Law Enforcement Officials from Tampa, Sarasota, Seminole, Temple Terrace, and Zephyrhills Participated in Program that Prepares Them for Leadership Roles
Officers and officials from five Florida law enforcement agencies, who make up the 27th cohort of Saint Leo University’s Command Officer Management Program, received their diplomas on Tuesday, June 6.
A graduation ceremony was held at the Tampa River Center in Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park in Tampa, FL. This cohort was hosted by the Tampa Police Department and newly-named Chief Lee Bercaw was the guest speaker. Bercaw earned his Doctor of Criminal Justice degree from Saint Leo in 2021 and has taught classes for the university.
Saint Leo University’s Command Officer Management Program was designed to provide onsite education that prepares law enforcement officers for the transition to command staff by addressing areas such as leadership, ethics, human resources, critical incident management, and other relevant administrative competencies. The 18-credit hour certificate program consists of six courses during six months (three terms) for undergraduate or graduate academic credits.
The Sarasota Sheriff’s Office will sponsor the next cohort for Saint Leo’s Command Officer Management Program and agencies are encouraged to apply.
Class XXVII graduates and their agencies are:
Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office: General Counsel Julie Herd, Director Willie Holland, Lieutenant Scott Huber, Lieutenant Mark LeFebvre, and Lieutenant Adam Shaw;
Seminole Police Department: Detective Sergeant J. Ken Azpeitia, Sergeant Kurt Pinto, and Officer Jose Vega;
Tampa Police Department: Corporal Rose Angelakopoulos, Lieutenant Benjamin Brown, who also served as the class president, Sergeant Stephen Drabiniak, Lieutenant Whitney McCormick, Sergeant David Michelson, Sergeant Robin Polk, and Lieutenant Regina Zeigler;
Temple Terrace Police Department: Captain Chris Mills; and,
Zephyrhills Police Department: Lieutenant Matthew Hillen.
For more information on the program, contact Nikki Heister at Nikki.heister@saintleo.edu or (352) 588-8487.
Saint Leo University offers criminal justice degrees at all levels and with several specializations.