PORAC is heading to Nevada for the annual Symposium at the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort and Spa on June 5 and 6. Attendees will be able to participate in a variety of training sessions taught by experts from an array of fields, network with colleagues from across the state and have the opportunity to earn more than 13 hours of POST and STC credit over the two-day event.

This year’s Symposium is geared toward association training, with sessions that will provide members with the tips, tools and techniques they need for their associations to succeed. Training Coordinator Cathy Knape shares that she, along with the Training Committee, decided on the theme to showcase the timely and informative courses offered by the PORAC Institute, which equips members with training on leadership, legislation, wellness, negotiations and more year-round. “We provide these trainings so members’ associations can thrive,” she shares.

To that end, Symposium will feature courses that explore effective leadership, internal affairs representation and collective bargaining negotiations. “We’re bringing in our instructors who teach these topics to give you up-to-date information,” she says, noting that instructors will draw on their personal experiences and expertise to discuss balancing sworn and non-sworn members in an association, establishing a department-funded childcare center, dealing with negative public opinion and other topics.

In addition, Knape says that this year’s featured session, Returning to the Fight: Officers’ Perspectives on PTSD Recovery, is a must for members. In this poignant presentation, two Santa Cruz County deputies will provide a debrief on the June 2020 murder of Sergeant Damon Gutzwiller and share their path to recovery.

An exciting new component of this year’s Symposium is the “spouses’ agenda,” which is a set of training sessions tailored to law enforcement spouses and significant others that will be held on June 6. “I’m always thinking about the bigger picture when we look at the world of law enforcement. When you put on that uniform, your whole family wears your badge. If they don’t have the opportunity to understand what you go through, you add a tremendous weight on your shoulders,” Knape explains of her reasoning for introducing these classes. “Helping your spouse or significant other better understand law enforcement can create such a stronger bond. You never have to bear the weight of your trauma when you know someone is there to help you get through whatever you’re going through!”

Knape encourages members to attend all of PORAC’s events but especially this year’s Symposium, so that they can stay informed on what’s happening in the world of law enforcement. “We have an amazing lineup for our members to see what our association trainings are all about. This is a can’t-miss year!” she says.

The following is an overview of the training sessions that will be offered at Symposium.

Featured Session

Returning to the Fight: Officers’ Perspectives on PTSD Recovery by Emma Ramponi and Alexander Spencer

Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Deputies Emma Ramponi and Alexander Spencer will provide a debrief on the murder of Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Sergeant Damon Gutzwiller, who was fatally shot on June 6, 2020, during an ambush after he, Ramponi and Spencer responded to a call about a suspicious vehicle in the Northern California town of Ben Lomond. The deputies will also discuss the effect that the incident had on them and the path they took to recover from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

General Sessions

Assets and Liabilities by Paul Perez

This keynote session by National Border Patrol Council President Paul Perez will cover all things leadership, and whether you are an asset or a liability to your association.

Legislative Update by Randy Perry

Randy Perry, legislative advocate at Aaron Read and Associates, will discuss the bills being introduced in the State Legislature, how they impact law enforcement and the legislators who are pushing those bills to the top of the stack.

How to Be Your Association’s Internal Affairs Rep by Alison Wilkinson

Alison Wilkinson, principal attorney at Berry Wilkinson Law Group and of counsel to Messing Adam & Jasmine LLP, will instruct members on how to become their association’s representative when one of their members needs assistance with an internal affairs matter.

Duty to Intercede: A Leadership Tool to Mitigate Risk by Mike Ranalli

Regardless of tenure or rank, any peace officer who is present and observes another peace officer using force that is beyond what is needed has a duty to intercede in the incident. Mike Ranalli, an attorney and former chief of the Glenville, New York, P.D., will teach attendees how to mitigate risk and what is involved when an officer has to intercede.

Leadership Roundtable — Q&A Panel

Our esteemed group of panelists — Brian Marvel, Damon Kurtz, Barry Donelan, Alison Wilkinson, Antonio Cueva, Jazzmine DeForest, Bill Maxson and Mike Pruger — will be answering all your leadership questions in this session. Submit your questions here or ask them at the session.

Negotiate Like a Pro: Collective Bargaining Tips by John Coburn, Brandi Harper, Damian Stafford and Tim Talbot

Find out more about collective bargaining, how contract negotiations are presented and tips to bargain like a seasoned veteran from our experienced instructors: John Coburn, labor relations consultant with Mastagni Holstedt, APC; Brandi Harper, managing partner of Castillo Harper, APC; Damian Stafford, labor relations representative with Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver, PC; and Tim Talbot, principal at Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver, PC.

What’s Your Why? Starting a Peer Support Program by Lorenzo Glenn and Willie Triplett

Are you ready to establish a peer support program, but don’t know where to start? Peer support experts Lorenzo Glenn (ret.) and Willie Triplett of the Anaheim P.D. will show attendees how to take the first step, which starts with asking the question “What’s your why?”

Breakout Sessions

Retire, Reinvigorate and Repurpose: Designing Your Next Chapter by Sarah Creighton

Are you thinking about retirement, ready to retire or recently retired and don’t know what to do now? Sarah Creighton, former assistant chief of the San Diego P.D., will show you how to repurpose your law enforcement skill set into your next chapter.

How to Get Your Department to Build a Childcare Center by Brian Avera

Brian Avera of the San Diego POA will detail how the San Diego P.D. built a childcare center for its officers, how it was funded and the positive impact it’s having on employees.

Balancing Your Association With Sworn and Non-Sworn Members by Jazzmine DeForest

Tri-Counties Chapter Director Jazzmine DeForest, a non-sworn board member of the Santa Barbara County DSA, will discuss the benefits and challenges of combining sworn and non-sworn members in the same association and how to balance fairness for everyone.

A Proactive Approach to Wellness by Tiffany Attala and Devin O’Day

Everyone talks about wellness, but some can’t take the trust fall to get the assistance they need. Tiffany Attala, an experienced licensed marriage and family therapist, and Devin O’Day, chief development officer for First Responder Wellness, will show attendees how to take a proactive approach that may help not only them, but their brothers and sisters too.

How an Association Turned Public Opinion From Negative to Positive by Antonio Cueva

Every association has experienced a harmful opinion from the public at one time or another. Find out how one association was able to turn a downbeat opinion into a positive one and what they did to keep it there in this presentation by Santa Clara County Correctional POA Director-at-Large Antonio Cueva.

What You Probably Should Know About Association Leadership by Robert Bonsall and Barry Donelan

Corporate Counsel Robert Bonsall and Oakland POA Director-at-Large Barry Donelan will show attendees what they need to know if they’re going to be a leader in their association, including the proper way to run board meetings and how to resolve potential conflicts.

Classes for Spouses

Financial Matters by Danny Van Attenhoven

Danny Van Attenhoven, officer relations manager with CAHP Credit Union, will provide attendees with expert tips to ensure good financial health.

Peer Support for the First Responder Family by Tiffany Attala

Tiffany Attala will discuss a variety of ways that families can be involved with peer support in their spouse/significant other’s employment.

Significant Other Survival (SOS) by Tiffany Attala

This course was developed by Attala specifically for significant others in the field of public safety. The more significant others understand the public safety culture, the stressors and the effects this career has on personal lives, the greater the chance for healthy relationships and reduced stress for everyone.

Spouse Wellness by Tiffany Attala

Learning how to be there and support your law enforcement spouse/significant other may take a toll on you. Attala will teach attendees skills and tools to support their own wellness.