Meet Our Instructors

---

Course(s) Taught: A Practical Guide to the Freedom of Information Act

James Branson is the in-house counsel for the City of Midland, Michigan. He has been the full time City Attorney for the past 17 years. 

Before entering his current position, he was in private practice for 11 years where he worked in most areas of the law including handling criminal, civil, federal, municipal and township issues.

As part of his current duties, he is the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Coordinator for the City of Midland where his office handles approximately 600 individual FOIA requests per year. Outside of FOIA requests he has handled in excess of 16,000 cases in both local, state and federal courts.  

He was also awarded the 2007 Distinguished Municipal Attorney Award for the State of Michigan. 

Mr. Branson has been active on a number of boards and an active member of the Michigan Bar Association, American Bar Association and the International Municipal Lawyers Association. 

Mr. Branson is admitted to practice in state, federal courts and also the United States Supreme Court.

Course(s) Taught: Budgeting for Law Enforcement Professionals, Managing Generational Differences in the Workplace

Chief Jeff M. Pearson an FBI, NA graduate, holds a Master’s degree and is a frequent presenter for the Florida Leadership Academy. He explains the municipal budgeting process and negotiation tactics through his years of experience. A favorite leadership topics presenter and popular police chief, his skills with finance, understanding how the municipal formulas work, and light hearted humor will make a daunting topic actually easy to learn.

Jeff Pearson has been employed with the Satellite Beach Police Department since January 1987. On August 1, 2011, was promoted from Deputy Chief to Police Chief. Chief Pearson is responsible for all department operations such as the patrol division, criminal investigations division, records division, and evidence division, along with the police department’s administration, operations, policies and budget.  

Chief Pearson started as a dispatch trainee and was in April 1989 he was hired as a fulltime police officer.  In 1990 he was transferred to detective division where he spent just under three years.  In 1993 Chief Pearson was promoted to corporal and assigned to road patrol.  In 1994 he was promoted to Sergeant.  In 2002 he was promoted to the position of Staff Sergeant.  In January of 2005, Chief Pearson was promoted to the position of Investigations Commander. Chief Pearson was responsible for the detective division, communications and the school resource officers. 

In January of 2006 Chief Pearson was fortunate enough to attend and graduate from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia (Session #224) where he took 5 masters level classes and also earned the famed Yellow Brick. 

In October of 2008, Chief Pearson was promoted to the position of Deputy Chief where he was responsible for the Field Training Officer Program, Motorcycle Unit, Selective Traffic Enforcement Unit, and the DUI enforcement program, Budgeting, Evidence, and Records. 

Chief Pearson moved to Brevard County from Rochester, New York in 1979.  In 2003 he graduated from The University of Central Florida with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology.  In December 2006, Chief Pearson graduated from Webster University with a Master’s degree in Public Administration.  

In 2007 Chief Pearson distinguished himself with regard to his leadership abilities and community service by being nominated and ultimately being selected as one of Lead Brevard’s “4 under 40” winners. This award is presented to the four young professionals in the county who show outstanding leadership qualities and strong community involvement. 

Course(s) Taught: U LEAD - Re-Energize, Re-Engage, Re-Commit

Greg Blake is the “Chief Engagement Officer” and founder of PepWorks International. A former Leadership Development Specialist with BMW, and Denny’s, Blake’s mission is to Positively Engage Professionals in Law Enforcement and Fire Departments in these challenging and uncertain times.

He has conducted conference keynotes and training sessions with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida, GA and NC Police Chiefs Associations, Florida Sheriffs Association, Florida Dept. of Corrections, Orlando PD, Orange County Sheriffs, Miramar PD, Sanford PD, Palm Beach Sheriffs, North Miami Beach PD, Manatee Sheriffs, Fort Myers PD, Seminole County Sheriff’s, Raleigh, NC PD, Kansas Police Chiefs Association, Boeing, Ford, BASF, USAA, Lockheed Martin, Volvo, Motorola, Michelin, USAA, Center for Disease Control, Duke University Medical Center, Mass General Hospital, Clemson University, and the University of SC.

Described as a 6’7” live wire by his peers and business colleagues, Greg engages his audiences and classes with an enthusiasm and presence that is contagious. He practices and models what he teaches and puts to work in his own life the principles he espouses. He has touched the hearts of thousands.

A reader of two books a week, Greg believes in an approach to training that is practical, applicable and memorable. He provides tools, tips and techniques that can be implemented immediately back at the work site. 

His memoirs, “Carving the Table” is now on Amazon in e-book format.

He is married to Debbie and has his own 4H Club: Heather, Heidi, Hans and Heston, known as his 4H club! His hobbies include voracious reading, collecting antiques and travel.

Course(s) Taught: The Art of Science and Interrogation, Prison Rape and Sex Assault Investigations Inside Correctional Facilities (PREA), Sexual Assault Investigations and Interrogation Tactics, Child Rape and Sex Assault Investigation

Mark Booher is a former Deputy Prosecutor from the Fourth Judicial District in Washington County, Arkansas.  As an experienced trial attorney, Mark has conducted numerous jury trials in cases ranging from murder and bank robbery, to sex assault and other crimes.  He is also a Certified Law Enforcement Instructor and Certified Child Forensic Interviewer.

Mark served in the United States Army where he specialized in interrogations, force protection, and physical and information security.  He was trained in both the U.S. and British interrogation and debriefing methods.  

After his military service, Mark attended the University of Arkansas School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor degree.  He also holds a Bachelors of Arts in Business Administration from Columbia College, where he graduated magna cum laude.

Mark is the creator of Sex Assault Investigations & Interrogations© and its companion course, Prison Rape & Sex Assault Investigations Inside Correctional Settings©.  He has taught extensively in the area of criminal law and procedure and is a featured instructor for Training Force USA

Course(s) Taught: Criminal Profiling - Let the Crime Scene Tell the Story, Criminal Profiling - From the Investigator's Viewpoint

Dayle Hinman is a renowned and celebrated criminal profiler and homicide investigator whose career spanned over 26 years as a sworn law enforcement officer.  As one of a handful of women in her field, she was formally trained in criminal profiling at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Behavioral Science Unit at Quantico, Virginia. 

She has successfully investigated hundred of crimes perpetrated by murderers, rapists and sexual offenders, including infamous killers Aileen Wuornos, Danny Rolling and Ted Bundy!

Ms. Hinman’s success as one of the country’s leading forensic profilers led to a career in television as the host of TruTV’s "Body of Evidence: From the case files of Dayle Hinman," a riveting series in which she guides you through her most puzzling cases and explains how they were solved – often with no eyewitnesses, little evidence and no apparent motive!

Ms. Hinman is a court certified expert in Crime Scene Assessment and lectures nationally and internationally on Criminal Profiling, Crime Scene Analysis, Threat Assessment and Serial Offenders. Dayle is a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and is a featured speaker for Training Force USA.

Course(s) Taught: Hunting the Ghost! Exposing, Investigating, and Prosecuting Fraudsters, 'Tis the Season for Fraud! Investigating and Prosecuting Seasonal Fraud Trends, R.I.C.O. and Money Laundering Investigations, Investigations for LEOs and New Investigators, Supervising an Investigative Unit, Sup-HER-visor, Community Policing, and Master Instructor!

Sergeant Hearon is supervisor of the Economic Crime Task Force and Fraud Unit of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.  She heads a multi-agency task force and conducts fraud training classes. 

Sergeant Hearon started her law enforcement career as a patrol officer at Edgewater Police Department in Volusia County before accepting a job as a deputy for the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office in 1998.  She worked her way through several positions; Community Policing Deputy, Corporal and Agent.  She was an Agent for over 11 years, specializing in fraud investigations, before accepting the position of Sergeant. Sergeant Hearon is now a twenty (20) year veteran of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. 

Sergeant Hearon graduated from Seminole College Police Academy in 1990, earned an (A.A.) degree in Criminal Justice from Brevard Community College and a (B.S.) degree in Organizational Management with a minor in Emergency Management from Eastern Florida State College. She instructed for ten (10) years at the Brevard Community College Police Academy, teaching Investigations and Crime Scene.  Currently, Sergeant Hearon is a member of the ACFE and working towards her CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner.) .

Course(s) Taught: Officer Involved Shooting, Law Enforcement Officer Rights In The Workplace And The Decertification Process

George Hachigian was a former Broward County Deputy Sheriff for more than eleven years, where his last assignment was Officer-in-Charge of the Domestic Violence Control Squad.  During his career, Mr. Hachigian was also assigned to the Department of Detention, Uniform Patrol Division, Selective Enforcement Team, and the Organized Crime Airport Drug Interdiction Unit.  

Mr. Hachigian retired as the Chief of Staff for the Florida State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police Inc. (FOP), where his responsibilities include representing law enforcement officers (LEOs) in all non-criminal matters, e.g., contract negotiations, internal affairs representation, grievance hearings, disciplinary hearings, settlement hearings, arbitration hearings, and critical incident response.  Mr. Hachigian has been representing law enforcement officers for more than 30 years, and has handled more than 300 officer-involved shootings and 2,500 administrative cases. Mr. Hachigian is also the President of H&R Consultants and consults with various law enforcement agencies across the county. 

Mr. Hachigian is the only non-attorney qualified representative in the State of Florida certified by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s (FDLE’s) Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission (CJSTC) and the State of Florida’s Department of Administrative Hearings. As such, he represents LEOs at Decertification Hearings before the Commission. Mr. Hachigian has received commendations from the CJSTC for developing and implementing an 8-hour instructional program on Officer Decertification and Officer Rights in the Workplace.  He appears before the State of Florida’s Public Employees Relations Commission on a regular basis for labor related matters. He is the Past Chairman of the National FOP Education Services Committee.  

Mr. Hachigian has a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Concordia College and an Associate of Arts degree in Commerce from Henry Ford College; graduate of the Force Science Certification Course, received a certification from Harvard Law School for Negotiating Collective Bargaining Agreements; and, received a certification from Florida International University’s Union Leadership Academy for Labor Research and Studies. He is a Florida certified police instructor and teaches nationwide on various law enforcement related matters

Course(s) Taught: Staff Inspections

Commander Brad Hodge is a 28 year law enforcement veteran, currently employed by the City of Satellite Beach Police Department in east central Florida.  He attended the Institute of Public Safety in Gainesville, Florida, where he received his police certification and earned his Associate of Arts degree from Eastern Florida State College. Additionally, Commander Hodge attended the University of North Florida, University of Virginia and finally the University of Central Florida’s College of Public Administration. Commander Hodge is a graduate of the 218th session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.  

Commander Hodge is currently assigned as the Support Services Commander and is responsible for the management of the Criminal Investigations Division, Communications Division, Professional Standards and Accreditation, Training, Internal Affairs and all department matters in the absence of the Chief of Police. Commander Hodge’s current responsibilities also include writing and reviewing agency policies and practices in accordance with state accreditation and legal standards and oversight of all internal audits and inspections. The Satellite Beach Police Department was awarded Excelsior Accreditation status in 2015 by the Commission for Florida Accreditation in recognition of outstanding accomplishments in accreditation for 20 years. 

Commander Hodge is a documented subject matter expert through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and in 2013 was selected by FDLE to participate in rewriting portions of the text books used at the state police academy centers throughout Florida.  

Commander Hodge is a certified Accreditation Assessor and Team Leader for the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation. Commander Hodge routinely travels with a team of assessors to other law enforcement agencies throughout the state to evaluate their ability to meet and maintain state accreditation requirements. He is an active member of the Florida Police Chief’s Association, Brevard Police Chief’s Association and the FBI National Academy Association

Course(s) Taught: Investigating Using Social Media And The Internet, Investigating Gangs Using Social Media And The Internet

Sergeant Hyder is a 13 year veteran of the Metro Nashville Police Department in Tennessee. In 2005 he took a position as a Detective in the Intelligence/Gang Unit and served in that capacity until his promotion in 2013. Sergeant Hyder is also the Vice President of the Middle Region for the TNGIA, (Tennessee Gang Investigators Association). Sergeant Hyder lectures across the state and around the country regarding Street Gangs, Hybrid Gangs, Youth in the Street culture, Using MySpace and Social Network Sites for Law Enforcement. Sergeant Hyder instructs recruits at the Metro Nashville Police Academy and teaches classes at Vanderbilt University, TLETA, (Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy), and for Training Force USA.

Course(s) Taught: Advanced Counterfeit Document Detection for Law Enforcement

David Myers, is a Law Enforcement Chief and Manager of Forensic Science and Security at the Florida Lottery. Chief David Myers is a 35 year Law Enforcement veteran with 25 years of forensic Document experience.  Chief Myers Retired in 2006 as Chief of Law Enforcement for the Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, with prior positions as Special Agent, State Trooper and Police Officer. He has conducted training for over 400 different Law Enforcement, Military and Intelligence Agencies. 

Agencies trained:

Regional Intelligence Centers, NYPD, US Attorney’s Office,  ARMY-CID, NAVY-NCIS, AIR FORCE-OSI, United States Secret Service, NASA IG, TSA,  United States Department of State, INS, FBI, CIA, NSA ,NCIX,  US Capitol Police, United States Senate Office of Investigation and many state, county  and local police departments in all 50 States and Canada.

In 2000 and 2004, Chief Myers testified before the United States Congress on False Identification Issues.  He was also Florida’s Law Enforcement Officer of the Year for 2000 and the NLLEA National Law Enforcement Officer of the Year for 2001-2002.

David Myers works on designs of new technology to assist law enforcement in the detection of counterfeit identification. He is a certified expert in electronic devices and a FCC licensed electronics technician. Chief Myers has been asked to assist in the design of many state Driver License, Military ID, Passports, US VISA and Immigration Documents. In 2008-2011, he was the Document Security Manager for the State of California.

David Myers has been used by the Federal Trade Commission as an Expert to enforce Internet sales of false identification.  This activity produced the first civil case against Internet sales.  He was Chief National ID fraud trainer/Advisor for the American Assoc. of Motor Vehicle Administrators. Currently counterfeit currency consultant for PMG Currency.

Chief Myers has been requested to be an advisor for or assist the FBI, FAA office of Security, US Secret Service, INS, US Senate Permanent Committee on Investigations, DOD, Office of Domestic Protection, NYPD,  AAMVA, State DMV's and many others.

He has also been involved in hundreds of criminal cases involving possession of false identification, sales of false ID and counterfeiting. He has reviewed over 50,000 counterfeit ID’s and was requested to assist in the 9-11 Investigation.

Chief Myers maintains the most updated information of false documents and has appeared or quoted in: 48 Hours, CBS Early Show, Good Morning America, 20/20, Dateline, CNN, C-Span, Jane Pauley Show, NBC, MSNBC, CBS, FOX, ABC, Florida News Network, Insight, National Public Radio, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Atlanta Constitution, San Francisco Chronicle, New York Times, Kansas City Star, Jacksonville Journal, Florida Times Union, Tallahassee Democrat, St Petersburg Times, Orlando Sentinel, Boston Globe, Miami Herald, Denver Daily, LA Times, Yoromari (Japan), The Daily (London),Taipei Times (Taiwan), The Industry Standard, US News and World Report, The Wall Street Journal,  AMA Journal and USA Today

Course(s) Taught: Responding to LGBTQIA+ Victims of Crime, Preventing Sex Abuse/Rape of LGBTQIA+ Persons In Correctional Facilities, Diversity: Depth and Perspective

Cheryl Ricciardi served as the Statewide Crisis Response Coordinator for Florida’s Office of the Attorney General, and is a certified instructor through the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA).  For many years, Cheryl has taught a multitude of classes throughout Florida, the United States, and Canada, focusing on Community Crisis Response, Criminal Victimization, and Managing High Performance Teams.

As an experienced instructor, Cheryl has been requested to train law enforcement officers, victim service professionals, clergy, fire/rescue, medical personnel, and many other professionals. Having worked in the arenas of domestic violence, sexual violence, child abuse, and crisis response, Cheryl is able to bring an experiential component to all of her trainings. 

She has served on numerous state and national boards and committees including Florida’s Behavioral Health Crisis Consortium, Sexual Violence Prevention Steering Committee, and NOVA’s National Identity Theft Advisory Board.

In addition to training, Cheryl provides oversight of the 900+ member Florida Crisis Response Team, deploying teams both in Florida and on a national level in the aftermath of community-wide tragedies, disasters or catastrophes.

Course(s) Taught: MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha)

Claudio Saa has served as a police officer since 1999. He currently supervises the criminal investigations section as a sergeant for a police department in the Northern Virginia region.

Prior to this, in 2003 he was assigned to a highly specialized unit as a detective with a regional Gang Task Force. Claudio was responsible for investigating all facets of gang crime, compiling intelligence on gang activity, and disseminating information throughout the region. Some of these responsibilities extended throughout the country and internationally. During the course of his career, Claudio became specialized in the investigation of the MS13 and 18th Street Gangs. Claudio has been certified as a Gang Expert in the State of Virginia Courts, Maryland Courts and in the United States Federal Courts in the Eastern District of Virginia and in the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York. Claudio has also been utilized in an undercover capacity in local, state and federal investigations. He has also been deputized as a task force officer with several federal agencies. Throughout his career, Claudio has worked closely with the El Salvador National Police in the battle against the MS13 and 18th Street Gangs.

Claudio regularly provides training to law enforcement, civic groups, organizations, schools, parents and businesses. Claudio also conducts “motivational” speeches to troubled youth. This training has extended to Central and South American Law Enforcement and police forces from the Middle East.

Claudio spent his last year on the Gang Task Force as corporal where he supervised a team of detectives within the unit. After his promotion to sergeant, Claudio was assigned as a patrol supervisor. He was then assigned as sergeant to the investigations section. In addition to his supervisory duties, Claudio continues to investigate the MS13 and 18 Street Gangs at the local, national and international level. He is now a featured instructor for Training Force USA.