OFFICERS

President
John Didion - Sheriff, Pacific County

President Elect
Bruce J Bjork - Chief, Department of Fish & Wildlife

Past President
Colleen Wilson - Chief, Port of Seattle

Vice President
Mike Harum - Sheriff, Chelan County

Treasurer
Terry Davenport - Chief, Shelton Police Department

BOARD MEMBERS
John Batiste - Washington State Patrol
Bill Elfo - Sheriff, Whatcom County
Samuel Granato - Chief, Yakima
Ed Holmes - Chief, Mercer Island
Mike Humphreys - Sheriff, Walla Walla County
Laura Laughlin - SAC FBI
Tom Schilicker - Chief, Swinomish
Randy Stegmeier - Chief, Western WA University Department of Public Safety
Sue Rahr - Sheriff, King County

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Don Pierce

Meeting Minutes

Meeting Schedule

• November 16th
  In conjunction with the WASPC Fall Conference at Semiahmoo
• January 13th
  At the WASPC Office
• March 18th
  In Pacific County (specific location to be determined)
• May 17th
  In conjunction with the WASPC Spring Conference in Spokane

Information to be added soon.
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President Elect
Bruce J Bjork
Chief, Department of Fish & Wildlife

My career in law enforcement spans over thirty years, primarily with the Washington State Patrol (WSP). I have a BA in Liberal Arts with a Law and Justice major, and a MPA in Public Administration from the Evergreen State College. While with WSP, I progressed through the ranks and retired as Assistant Chief in 1997. In my course of duties with WSP, I have commanded Field Operations, Investigative Services, Intergovernmental Services, and the Crime Laboratory Division. I have 18 years as a command level manager and supervisor, and extensive contacts with criminal justice and other public safety fields. I have been a member of WASPC since 1989, and have served on a variety of WASPC committees. Over the last four years, my primary work with WASPC has been as a member of the Legislative Committee.
 
In the past I have served as an active member, or designee, on : WASPC Board, Washington State Criminal Justice Advisory Council; Washington State Organized Crime Advisory Board; Washington Fire Protection Advisory Board; Washington Forensic Investigation Council; Washington Law and Justice Advisory Council; Washington Emergency Management Council; and Washington Criminal Justice Training Commission. My law enforcement affiliations include: Police Executive Research Forum; International Association of Chiefs of Police; Washington Association of Sheriff's and Police Chiefs; American Management Association; Governor's Distinguished Managers Association; International Association of Arson Investigators; and Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies. I have been the recipient of the Governor's Distinguished Management Leadership Award in 1993, and an Award of Merit from the Washington State Patrol in 1983.
 
Currently, I am with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, Enforcement Program, having served as Assistant Chief since August of 1997, and currently as Chief since 1998. back to top

Sheriff Harum is a 34 year law enforcement veteran and the elected Sheriff of Chelan County. He has served in the Corrections, Civil, Criminal, and Patrol divisions of the Sheriff office. Sheriff Harum's law enforcement experience is entirely with the Chelan County Sheriff's office, but stretches beyond the boundaries of Chelan County to state and national levels.

Sheriff Harum has served in top leadership positions both in public administration and non-profit sectors. His career is characterized by an ability to lead traditionally prosaic, often financially limited, operations to new heights, and he has shown the business acumen, integrity and management skills to nurture organizations to sound financial positions.

Startup, turnaround and change management are among Sheriff Harum's strongest skills, and he has acquired a national reputation as a creative and results-oriented problem solver. He is known for creating new programs, managing projects, expanding the infusion of funding, and restructuring organizations. In addition, his accomplishments have attracted attention because of a special talent for creating mutually beneficial strategic alliances.

The Sheriff has been a member of WASPC since 1993 and has been actively involved in the Accreditation, LEMP and Legislative Committees. He holds positions on the WACO board, Families and Friends of Violent Crime Victims, and Fight Crime Invest in Kids. At the local level he is the board President of the DSV Crisis Center of Chelan and Douglas County, a board member of the United Way, Boy Scouts, and a member of the Wenatchee Downtown Rotary.

Chief Wilson began her work with the Port of Seattle Police Department on August 17, 2007. Prior to coming to the Port of Seattle, Chief Colleen E. Wilson was the chief of police in Sumner for nearly five years.

Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani said, "Colleen Wilson is exactly the right leader to make our police department one of the best in the country. She is an experienced chief, has received the respect and recognition of her peers in law enforcement, and has the mix of skills and experiences that are essential for this important job."

In Sumner, Chief Wilson directed 20 commissioned officers as well as emergency communications and animal control. The Sumner Police also provide services on contract to neighboring cities.

Before moving to the Sumner force in 2002, Wilson was responsible for officer certification on the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission. Before that, she was chief of police in Monroe. She began her career as an assistant city clerk in Monroe and rose through the ranks as a police officer, sergeant, and lieutenant before being named Chief in 1993.

Chief Wilson has been a vice president of the state's Association of Sheriff's and Police Chiefs and will serve as the President to WASPC in 2008. She was also the first female chief of police in Washington state.

"The Port of Seattle is a major gateway to the world, making their police department a vital law enforcement organization," Wilson said. "I am honored to have been selected as their chief and look forward to building on the foundation of 35 years of proud service."

Information coming soon.

Chief John R. Batiste is the 21st Chief of the Washington State Patrol. Governor Christine Gregoire
appointed Chief Batiste on February 14, 2005. The Washington State Patrol is the largest public safety, law enforcement agency in the state.

The Washington State Patrol is a statewide general authority Washington law enforcement agency employing over 2,300 (1,150 sworn and 1,150 professional support staff) personnel with a biennial budget of $369 million. Chief Batiste oversees the day-to-day management of the agency's six bureaus: Field Operations Bureau, Fire Protection Bureau (State Fire Marshal), Forensic Laboratory Services Bureau (statewide Crime Lab), Investigative Services Bureau, Management Services Bureau, and Technical Services Bureau.

Chief Batiste began his career with the Washington State Patrol in March 1976. He has promoted through the ranks of Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, and Deputy Chief with assignments in Field Operations, District 1 - Tacoma, Research and Development, and Human Resource Division. Chief Batiste retired from the Washington State Patrol in April 2002, with over 26 years of service. He has been the Assistant Chief of the Tacoma Police Department, and was recently the Deputy Chief of the Port of Seattle Police Department.

Chief Batiste obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Law Enforcement Administration from City University and is currently working on his Masters Degree in Organization and Human Resource Management.

Chief Batiste has been involved in a variety of activities and organizations, including his work with the Kenya National Police Force to create a National Police Chaplin Program and the South African National Police Force to assist with training and procedures on ethical policing.

Chief Batiste is an Executive Board Member of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs; Executive Board Member for the Western States Information Network; Washington Criminal Justice Training Commissioner; Washington Traffic Safety Commissioner; Chairman of the Governor's Methamphetamine Coordinating Council; member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Forensic Investigation Council, Governor's Council on Substance Abuse, and Governor's Emergency Management Council. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Northwestern University.

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Sheriff Bill Elfo is proud to lead the dedicated men and women that serve with the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Elfo began his law enforcement career in 1974 with the Pompano Beach Police Department in Broward County, Florida. He rose through the ranks to become a Police Captain and City Prosecutor/Police Legal Advisor. After 23 years of service, he moved to Whatcom County to accept the position of Public Safety Director for the City of Blaine. In 2002, he was appointed to serve as Whatcom County's Interim Sheriff. He was elected to the Office of Sheriff in 2003 and 2007.

Sheriff Elfo holds a Bachelors of Science in Criminal Justice, a Masters of Science degree in Criminal Justice and is a law school graduate (Juris Doctor). He graduated from a number of nationally recognized law enforcement and corrections training programs that include the University of Louisville's Southern Police Institute Administrative Officer's Course, the FBI National Law Institute, the FBI Command College and the United States Department of Justice's National Sheriff's Institute. He has completed thousands of hours of public management, legal and law enforcement training. He has served as a police academy instructor and an adjunct professor of criminal justice and legal studies at several colleges and universities.

Sheriff Elfo is the immediate past president of the Washington State Sheriffs' Association, a member and past president of the Whatcom County Sheriff and Police Chief's Association and is an active member of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, the Washington Association of County Officials and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. He is also a member of the Washington State Bar Association, the Bar of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington and the bars of several other state and federal jurisdictions.

Working to improve the criminal justice, homeland security and mental health systems, Sheriff Elfo regularly communicates with elected representatives and other officials at the state and national level. He has testified before the Congress of the United States on Homeland Security matters and the Washington State Legislature. Sheriff Elfo was appointed by Governor Christine Gregoire to service on the Criminal Justice Training Commission and the Governor's Organized Crime Advisory Board. He was appointed by Attorney General Rob Mckenna so serve as Chair of the Criminal Law and Sentencing Committee of the Attorney General's Methamphetamine Task Force.

Sheriff Elfo is active in the community and serves on the Bellingham-Whatcom County Commission Against Domestic Violence, the Whatcom County Law and Justice Council, the Whatcom County Chemical Dependency/Mental Health Fund Oversight Advisory Committee, the Americans With Disabilities Advisory Committee, the Whatcom Community College Law and Justice Advisory Committee and the Corporate Board of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Whatcom County.

Sheriff Elfo is the recipient of numerous awards that include the American Legion Man of the Year Award, the Whatcom County 2007 Whatcom County Association of Realtors Citizen of the Year, the 2008 Alzheimer Society of Washington's Ken King Community Service Award and the 2009 Boys and Girls Club's National Service to Youth Award.

Chief Sam Granato started with the Yakima Police Department on September 2, 2003. He was born in San Antonio, Texas. In 1973, he graduated from San Antonio College with an A.A. degree in Law Enforcement, and in 1977 received his B.S. degree from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. Chief Granato served with the Corpus Christi (Texas) Police Department and as Chief of the Kingsville (Texas) Police Department prior to moving to Yakima. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy Associates program. Since moving to Yakima, Chief Granato has become very involved with the Police Athletic League (PAL) Program and is a strong supporter of programs that reduce youth crime and gang activity. He is married to wife Esmeralda and has two daughters and two sons. In his spare time, he enjoys fishing and hunting.

Chief Holmes began his career in law enforcement in 1994 with the Mercer Island Police Department. He worked in a variety of assignments, to include Patrol, Detectives, School Resource Officer, and Special Operations before being promoted to Sergeant in 1998. As a Sergeant he was assigned to the Patrol section and later to the Personnel and Training unit. In 2003 he was promoted to Lieutenant, and then appointed as the Operations Commander. In this role, he was responsible for the Patrol Section, the Marine Patrol Unit, the Dive Team, the Bike Team, and the Special Operations Team. In 2006, he was appointed to serve as the Chief of Police.

Prior to working for Mercer Island, he worked as a Juvenile Rehabilitation Counselor for incarcerated youth at Echo Glen Children's Center. He spent his time working with the youth in the Sex Offender Unit as well as the Maximum Security Unit.

Chief Holmes received his Bachelor of Arts and Teaching degree from Seattle Pacific University in 1992. In 2003 he earned his Master of Public Administration degree from Seattle University. He is the Co-Chair of WASPC's LEMAP Committee, and a member of WASPC's Legislative Committee. He is also an active member of the Mercer Island Rotary club, where he serves on a variety of committees.

Mike Humphreys started his law enforcement career in 1973 as a reserve with the Spokane Police Department, graduating from the first reserve class held for that agency. In 1976 he became a deputy with the Walla Walla County Sheriff's Office. He worked his way up through the ranks as Detective (including undercover narcotics investigation), Sergeant and Captain. He was appointed to the position of Sheriff in January of 1998 and was subsequently elected to the position that same fall. He is currently serving his third term as Sheriff.

Sheriff Humphreys is a 1989 graduate of the FBI National Academy and a 1999 graduate of the National Sheriff's Institute. He has been a certified polygraphist since 1995. He earlier attended Spokane Falls Community College and Walla Walla Community College.

In 1989 Sheriff Humphreys became a member of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. He also holds memberships in the Washington State Sheriff's Association, the Western States Sheriff's Association, the National Sheriff's Association and the Northwest Polygraph Examiners Association. He presently serves on the State Forensics Investigative Council and has done so since 2004. In addition, he is active in several local service clubs and organizations, including the Walla Walla Co. Chemical Dependency Advisory Board, Walla Walla Wagon Wheelers Executive Board and the Sunrise Rotary Club of Walla Walla board.

Ms. Laughlin is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a major in English and a minor in Chemistry. She also completed graduate course work in Anatomy at Hahnemann University in Philadelphia. Ms. Laughlin entered on duty as a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in February, 1985. Her investigative assignments include postings in Portland, Omaha, New York, and the District of Columbia. Her duties as a case agent involved white-collar crime matters such as fraud against the government, financial institution fraud, public corruption/organized crime, and reactive investigations such as bank robberies, violent crimes, fugitives, and kidnappings.

While assigned to the New York Office, Ms. Laughlin was a Team Leader on a bribery scheme involving City health officials. She developed a public corruption/organized crime case involving the bilking of a city service contract by associates of the LCN to transport foster children throughout the five boroughs. Losses to the City were approximately $5 million.

In the District of Columbia, Ms. Laughlin was assigned to assist Judge Frederick B. Lacey pursuant to his appointment by then-Attorney General William P. Barr in October, 1992 to investigate issues related to the Banca Nazionale del Lavoro (BNL). She was then selected as the Case Agent assigned to an investigation of events surrounding the 1992 election campaign of then-Governor William J. Clinton and then-President of the United States George H. W. Bush for which the former United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, Joseph E. diGenova, was appointed as the Independent Counsel by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

In January, 1995, Ms. Laughlin was promoted to FBI Headquarters and served as a Supervisory Special Agent in the Public Corruption Unit. She was selected for a special assignment in January, 1996 to oversee corruption and drug trafficking cases along the southwest border.

In February, 1997, Ms. Laughlin was assigned as senior manager on the Campaign Financing Task Force during then-President William J. Clinton's Administration. She was promoted in October, 1997 to the Washington Field Office as the supervisor of a Governmental Fraud Squad. In January, 2000, Ms. Laughlin was promoted to Chief of the Financial Institution Fraud Unit where she worked with her then-U.S. Customs Service counterparts to develop a joint intelligence center for Intellectual Property Rights matters. In April, 2001, Ms. Laughlin was promoted to Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge in Philadelphia managing office resources for white collar and cyber crime investigations. Ms. Laughlin was promoted in October, 2003 to Chief of the Public Integrity/Civil Rights Section where she managed the FBI's Public Corruption, Governmental Fraud, and Civil Rights Programs. She was transferred in June, 2004 to assume the duties as Chief of the Criminal Intelligence Section where she was responsible for eight units consisting of 112 Intelligence Analysts and 11 Agents. In December, 2004, Ms. Laughlin was promoted to her current position as Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI's Seattle Division.

Information to be added soon.

Chief Stegmeier has 37 years of law-enforcement experience, including 30 years in a variety of roles with the University of Washington Police Department, where he was the assistant chief from 1995 to 2000. He also served as the commander of the state's Basic Law Enforcement Academy. A native of Selah, Chief Stegmeier has a bachelor of sciences degree in Police Science and Administration from Washington State University, graduated from the Law Enforcement Executive Institute in Seattle in 1983 and the FBI Command College in 1996. He has been the Chief of Police at Western Washington University since January of 2008.
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Sheriff Rahr has been in law enforcement for over 20 years, and earned a B.A. in criminal justice.

Sheriff Rahr began her exemplary career with five years on patrol at Precincts Two and Three and undercover narcotics. Following her promotion to sergeant, she supervised Precinct Four patrol and the Burglary/Larceny, Proactive, Criminal Warrants, and Special Assault Units. Six years later, she was promoted to operations lieutenant/captain at Precinct Three. She later served as the commander of the Internal Investigations and Gang Units, and the Special Investigations Section. She was promoted to major of Precinct Two in 1997, and was selected to be the police chief for Shoreline in 1998. She was Chief of the Sheriff's Office Field Operations Division for 4 1/2 years before being selected as Sheriff.

Sheriff Rahr was born in Wyoming, but moved to Bellevue when she was five. She has six brothers, and says that her place in the family has influenced her leadership style.
"I couldn't overpower them, so I had to find solutions that gave us something for everyone. Of course, it also taught me to be tough when I need to be," says Rahr.
Today, Sheriff Rahr is married with two teenage sons..

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Don Pierce started his law enforcement career in the state of Washington in 1972. He worked for several Sheriff's Offices in Eastern Washington and the Pullman Police Department. From 1979 to 1984 he was the Director of Public Safety for the City of Normandy Park, Washington. From 1984 to 1988 he served as Police Chief in Tukwila Washington. In 1988 he was appointed Chief of Police in Bellingham, Washington where he served for 12 years. He moved to Boise Idaho in 2000 to assume the duties of Police Chief for that City. In May of 2004 he was appointed the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Idaho. In March of 2005 he assumed the duties of Executive Director for the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC).

EDUCATION Pierce holds a B.S. in Police Science and Administration and a M.A. in Criminal Justice from Washington State University. He is a Past President of WASPC and served as the elected Treasurer of the International Association of Chiefs of Police for seven years.