Association News

My first month as IACLEA’s new executive director has been an opportunity to listen to you, the membership, and to the volunteer officers, directors, and leaders of this exciting organization.  What you have shared with me is that IACLEA is more than just a membership association.   

Why do campus law enforcement and public safety professionals join IACLEA?  It is because they are dedicated to their profession and mission.  IACLEA brings us together to share, support, connect, and learn from one another.  The association makes us successful in our careers, and it enhances our professional journey.  IACLEA also inspires us.  And, most importantly, IACLEA supports our ability to keep our campus communities safe.

A concentration on excellence, innovation, and growth is now our focus, as we begin immediately this month to take steps that drive IACLEA’s future success.  Your IACLEA leadership and staff are already laying the groundwork for an exciting and productive new era of opportunity.  Efforts are already underway to develop new partnerships with law enforcement and higher education organizations. We are also fully evaluating new, interactive member services and virtual training delivery systems, which will be accessed through IACLEA’s highly popular CONNECTIONS platform and through our website at www.iaclea.org. 

To further guide our path, in Fall 2019, IACLEA will undertake a comprehensive member engagement and needs assessment survey. We will reach out to each of our more than 4,000 current members, as well as prospective members.  Our goal is to understand how IACLEA can further serve its members by fostering innovation in its existing and future programs and services.  The survey findings will then serve as the basis for a strategic plan that will guide the organization’s growth and success—and its vision—for the future.

Another objective in coming months is to lay the foundation for continuous improvement and measurement.  We expect to establish key performance measures for IACLEA’s programs and services, as well as tools to assist us in measuring member satisfaction and engagement levels.  Together, these and other information-gathering efforts will serve as part of a data-based, decision-making model for IACLEA leadership.

Research and “thought leadership” will also play a critical role for IACLEA moving forward.  As the authority on campus public safety, IACLEA is uniquely positioned to provide credible and internationally recognized leadership on campus safety issues.  There are opportunities to partner with organizations for purposes of conducting much-needed research, identifying best practices, and offering solutions to higher education institutions seeking answers to complex problems.   To this end, IACLEA will not only establish strong ties within the higher education association community, but also with national policy makers. We want to ensure IACLEA and its members have a seat at the table and are heard when critical policy discussions take place.

Excellence, Innovation, and Growth.  With your input and support, IACLEA will excel and further innovate its service offerings; build its relationships; enhance its authority and recognition; and grow member engagement and participation.  I encourage you to participate fully in IACLEA and to share with your peers how to become part of this wonderful and exciting organization.