Major General Stephen Layfield
Strategic Planning
Expertise: Over 30 years of senior leading and training experience, leading and managing the training and development of large diverse American and multi-national organizations of up to 42,000 personnel. Proven record of formulating and achieving strategic organizational goals. Highly effective strategic planner and communicator. Expert at developing effective leaders and high performing teams.
Experience: MG (R) Layfield’s last Army active duty assignment was as Director, Joint and Coalition Warfighting Center/Director Joint Training J7, the Senior Joint Trainer for the Department of Defense. He led the DoD to develop and invest in revolutionary training systems in order to improve performance of our Joint Forces. Planned and managed the strategic path of training Modeling and Simulation for the DoD and testified to benefits of this strategy before a Congressional committee resulting in the Nation’s Modeling and Simulations current strategy. He also served as Director of the of the most senior leader development and education program in the DoD.
As the Senior Operations Officer for a 30,000-person organization, He led the integrated Strategic planning for the organization’s invasion of Iraq and helped produce courses of action for the National Command Authorities. MG Layfield is an experienced strategic leader and planner. As the Deputy Commander and senior Operations and Intelligence officer of the NATO mission in Afghanistan, MG Layfield (R) was responsible for the full range of combat operations and coordinated and led the activities of this 37 nation military coalition.
He has held numerous commands and senior staff positions including; Commanding General U.S. Army Alaska, Commander, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division as well as command at the Battalion Task Force level. Key staff assignments include serving as the Operations Officer for US Army V Corps, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Intelligence for Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps, and operational duty on the Joint Staff. He has numerous deployments including; Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan, Operation Joint Guard/Endeavor in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Task Force Able Sentry in the Republic of Macedonia.
Scholarly Work/Publications/Awards:
Major General(R) Layfield has appeared in several training publications, co-sponsored numerous Joint Warfighting doctrinal manuals and has spoken widely on Training and Leader Development. He has received numerous Military awards to include the Bronze Star.
Education:
M.A. General Administration, Central Michigan University, B.S. Engineering, United States Military Academy, West Point, US Army War College, Armed Forces Staff College
Current Activities and Organizations:
He founded S.R. Layfield Associates LLC in Nov 2011 after his last Army active duty assignment as Director, Joint and Coalition Warfighting Center. He is a member of The Spectrum Group, an Alexandria Virginia based consulting firm and serves as a senior advisor and faculty member to the Thayer Leader Development Group at West Point New York. Additionally, Layfield serves as a senior advisor for “ALELO Inc. a cultural and language learning company and “Advantage Factory LLC “, a security focused software firm.
He is currently on the Board of Directors for Bohemia Interactive Simulations Inc.,
Pro-Vigil Inc. and Navigate 360 Inc.
A member of Association of the US Army and serves on Advisory Boards of “Mission Readiness”, a non-profit dedicated to national security issues and “Guitars for Vets”, a nonprofit dedicated to the healing of vets with post traumatic stress disorder.
Ernie Stevens
Crisis Intervention
Ernest Stevens was one of the founding members of San Antonio PD’s Mental Health Unit where he pioneers innovative training to provide law enforcement with a deeper understanding of citizens living with mental health diagnoses and the real-world skills necessary to assist them.
Ernie was born and raised in San Antonio, TX. He has been married for 16 years and has two incredible children.
Ernie started his law enforcement career in 1992 when he joined the Terrell Hills Police Department; he then transitioned to the San Antonio Police Department in 1994.
Ernie has been assigned to a wide variety of units throughout his 28-year career, helping him gain a deeper understanding of the unique struggles police encounter on a daily basis. He has served with the Patrol, DWI unit, Tactical Response unit, Field Training, and currently to the mental health unit where he has been for the last 12 years.
Ernie is an advanced instructor and has been certified by the FBI in hostage negotiations.
Ernie has served as a Board of Director for NAMI in the early 2000’s. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and is currently enrolled in Grad school.
Ernie has been the subject of several documentaries including HBO’s award winning Ernie and Joe: Crisis Cops, NBC’s, A Different Kind of Force and coverage on ABC Nightline. Ernie is dedicated to continue the effort to find better ways for law enforcement and the community to connect with each other.
Mitch Javidi, PhD
Leadership
Mitch Javidi is an envisioneer with over 30 years of practical and hands-on Leadership Development experience in diverse industries including Academia, Military, Law Enforcement, Government, and Technology. As a globally recognized leader, he is the founder of the National Command & Staff College, Institute for Credible Leadership Development and the Criminal Justice Commission for Credible Leadership Development.
He has trained at the Joint Special Operations Command “JSOC” and the US Army Special Operations Command “USASOC.” He was awarded the honorary member of the United States Army Special Operations Command in 1999, honorary Sheriff by the National Sheriffs’ Association in 2016 and honorary Police Commander by the Santa Fe ISD Police Department (2019).
He was also the recipient of the “Spirit Award” from the National Tactical Officers’ Association. This prestigious award is presented by NTOA to an individual whose work saves lives (2019).
He served as a tenured Professor at NC State University for 16 years before taking an early retirement but continues to serve as an Adjunct professor without pay (by choice) at both NC State and Illinois State Universities.
He is a member of the “Academy of Outstanding Teachers and Scholars” at NC State University and the Distinguished 2004 Alumni of the University of Oklahoma. Mitch is the developer of “MAGNUS OVEA,” a general theory of Officers’ Wellness, Resiliency and Leadership.
He is a published scholar with over 890+ conference presentations worldwide to include presentations for Fortune 500 companies as well as top Public Safety organizations including FBI NAA, Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association (HAPCOA), HIDTA, National Tactical officers Association (NTOA), California Police Chiefs Associations, National Sheriffs Association (NSA), Women Leadership in law Enforcement (WLLE), California Chief of Police Association (CATO), and may other national and state associations. As well, he has provided educational programs for NYPD, LAPD, Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office, Ogden Police Department, NC State Patrol, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Walnut Creek Police Department and 200+ other agencies nationwide.
His most recent co-authored article was published in the Police Chief Magazine. Two of his coauthored articles have been published by the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin ~ “Human Factors: Police Leaders Improving Safety While Developing Meaningful Public Trust” and “Unbundling Beliefs and Values.” His select books include “Deliberate Leadership: Achieving Success Through Personal Styles,” “Handbook of Research on Effective Communication, Leadership, and Conflict Resolution”, and “Moral Compass for the Law Enforcement Professionals”. Dr. Javidi was the recipient of prestigious “Person of the Year” award by the National Society of Accountants ~ Senator William Victor “Bill” Roth, Jr. “Roth IRA” received the award in the following year.
Bob Hood
Corrections
Bob Hood has over 45 years of correctional experience at the local, state and federal levels. He retired from the United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), as warden of America’s most secure prison — the United States “Supermax” Penitentiary in Florence, Colorado. In his role as warden, he communicated daily with high-profile gang leaders, terrorists, spies, and disruptive inmates. During his career, he served as warden to four institutions, BOP’s Chief of Internal Affairs, Assistant Director (Staff Training Academy) – Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, and various positions in correctional education programming.
After retiring from the federal government, Bob worked for GE Homeland Protection as their National Security Specialist, and was a consultant/board member to numerous companies. He taught criminal justice studies at several colleges and universities, and presented sessions at national and international prison conferences. He has significant experience in training applications for correction settings (to include subjects such as emergency preparedness, managing disruptive inmates, and staff development).
Bob trained hundreds of correctional administrators and is nationally recognized for his leadership skills in high-security environments. He has an MA in Education and post-graduate work in Criminal Justice.
Security Magazine identified Bob as one of the “Top 25 Most Influential People in the Security Industry,” and CBS aired a “60 Minutes” special on his ability to effectively manage the most secure prison in America. He continues to appear on national radio and television shows to address criminal justice-related issues.
Rob Sarra
Instruction
Rob Sarra’s extensive military and law enforcement background in tactics, instructing, combat leadership and public speaking along with his approachable, outgoing demeanor makes him adaptable to various environments from the classroom, interacting with the community or corporate executives, to patrol, tactical and combat operations.
Rob was born and raised in Chicago and enlisted the U.S. Marine Corps in 1995. Specializing in the infantry field over the span of ten years, he was both an instructor and leader of Marines. In 2003, Rob was assigned as an infantry squad leader and acting platoon sergeant with the 1st Marine Regiment and deployed as part of the initial ground forces during combat operations in Iraq in 2003.
After his honorable discharge, Rob returned to Chicago and began a career as an Illinois Law Enforcement Officer. Over his fifteen years of experience serving in County, Federal and Local jurisdictions, he found himself drawn to the community policing aspect of law enforcement. Rob concentrated on building positive relationships with the residents of his patrol zones by leading community meetings and assisting with his department’s citizens police academy as an instructor. Rob’s other duties included Range Officer, Firearms Instructor, Department Armory Custodian, Rapid Response Instructor, Field Training Officer and School Resource Officer. Rob continues to currently serve as a police officer in a part time capacity at a small suburban police department.
Joining Controlled F.O.R.C.E. as the Deputy Director of Business Development in January of 2019, Rob brought his vast military and law enforcement experience to the training world. Along with establishing outside business relationships, Rob is one of the lead instructors for De-Escalation and Situational Awareness. Rob’s other duties include defensive tactics and tactical movement instructor, physical security consultant and school and workplace safety instructor.
Dr Darrin Porcher
Criminal Justice Expert Witness
Dr. Darrin Porcher regularly participates as a Criminal Justice commentator as an expert on police procedures and tactics and terminal issues in public safety with ABC News, NBC NEWS, CBS NEWS, NEWSMAX, United Nations World News, MSNBC, CNN, and FOX NEWS. Dr. Porcher is the founder of Innovative Public Safety & Media LLC.
Dr. Porcher received his BA in Organizational Management from St. Josephs College, and an Masterd in Public Administration (MPA) from Marist College. Dr. Porcher received his Doctorate Degree from Fordham University.
Dr. Porcher retired from the New York City Police Department as a Lieutenant after 20 years of service. Dr. Porcher is also a retired Officer with the United States Army Reserve. Dr. Porcher is currently a professor of Criminal Justice at both Pace University and Monroe College.
Athena Grace
Social Intelligence
Athena Grace, founder of Schemata LLC, is a Social Intelligence Strategist and Human Behavior Expert. She specializes in personality profiling and altering unconscious schema biases to maximize organizational performance, communication techniques and, ultimately, culture transformation.
Athena brings more than a decade of experience in personality profiling, non-verbal communications techniques and recognizing human behavior patterns in order to assist corporations in areas such public relations strategy, image control and repair, strategic partnerships, personnel alignment, executive match-making and mediation techniques, among other situations.
Using a variety of intricate screening techniques, she is able to discreetly determine an individual’s personality preferences and underlying schema or personal vantage point in moments, crafting a highly intuitive assessment of how a potential individual would react to, and interact with, others in specified scenarios.
Athena has worked on the inside of military operations for the Army Special Operations Command, engaging directly with special forces personnel and senior leadership to profile and train soldiers on the skills necessary for intelligence work.
She is a Certified Practitioner for the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and is licensed to professionally administer and interpret instrument results. Athena holds a graduate certificate in industrial and organizational psychology as well as being professionally certified in surveillance and counterintelligence techniques, reading micro-expressions, neuro-linguistic programming, non-verbal communication and sophisticated modes of human lie detection, which informs her ability to assess and advise on delicate and complex situations.
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