executive protection institute Archives - Page 2 of 4

The Value of Ongoing Training

I changed my college major from engineering to criminology and fought my way into the police academy only to find that Central Ohio was not the Mecca for protection details. Neither was there much in the way of professional training in protection work because EPI and ESI hadn’t taken off just yet. So, if one wasn’t in the Secret Service or Army CID, one’s education came from magazines, television, movies, and a variety of other sources which had little reliability and even less practicality.

My first protection detail was 30 August 1974. I was a second-year Marine Option Midshipman at Ohio State who “volunteered” to protect then-President Gerald R. Ford as he gave the commencement address at graduation. While it was an eye-opening and life-changing experience for me, the two-hour orientation provided by the US Secret Service hardly prepared me for a career that I knew I desperately wanted to pursue.

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Your Network Starts With the NLA

One of the FANTASTIC benefits of being a NLA Member is the immediate Network that comes with it.

It’s VERY interesting to me how this Networking article came to pass. “How?” you ask. Well, let me tell you…

One of our Cat brothers reached out to me asking if I’d be interested in writing an article about the benefits of Networking. As you might guess, I was all about it! But the ironic part of it is that we met, Networking, through an event I hosted back in August 2021. And at least part of the reason he was there was because of his affiliation with EPI and being a Nine Lives Associate. I am, of course, talking about Greg Schnell!

Unfolding the Uvalde Mass Shooting: What Have We Learned?

On May 24, 2022, the town of Uvalde, Texas, suffered a major tragedy in the form of a mass shooting that took the life of 19 Robb Elementary students and two teachers. Yet, this loss has been felt worldwide as many people wonder how these incidents continue to happen.

Looking closely at these events helps us recognize what we can learn, and how we can apply these lessons moving forward to reduce the likelihood that another town must face this type of unimaginable loss. Secondarily, it allows us to find a way to give our kids the ability to go to school without worrying that they may face violence that prevents them from returning home safely to their parents. So, what have we learned?

Advice for finding work in Executive Protection

Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of mentorships for current and retired law enforcement officers looking to transition into private sector executive protection roles. This is primarily due to my position as the head of the Law Enforcement/Military Liaison committee in the ASIS Executive Protection Community, of which our very own Jerry Heying is the Chair of that community. Also, it’s because I’ve made that transition myself. After spending almost 27 years working for the California Highway Patrol, I was lucky enough to retire and almost immediately find a job as a corporate executive protection manager. A lot of my former colleagues, nearing retirement, reach out to me for advice, which I happily do. I do it for LEO, Military, my fellow NLA members, or any decent person that is considering this line of work. We need good people in this business.

Here’s the advice I share. I believe it’s universally applicable to all candidates, not just LEO or Military.