner
• 911TI 's Organizational Wellness Consultant
• Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at Northern Illinois University
• ORGANIZATIONAL WELLNESS CONSULTANT

Dr. Michelle Lilly is 911TI's Organizational Wellness Consultant, leading our consulting services to improve employee wellness for public-safety agencies. She helps 9-1-1 leaders optimize team performance and morale in the communications center. Dr. Lilly is an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at Northern Illinois University (NIU). She is a licensed, practicing clinical psychologist and researcher in the state of Illinois with APIT approval to provide therapy services across state lines. Dr. Lilly has studied the psychological and physical impacts of violence and trauma throughout her professional career. Her dissertation focused on how world views and coping affect risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression in female survivors of domestic violence. Dr. Lilly is the Owner of 9-1-1 Recovers, LLC, a tele-behavioral health practice for public-safety professionals and their families that provides evidence-based intervention for PTSD, depression and anxiety. Currently, Dr. Lilly holds a grant from the state of Illinois to provide free trainings on PTSD and suicide for law enforcement. In addition, she provides organizational assessment and consultation through Lilly Consulting and the 911 Training Institute. Dr. Michelle Lilly is a licensed, practicing clinical psychologist and researcher. She leads 911TI's consulting services to public safety leaders who seek improved agency wellness for optimal team performance and morale.

Job Titles:

• Instructor
• Clinical Psychologist in Michigan

Dr. Janka is a licensed clinical psychologist in Michigan and currently the Clinical Director at Solid Ground Counseling, offering individual, couple, family and group counseling. The clinic also offers in-service trainings on a variety of mental health topics. Dr. Janka works with clients and supervises the clinical staff. He conducts all of the first-responder trainings, including wellness, peer support and critical incident stress management (CISM). He also serves as a mental health consultant for 15 agencies (including their dispatchers) in the greater Detroit metropolitan area, including Michigan State Police. Dr. Richard Janka is a licensed, practicing psychologist. He specializes in design and delivery of resilience and peer support, and emergency mental health dispatching classes for 9-1-1 professionals and other emergency responders.

Job Titles:

• CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY ADVISOR
• Founder, CEO and Director of Coherence Associates, Inc

Dr. Sara Gilman is the Clinical Psychology Advisor for 911TI. She collaborates with 911TI to advance industry-wide awareness of evidence-based healing treatments for PTSD. Dr. Gilman is a licensed mental health professional in California. As a former firefighter/EMT, she is Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM)-certified and has a passion for working with first-responders and supporting agencies with their Peer Support Teams. Dr. Gilman is the Founder, CEO and Director of Coherence Associates, Inc., a clinical practice that has specialty in treatment of 9-1-1 professionals and other public-safety professionals providing counseling services to individuals, couples and families. She has expertise in the areas of performance enhancement, trauma and addictions. Dr. Gilman is a diplomat in forensic traumatology and holds fellowship status with the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. Dr. Gilman is a published author with chapters contributed to The Resilient 9-1-1 Professional and Reaching the Unseen First Responder: Treating 9-1-1 Trauma in Emergency Telecommunicators. She delivers keynotes and is frequently a featured speaker at conferences, focusing on first-responder mental health. Dr. Gilman holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from California Southern University and a Master of Sciences degree in Clinical Psychology from California State University, Fullerton. She is a Master Practitioner in NLP, Certified Master Hypnotherapist, Certified Professional Executive Coach, HeartMath Certified Practitioner, EMDR Therapy Consultant, and past-president of the EMDR International Association. Dr. Sara Gilman is a licensed mental health professional whose clinical practice specializes in treatment of 9-1-1 professionals and other responders. She collaborates with 911TI to advance industry-wide awareness of healing treatments for PTSD.

Job Titles:

• Quality Assurance Supervisor
• RESILIENCE & CALL MASTERY INSTRUCTOR

Jason Scott is a 9-1-1 Quality Assurance Supervisor and a subject matter expert in emergency medical protocols. He consults with agencies that adopt the LifeBridges Suicide Protocol and supports dispatcher confidence in using it. Jason Scott teaches a full suite of 911TI Resilience & Call Mastery classes, with a focus on Mental Health Protocols. In this latter role, he provides expert consultation helping agencies adopt the LifeBridges Suicide Protocol and supporting dispatcher confidence using the protocol. Jason is a 9-1-1 Quality Assurance Supervisor and subject matter expert in emergency medical dispatching protocols, with over a decade of experience serving in the 9-1-1 industry. In 2011, Jason began his career in 9-1-1 as a call-taker. In 2012, he was promoted to Communications Training Officer, responsible for helping to onboard new hires and shape training policy and curriculum. In 2014, Jason became an EMS and Fire Dispatcher and was named head of his agency's Morale Team. Throughout his career, he has routinely been involved in crafting and revising procedures and policies, often being the first point of contact for internal and external partners. Jason has extensive experience in creating classroom training targeted for 9-1-1 professionals, but has also conducted training for civilians assisting 9-1-1 during natural disasters. Jason also works as a contractor for Priority Dispatch Corporation as a Quality Assurance Analyst for multiple agencies. In 2018, he presented at the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch's (IAED) Navigator Conference and later joined the pilot program between the 911 Training Institute and IAED to develop the LifeBridges Suicide Protocol. Jason believes that growing up in a multi-ethnic household has prepared him to understand the challenges faced by many 9-1-1 centers today as the diversity of staff and population routinely presents situations in which traditional, cookie-cutter approaches will not yield results. Prior to working in the 9-1-1 industry, Jason had a variety of employment experiences that helped further refine his diverse world view. He has worked on air as a radio broadcaster and produced his own weekly news podcast. Jason has a history of searching for the hidden mechanisms in complex topics and finding creative ways to communicate that information to a broad audience. Jason holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from Arizona State University and has prior studied illustration and broadcasting in non-degree programs. He is an IAED certified Emergency Telecommunicator Course Instructor. Jason also speaks French and Spanish.

Job Titles:

• Leader
• MANAGEMENT & RESILIENCE / INSTRUCTOR and CONSULTANT

Jim Lanier has been a leader in 9-1-1 as a manager of communication centers and nationally as an advocate for dispatcher wellness for many years. He brings his passion for both to 911TI as an instructor and consultant, advancing optimal management practices and resilience. Jim Lanier is a Management & Resilience Instructor and Consultant with expertise in management practices for leaders in the 9-1-1 and EMS industries. He delivers training and provides consultation to help command staff and executive leaders optimize operations in the communications center.

Job Titles:

• Co - Founder
• CEO and CO - FOUNDER / LEAD INSTRUCTOR and CONSULTANT

Jim Marshall is a licensed mental health professional deeply embedded in the 9-1-1 industry. Jim guides the 911TI faculty in development of innovative curriculum and resources. He advocates for national initiatives upholding the well-being of our Very First Responders. Jim Marshall is a Co-Founder of the 911 Training Institute with his sister, Deborah Achtenberg, and his wife, Linda Marshall. He currently serves as the CEO and Lead Instructor for 911TI, strategically leading the organization in development of curriculum and resources to benefit the 9-1-1 industry. Jim is a leading voice in the 9-1-1 industry for mental health and dispatcher wellness. He is a mental health professional and educates telecommunicators in personal stress resilience and mastery of calls involving suicide and mental illness. Jim is co-editor of The Resilient 9-1-1 Professional: A Comprehensive Guide to Surviving & Thriving Together in the 9-1-1 Center. Jim has served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Emergency Dispatch and as Co-chair of the NENA Working Group that produced the NENA Standard on Acute/Traumatic and Chronic Stress. He also served as the Chair/CEO of the 911 Wellness Foundation, a former non-profit organization that was devoted to fostering the well-being of 9-1-1 professionals through research, education, policy and intervention. Jim's courses, presentations, pilot projects, and published works equip 9-1-1 telecommunicators and their PSAP leaders to achieve optimal health and performance as people and organizations in the evolving 9-1-1 center. Jim holds a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology from Wheaton College and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Michigan State University.

Job Titles:

• ASSISTANT
• TRAINING MANAGER
• Member of the Conference Exposition Committee for APCO International
• Retired 9 - 1 - 1 Supervisor

Kim Ostin is a retired 9-1-1 Supervisor with 33 years of service. She provides instructor support and customer care to 911TI's partnering agencies, assuring seamless delivery of our training and consulting services. Kim Ostin is the Assistant Training Manager, supporting 911TI administration and faculty instructors by providing customer care to partnering agencies to ensure seamless delivery of training and consulting services. Kim is a retired Dispatch Supervisor from the Sterling Heights Police Department (MI), where she had 33 years of service in the Communications Division. In her last 10 years as a supervisor, she was responsible for organizing training for telecommunicators. In 1999 and 2008, the department named her "Dispatcher of the Year". In 2010, Kim received the John Dankert Memorial Loyalty Award from the Police Officers Association of Michigan. Kim serves as a member of the Conference Exposition Committee for APCO International, as well as working on the Standards Development Committee and the Standards Development Training Sub-Committee. She serves as the National Executive Council Representative for the Michigan Chapter of APCO and co-chairs the Training Committee to organize training opportunities for Michigan telecommunicators. Kim is also a member of NENA and serves on the Young Hero Committee for the Michigan Chapter. Kim holds an Associate of Applied Sciences Degree in Law Enforcement. Since Kim's retirement, she has actively worked to bring attention, respect, and education to the profession of the 9-1-1 Telecommunicator.

Job Titles:

• CO - FOUNDER

Linda Marshall joined Jim Marshall and Deborah Achtenberg in creating 911TI. She advises in shaping all major 911TI initiatives and oversees financial bookkeeping. Linda Marshall, BA, is a Co-Founder of the 911 Training Institute with her husband, Jim Marshall, and his sister Deborah Achtenberg. She currently serves as the Treasurer, shaping all major 911TI initiatives and overseeing financial bookkeeping.

Job Titles:

• Marshall

Mary Whyte-Marshall is a masters-level registered nurse and clinical educator. She designs science-driven curriculum for 9-1-1 fostering optimal sleep, physical health, well-being and prevention of stress-related diseases.

Job Titles:

• MANAGEMENT & RESILIENCE / INSTRUCTOR and CONSULTANT
• Retired 9 - 1 - 1 Supervisor

Nicole Ford (formerly Nicole Janey) is a Management & Resilience Instructor and Consultant. She is a retired 9-1-1 Supervisor with 15 years of service. She is a champion for dispatcher wellness and peer support, and she brings that passion to her training and consulting to help first-responders. During Nicole's 15 years of service as a telecommunicator, she worked everything from small departments with combined responsibilities, to metro agencies with very defined and specific roles. All of this has provided her with a fundamental knowledge of the complexities that 9-1-1 PSAP's face on an operational and logistical level. In 2019, she won a state scholarship and completed the Communication Center Management Course through Fitch & Associates and the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED). Armed with this knowledge and experience, she stepped into the role of Training and Administrative Supervisor at a 9-1-1 PSAP, while simultaneously acting as second in command for an Emergency Management Department. Her role focused on re-organization and creating a structured training program for the department, as well as acting as the department liaison for 9-1-1, grants and budgeting needs. In addition to the physical challenges of PSAP management, Nicole has a heart for what truly makes 9-1-1 the incredible profession it is: the frontline personnel who answer the calls and radio traffic. In addition to the everyday traffic that the 9-1-1 PSAP handled, Nicole worked notable events such as the Boston Marathon Bombing and incidents that required tactical dispatching skills. In 2015-16, she won several recognition awards for her role managing an officer-involved shooting. She has been interviewed for PTSD911, a documentary film exploring the struggle of first-responders battling the demons of PTSD, produced by Emmy award winner, Conrad Weaver. The documentary focuses on the challenges that first responders face of battling mental health while continuing to be on the job. Nicole has been continually active in other venues within the first-responder world. She functioned as Point of Contact, and served as a peer, with the Greater Boston Law Enforcement CISM team. She has presented for the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) at both the national conference and the Critical Issues Forum, as well as Dare to Be Great 2 conference, and at the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation's (ICISF) international conference. She is on the Wellness Committee for NENA. She sat on the Peer Support working group, as well as co-chaired the 9-1-1 & Obesity sub-group for the Acute Stress working group. Prior to her career in 9-1-1, Nicole graduated from Gordon College with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work. She worked at a confidential domestic violence shelter, as well as a trainer for the state child abuse hotline. She represented the hotline in focus groups who were tasked with revamping the state's child welfare database. She also took specialized training in Pediatric/Adult Sexual Assault Examinations and Interviewing techniques. Nicole used her social work background to de-stress while dispatching and volunteered for several years on a farm that utilized equine and hippotherapy in individual and group settings. Nicole Ford is a retired 9-1-1 Supervisor with 15 years of service. She is a champion for dispatcher wellness and peer support and she brings that passion to her training and consulting to help first-responders.

Job Titles:

• at - Large Member
• Diversity & Inclusion Instructor and Consultant
• Expert
• Retired Information Technology Program Manager and Business Analyst from Ford Motor Company

Tyrone is a retired Information Technology Program Manager and Business Analyst from Ford Motor Company, where he led and supported diversity and inclusion efforts for more than 25 years. He served as the Chair of the Diversity Action Team and championed extensive organizational development and change management initiatives. Tyrone is passionate about historic social patterns that continue to influence individual and group interactions, both within and outside of work places. Tyrone is an At-Large Member serving on the Diversity & Inclusion Committee for the National Emergency Number Association, where he works with others in the 9-1-1 industry to increase awareness and organizational capabilities to engage in difficult conversations necessary to create a diverse and inclusive work environment in communication centers. R. Tyrone Kelsey is a Diversity & Inclusion Instructor and Consultant with expertise in implicit bias, racial diversity and inclusion. He creates and delivers innovative curriculum on these topics and consults with agencies to optimize team relationships and morale.

Job Titles:

• CONSULTANT
• INSTRUCTOR
• OUTREACH DIRECTOR
• Professional and a California POST Academy Instructor

Ryan Dedmon is the Outreach Director and an Instructor and Consultant. He supports 911TI's relationships with 9-1-1 professionals through personal outreach and engagement, managing the organization's social media. He also liaisons with 911TI's peer support program partners, facilitates resilience courses, and speaks at conferences. In 2002, Ryan had the opportunity to work an internship in the Gang Division at the Anaheim Police Department (CA), where he started his law enforcement career. The department hired Ryan to be a Police Cadet upon completion of his internship. He worked assignments at the Front Counter, Family Crimes, Sex Crimes, Robbery/Homicide and Dispatch Communications. In 2004, Ryan self-sponsored himself through the police academy at Fullerton College and graduated with over 1,000 hours of police training. Shortly after graduating, the department promoted Ryan to Communications Operator. Ryan repeatedly volunteered to teach citizens of Anaheim the proper use of 9-1-1 and non-emergency reporting options at the department's Public Awareness through Citizen Education (PACE) program and neighborhood watch meetings throughout the city. He partnered with Metro Cities Fire Authority to arrange for fire dispatchers to join him in making assembly presentations for kids at local elementary schools throughout the city. One of Ryan's greatest accomplishments was his idea to honor children who called 9-1-1 for assistance. He created a program with criteria that recognized extraordinary children who called 9-1-1 reporting an emergency. Ryan was instrumental in the documentation, criminal investigation, and arrest of several suspects involved with intentional misuse of the 9-1-1 Emergency System. Ryan worked with Patrol, Community Policing and Adult Protective Services and brought, for the first time, problem-oriented policing to the Communications Bureau by utilizing resources often overlooked to solve the root of problems. In 2012, the Southern California chapter of APCO International named Ryan "Telecommunicator of the Year". In 2013, Ryan retired as a Police Communications Operator. Shortly thereafter, he joined the 911 Wellness Foundation as a Subject Matter Expert and later became the organization's Communications Specialist. Ryan became a California POST certified Academy Instructor and joined the Regional Criminal Justice Training Center at Golden West College where he coordinated Orange County's Crisis Intervention Team training program for police officers and dispatchers. He currently co-coordinates the CIT training program at the Orange County Sheriff's Department (CA) in partnership with Santa Ana College. Ryan holds a Master of Arts degree in Forensic Psychology from Argosy University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Biola University. He is a certified CIT Coordinator through CIT International, Inc., and has contributed writings to The Journal of Emergency Dispatch, Law Enforcement Today and 9-1-1 Magazine. He sits on the Wellness Committee for the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) and participated on their Peer Support Work Group. He also sits on the Outreach Committee for the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED). Ryan Dedmon is a retired 9-1-1 professional and a California POST Academy Instructor. He supports 911TI's relationships with 9-1-1 professionals through outreach and engagement, managing social media, and facilitating training classes.

Job Titles:

• EDITOR
• Administrative Operations Manager of the Public Safety Department
• Editor of South of Heaven Press
• Trainer for Macnlow

Tracey Laorenza-Trask is the Editor of South of Heaven Press. In 2018, she partnered with Jim Marshall and co-edited The Resilient 9-1-1 Professional: A Comprehensive Guide to Surviving & Thriving Together in the 9-1-1 Center, a book that brought together an unprecedented group of subject matter experts in 9-1-1 emergency response, public-safety, mental health, organizational health, and pubic administration. Tracey also contributed as one of the authors to the book as well. Tracey currently serves as the Administrative Operations Manager of the Public Safety Department at a community college in Massachusetts. She believes the continued education of dispatchers is vital to stay current with the latest developments within state and federal laws, latest technologies, latest happenings, and to keep their skills sharp. Tracey began her career in 9-1-1 in Michigan as a call-taker and radio operator in 1998. In 2000, she was promoted to Communications Training Officer (CTO). In 2002, Tracey became a working Shift Leader where her responsibilities included being the Terminal Agency Coordinator (TAC), back up Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) coordinator, as well as a point of contact for the 800 MHz radio system. However, it was also during this time that she became responsible for overseeing the CTO program, which included the training of newly hired dispatchers as well as the continued education/training of current dispatchers. She routinely participated in writing and revising the CTO manual to continuously improve upon the training methods and material used to train new hires. It was her work with the CTO program and continuing education of current dispatchers that earned her the Civilian of the Year award for her department in 2003. Tracey became a trainer for Macnlow and Associates from 2007-2009. During that time, she partnered in creating, writing, and teaching the training class, When the Caller is a Kid. Tracey was also actively involved in the 9-1-1 Dispatch Academy at Oakland Community College from 2008-2016. Throughout the eight years Tracey spent at the academy she was involved in all facets of the academy: orientation, interviewing potential candidates, creating classes at the outset of the academy and ultimately training. Tracey returned to her home state of Massachusetts in 2016 where she began dispatching for a private college in Boston. She spent three years there and developed an eye for all things "Clery" related. The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) is the federal law that requires colleges and universities across the United States to disclose information about crime on and around their campuses. This became another avenue for Tracey to not only use her writing skills but allowed her to assist in creating training programs as required by the federal government, and work with multiple departments within the college to create safety and security practices for staff and students. In 2019, Tracey moved on to the community college where she is currently employed. She is responsible for all things related to communications, as well as compiling and writing the federally mandated Annual Security Report for the Clery Act. She is currently going through the process of becoming a nationally recognized certified Clery Compliance Officer (CCO) through the National Association of Clery Compliance Officers and Professionals (NACCOP). Tracey holds a Master of Arts degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University and a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. Tracey Laorenza-Trask is a 9-1-1 professional with over 20 years of service. She is the Editor of South of Heaven Press that published The Resilient 9-1-1 Professional: A Comprehensive Guide to Surviving & Thriving Together in the 9-1-1 Center.