Meet our speakers

Aretha R. Ferrell-Benavides a native of Fort Worth Texas has over 30 years of experience as a public servant throughout the United States, spanning beyond municipal government to County, State, and Federal governmental expertise. Her passion for public services has produced significant community engagement, fiscal management, and professional economic development experience. She has served as a political appointee for six strong Mayors and fulfilled her ultimate career goal of serving as City Manager in four different communities for the past ten years. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and a Master of Arts in Public Administration from Howard University in Washington, DC.

Mrs. Ferrell-Benavides is committed to serving in the field of Public Administration and is a member of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA), Texas City Managers Associations (TCMA), and National Academy of Public Administration Class. Mrs. Ferrell-Benavides is a Life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

Dr. Stewart is currently Executive Vice President and Executive Director of the Cause Research Institute at National University. He also Co-Chairs the Social Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (S-JEDI) Council at National University. Dr. Stewart is an experienced executive leader with over 30 years of K-12 and post-secondary experience in education and criminal justice reform, innovation, and transformation. He has done extensive work in providing educational and other developmental opportunities for underserved and underrepresented individuals and communities.

Before his current position, Dr. Stewart served as President of John F. Kennedy University and President of Patton University. He has co-founded or led over 20 schools, universities, and non-profit organizations, including the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO) and the National Black Graduate Student Association (NBGSA). He has authored numerous publications on school reform, parent involvement, criminal justice reform, and leading change with grace. Dr. Stewart is a U.S. Army veteran, and he earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Government from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of the District of Columbia. 

Milton Dohoney Jr., ICMA-CM joined the City of Ann Arbor, Michigan as the Interim City Administrator in October of 2021 and as the permanent City Administrator in March of 2022. Ann Arbor is the county seat of Washtenaw County, and home to the University of Michigan. He serves as the chief executive for the administration’s workforce that is structured into 4 major service areas: Community Services, Financial & Administration Services, Public Services and Safety Services. In his capacity Milton serves on a number of boards impacting downtown development, economic growth, and strengthening the relationship between the City, and the school system.

Milton is the author of a 2023 book entitled, “It Always Begins with Leadership.” In this book he provides an authentic perspective of what it takes to effectively lead a municipal organization.

Prior to Ann Arbor Milton served as the Assistant City Manager for the City of Phoenix for 7 years. Phoenix is the largest council-manager form of government in the United States. He was the City’s Chief Operating Officer. He had direct oversight responsibility for the following department’s: Police, Emergency Management, Census, Convention Center, Special Events, Law, Library, and several deputy city managers. From the beginning of the pandemic, he served as the City’s Incident Commander for COVID-19 response. He also developed the City’s first police civilian oversight office, The Office of Accountability & Transparency. His career spans over 35 years including serving as City Manager in Cincinnati, Chief Administrative Officer for the merged city-county government in Lexington, Kentucky, and performing as Deputy Mayor in Louisville. He also held the position of Director of Public Safety while working there.

Chief Patrick R. Melvin is a nationally recognized professional law enforcement executive, consultant, certified court mediator, national trainer, and public speaker with 38 years of expertise in policy development, organizational effectiveness, and change management. Chief Melvin is an Army Veteran and is certified as a peace officer in the States of Arizona and Texas.

He is recognized as a change-agent police chief with experience transforming toxic and hostile work environments to state and nationally accredited, community supported, proactive, professional, and progressive agencies. Skilled at building solid working relationships with tribal, local, state, and federal officials and working in harmony to achieve common goals. Noted for his ability to gain cooperation and support from diverse groups, he has worked with national and international entities as well as state, local and federal government agencies to help teach, coach, and create better workplace environments. He has worked with agencies to enhance relationships built on trust and mutual respect internally and externally with community stakeholders.

Chief Melvin is the former Police Chief of the Port Arthur, TX Police Department, Salt River Tribal Police Department (Scottsdale, Arizona) and the City of Maricopa, Arizona Police Department. He has held the positions of Commander, Deputy Chief, Chief of Police x 3, Public Safety Director, Interim Fire Chief, Court Mediator, Manager of Legal Services and Assistant City Manager.  

Chief Patrick Melvin was appointed Maricopa’s first ever police officer as the Chief of Police (Badge #001) in October 2006 and retired from the City of Phoenix, Arizona (5th largest city in the United States) Police Department as a police commander after 21 years of dedicated service. Chief Melvin was named the “2007 City of Maricopa Man of the Year.”  In July 2010, Chief Patrick Melvin began serving as the National President of N.O.B.L.E., (National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives), an organization of approximately 4,000 members in 56 chapters throughout the United States, United Kingdom, and the Caribbean after serving on the executive board for several years.  Chief Patrick Melvin is also a former board member of the Arizona Chiefs of Police Association serving as its 4th, 3rd, and 2nd Vice President.  He has had a long and successful managerial career in the military and with local, state, tribal and national governments, respectively.

A national subject matter expert on Traffic Safety Issues, he has traveled the country presenting on the topic.  He has instructed at the U.S. Virgin Islands Police Department, The University of the Virgin Islands in St. Thomas and St. Croix USVI, the International Law Enforcement Academy (I.L.E.A.) in Gaborone, Botswana, (South Africa) and as an adjunct professor at the community college level (Chandler-Gilbert and Mesa CC).  Chief Melvin also presented testimony before President Obama’s 21st Century Community Policing Task Force, Texas Law Enforcement Management Institute (LEMIT), and Churches of God in Christ (COGIC International).  Chief Melvin has coached and mentored several aspiring police executives who are now police chiefs and executive staff members locally, tribally, and nationally.  Chief Melvin graduated with the title of Distinguished Military Graduate (DMG) and received an Army Commission as a 2nd Lieutenant from Wentworth Military Academy & College, (Lexington, MO), earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Arizona State University, Master of Education Degree with Distinction from Northern Arizona University and obtained the Certified Public Manager Designation from Arizona State University. Chief Melvin attended the FBI’s Southwest Command College and the 65th Session of the FBI’s Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar (LEEDS) at the FBI Academy in Quantico, VA.

Chief Melvin has been married to his wife Rhonda for over 33 years and they have 3 adult children and two grandchildren.  Chief Melvin is respectfully seeking the elected position of Sheriff of Pinal County, AZ. 

Police Chief Ken Cost has been with the Mesa Police Department for over 29 years.
Prior to joining the Mesa Police Department, he was a sworn investigator for almost two
years with the State of California in East Los Angeles.

Chief Cost has served in several areas of the department and every rank leading up to
assistant chief. These assignments include Patrol, Bicycle Unit, Special Investigations-
Gang Unit, Community Action Team, Street Crimes, Violent Offender-US Marshal’s
Task Force, and Criminal Investigations (Homicide, Financial Crimes, and Recovered
Property). As a Commander, his assignments included Fiesta Patrol, Human
Resources, and Training.

Chief Cost holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from California State University
at Fullerton, a master's degree from Xavier University, Ohio, and is a graduate of the
FBI National Academy for Police Executives.
Chief Cost is very active in the community and volunteers numerous hours throughout
the year coaching and mentoring youth.

PoliceChief@MesaAZ.gov

Dr. Mark David Milliron is an award-winning leader, author, speaker, and
consultant who works with universities, community colleges, K-12 schools,
foundations, corporations, associations, and government agencies across the
country and around the world. He serves as President and CEO of National
University (NU), one of the largest private, nonprofit universities in the United States.
NU is designated as a Minority Serving Institution (MSI) and Hispanic Serving
Institution (HSI) and has a 50+ year history of innovating around the needs of
military, working, and other nontraditional students. The faculty and staff at NU
have catalyzed the careers of community difference-makers in service industries
such as education, healthcare, business, cybersecurity, law, and criminal justice.
Moreover, NU’s education initiatives—including Harmony SEL, Inspire Leading in
Learning, and Workforce Education Solutions—serve tens of thousands of
teachers and other community leaders each year and impact millions of students.

In addition to his work with NU, Mark helps catalyze positive change in education
through his service on the boards and advisory councils of leading-edge
education organizations, including the Trellis Foundation, Bennett College, Civitas
Learning, the Mastery Transcript Consortium, and ISKME/Open Education
Resource Commons. He also holds an appointment as a Professor of Practice in
the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin.

In 1999, The University of Texas at Austin’s College of Education named Mark a
Distinguished Graduate for his service to the education field. In 2007, the
American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) presented him with its
prestigious National Leadership Award and inducted him into the AACC Hall of
Fame. He was inducted into the United States Distance Learning Association’s Hall
of Fame in 2013. In 2016, he was chosen by the Chronicle of Higher Education as
one of the “Top Technology Innovators” in higher education. In 2018, Mark was
listed by EdTechDigest as one of the Top Influencers in the education technology
field.

Regardless of his activities and accomplishments, he will quickly tell you that the
most important job and the greatest blessing in his life is serving as Julia’s husband
and as father to Alexandra, Richard, Marcus, and Max.

Chief Wayne Jones, the 21st Police Chief of the Miami Beach Police Department, has
exhibited a profound dedication to community service throughout his 27-year career.
Throughout his distinguished career, he has progressed from the role of patrol officer to
that of detective, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, and major, ultimately assuming the
position of Chief in 2023. His wealth of experience has made a substantial impact on the
City. Particularly noteworthy is his role as a sergeant in community affairs, during which
he established the widely acclaimed Homeless Resource Officer Program. This program
is nationally recognized for its comprehensive approach to outreach, engagement, and
enforcement. Chief Jones's unwavering dedication to community service closely mirrors
the values of the Miami Beach community and remains a cornerstone of his mission.

As part of his responsibilities as Major overseeing the Support Services Division, Chief
Jones spearheaded an initiative to amplify the recruitment of female police officers,
resulting in a notable escalation in hires from 12% to 18%. Additionally, during his
tenure as a Major in the criminal investigations division, he was instrumental in the
establishment of the department's human trafficking unit, which gained recognition as a
leading entity in Miami-Dade County for its efforts in trafficking investigations and
arrests related to sex trafficking offenses. As Deputy Chief, Chief Jones expanded the
Miami Beach Police Department's Victims Advocate Unit and established the
organization's Sexual Battery Unit, thereby implementing a victim-centric approach to
investigating sex crimes.

During his brief tenure as Police Chief, Chief Jones played a pivotal role in leading the
City to a historically successful Spring Break in 2024, which garnered national attention.
His leadership was instrumental in this achievement. Additionally, a recent survey
demonstrates that Chief Jones has improved the community's perception of the City's
ability to combat crime by 18%.

Chief Jones' commitment to professional advancement is evident in his educational
attainments. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science and public administration
from Florida Memorial University, a master's in public administration from Florida
International University, and an associate's degree in professional piloting and
technology from Miami Dade College. His dedication to continuous learning is further
underscored by his successful completion of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Law
Enforcement Executive Development Seminar program and the Police Executive
Research Forum's Senior Management Institute for Police.

Chief Brian P. Bubar was appointed Chief of Police on May 1, 2024. Brian P. Bubar was hired by the Police Department on December 9, 2002.  After only having three and half years in patrol, Chief Bubar was assigned to the West Contra Costa County Narcotics Enforcement Task Force (West-NET), as a Narcotics Investigator. He has been recognized throughout the state for his undercover work with large scale narcotics operations. He was selected by his peers as Officer of the Year after he successfully infiltrated a notorious street gang as an undercover officer. In addition to his patrol duties, Chief Bubar successfully implemented a progressive recruitment program seeking out candidates of the highest standards for the position of Police Officer. 

He helped formulate the Cadet Program by creating selection and hiring standards, and creating the training matrix and was selected as the supervisor for the Priority Oriented Policing Unit where he excelled at fighting crime and developing positive relationships with the community through our schools and city departments.  He has served as one of San Pablo Police Department’s Hostage Negotiators for more than 10 years. He is a graduate from the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute as well as POST Command College. Chief Bubar received his Masters in Science Degree from the University of San Diego in Public Safety/Law Enforcement Leadership.

Chief Pittman previously served as the assistant chief of the United States Capitol Police (USCP), where she had served for more than two decades. Over her career, she has been recognized with ever-increasing responsibility and assignments. Her experience includes providing protective details for United States senators and visiting dignitaries, supervising hundreds of officers, leading security efforts for President Obama’s second presidential inauguration, and serving as assistant chief for protective and intelligence operations. She served as interim chief of USCP in the aftermath of the events at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. 

Throughout her career, Chief Pittman has demonstrated her abilities in the key areas of innovation and change management; collaboration and partnership with community; demonstrated commitment to the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and justice, and she has developed subject matter expertise and experience in modern policing principles. The combination of Chief Pittman’s experiences, values, and skills meet the vision for crucial safety roles. Her experience at the large, public campus of the U.S. Capitol Complex and her service the UC Berkeley campus with its tens of thousands of daily users that share many safety challenges. 

While this is Yogananda’s first assignment in higher education, she is a lifelong scholar who is excited to become part of Berkeley’s community of learning. She is a graduate of Morgan State University in Maryland, obtained her master’s degree in public administration from Marist College in New York, and received her Ph.D. in public administration from West Chester University in Pennsylvania. She is also a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy, a member of Women in Federal Law Enforcement and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives.

Anisa McNack began her career with the Bay Area Rapid Transit Police Department (BART PD) in 2000 as a Community Service Assistant. In 2001, Anisa attended the police academy and was sworn in as a police officer. After an exceptional 24-year tenure in law enforcement, Anisa retired as a Police Lieutenant, widely respected for her steadfast dedication to accountability, equity, and community service. Throughout her career, Anisa took on various critical roles, including positions in Patrol, Criminal Investigation, Internal Affairs, and as a Watch Commander. Her extensive experience also includes serving as a Department Instructor, Field Training Officer & Sergeant, Trauma Response Sergeant, and ICAT (Integrated Communications, Assessment, and Tactics) Instructor, reflecting her broad expertise and leadership. In her final role as Graveyard Watch Commander, Anisa was responsible for overseeing the entire department during the critical overnight hours, ensuring the safety and security of the community.

Anisa has been an active member of the San Francisco Bay Area NOBLE Chapter for over 13 years and is a lifetime member of NOBLE. As a past chapter president and mentor, Anisa is deeply committed to developing the next generation of law enforcement professionals. Anisa holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in public administration with a focus on public policy. A lifelong learner, Anisa remains actively engaged in efforts to advance law enforcement practices and community relations.

Anisa currently resides in California with her husband of 13 years.

Retired Assistant Chief Albrektsen was a member of the San Diego Police Department for over 40 years. During Chief Albrektsen’s career, she has held positions in both investigations and patrol. In January 2017, she was appointed to Assistant Chief until her retirement in 2024.

Chief Albrektsen saw her role as inspiring her team for greatness and strategic planning for the future of public safety. Her responsibilities included leading the Support Services Division. Support Services includes K9, SWAT, helicopters (ABLE), Data Services, Critical Incident Management Unit and Operational Support. In that role she managed five different physical locations throughout the city of San Diego. In addition, she has supported the Regional Academy for the last 35 years, teaching in the subjects of Human Relations and Legal topics, and is a Subject Matter Expert for LE Training and Development.

Sandra has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, from San Diego State University. She is a graduate of Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute, and the FBI National Academy, Session 274.

In 2017, Assistant Chief Albrektsen was honored by the ‘Women in Blue,’ and is a founding member of the Women Leaders in Law Enforcement.   Sandra also holds memberships in International Association of Chiefs of Police, FBI National Academy Associates, and National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives. In 2019, she participated in the Western States Leadership Seminar in Israel and has been the keynote speaker in the area of Wellness across the country. In 2024, she was honored for her lifetime achievements in law enforcement.

Sandra is passionate about the health and well-being of all law enforcement officers and believes in a mind, body, spirit approach. She continues to mentor and coach law enforcement executives throughout the country. She is a third-generation public servant who resides in La Mesa with her husband, a retired police detective sergeant. She has one son, an U.S. Army Officer and graduate of Baylor University. He is following his parents’ legacy and is serving as a Military Police Officer currently stationed in Germany.

Chief Bisa French began her career with the Richmond Police Department in 1998. As a young officer, she formed meaningful relationships with community members as a Community Policing Officer, Field Training Officer, and Bicycle Patrol Officer. She then worked as a Detective in the Property Crimes Unit and Family Services Unit, where she found her passion advocating for young people.  

Chief French was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2006. In this position, she led, mentored, and developed officers in a variety of supervisory assignments. She also served as the department’s Public Information Officer during this time. In 2011, Chief French was promoted to Lieutenant. She worked with various stakeholders to include Contra Costa County, STAND! For Families Free of Violence, and Community Violence Solutions, to establish the Family Justice Center in West Contra Costa County, which opened in 2015.    

In 2013, she was promoted to the rank of Captain. She was the first African American and Latina Captain in the Richmond Police Department and the youngest person to ever hold the position. After three years, Chief French was promoted to the rank of Assistant Chief, whereupon she became responsible for the overall operations of the department. In this capacity, she also worked on programs centered around racial justice and equality in the criminal justice system.  

Chief French was appointed Interim Chief in 2019 and was hired as the permanent Chief of Police in July 2020. She is the first female chief in the Richmond Police Department’s 113-year history. Chief French has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration and a Master's Degree in Human Resource Management from Golden Gate University. She is also a graduate of the Police Executive Research Forum's Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP). Chief French serves on the Community Policing committee for the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and she is a board member for several organizations including the Contra Costa County Youth Services Bureau, and the Richmond Police Athletics League.

Chief French is a Bay Area native and a proud Richmond resident. She and her husband have three children.

Kent Augustine has over three decades experience as a leader in both private and public organizations. The bulk of Kent's career was running a software development firm in California. This firm built, maintained and hosted mission critical enterprise applications and data systems for clients from startups to multinational Fortune 100 companies. Kent moved to New Mexico in 2015 and started work in state government at the Department of Health. Kent became the CIO of the New Mexico Department of Public Safety in 2020.Kent has significant expertise in complex data integration initiatives. Kent has a reputation as a motivator, seasoned customer-oriented leader and technology innovator. A passionate supporter of law enforcement, Kent is dedicated to advancing public safety in New Mexico through innovative initiatives. Kent takes an entrepreneur, mission-oriented approach to solving public sector problems.

In July 2024, Mark P. Pittella was named the Deputy Director of the United States Marshals Service (USMS). Serving as the second in command for the Nation’s oldest law enforcement agency, Mr. Pittella assists the Director of the USMS in the formulation, development, and implementation of all policies and procedures for a force of more than 5,000 operational and administrative employees spanning 94 districts, 218 sub-offices and 4 foreign field offices.

Since joining the USMS as a Deputy United States Marshal in June 1997, Deputy Director Pittella has proven to be a key leader in the USMS for over two decades. Mr. Pittella has served as the USMS’ Associate Director for Operations, where he oversaw all USMS operational personnel, programs, and missions including Investigative Operations, Judicial and Witness Security, Prisoner Security and Transportation, Tactical Operations, and Dignitary Protection. Prior to his role as the Associate Director for Operations, he led the world-renowned Witness Security Division serving as its Assistant Director. Prior to his appointment as Assistant Director, Mr. Pittella served as Deputy Assistant Director and Chief Inspector to the Witness Security’s Division’s Headquarters Operations. Mr. Pittella helped create the Division’s first Intelligence Unit, which collects, researches, analyzes, and disseminates vital intelligence related to authorized protected witnesses.

The Wake County Board of Commissioners named David Ellis County Manager on Feb. 12, 2018.  In this role he oversees a 2.1 billion budget and leads 5,000 employees of TeamWake.

Ellis started his tenure with Wake County in February 2015 when he accepted a deputy county manager position. In that role, he oversaw several departments, including Human Services, Community Services and Environmental Services.

Prior to coming to Wake County, Ellis served as assistant city manager in Charlottesville, Va., for three years. He also held positions in Fairfax County, Va., including assistant to the county executive, assistant director of Human Services, and manager of the Redevelopment and Housing Authority and the Department of Code Compliance.

Ellis holds a bachelor’s degree from James Madison University  (GODukes!) and a master’s degree in public administration from George Mason University. He also holds the distinction of credentialed manager through the International City/County Management Association. In addition, Ellis successfully completed the Harvard Kennedy School Senior Executives in State and Local Government program in 2017.

Ellis is a life member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and has served on the Board of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators and currently serves on the Board of the United Way of the Greater Triangle and A Place at the Table.