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Law enforcement training officers
James Burke
James joined the OPOTA staff in May 2012. He has 11 years of law enforcement experience. He has worked at the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office as a corrections officer, police and fire dispatcher, and a training officer at the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Regional Training Center. James has an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Columbia Southern University. James was an adjunct faculty member at Sinclair Community College teaching in the Allied Health Program and the Corrections Basic Academy and Greene County Career Center teaching in the Basic Police Academy.
Contact: James.Burke@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov
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Kerry Curtis
Kerry joined the OPOTA staff as a full-time instructor in 2004. He has been with the Attorney General’s Office for 15 years; eight years as an Environmental Investigator and seven years with the Peace Officer Training Commission as the Certification Officer for Peace Officer Basic Training. Kerry has an Associate's Degree in Law Enforcement Technology from Lima Technical College, a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Bowling Green and a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Tiffin University. Kerry’s primary responsibilities are teaching Instructional Skills and Homeland Security topics. He also assists in Firearms and Driving Courses. Kerry was appointed as a Special Deputy with the Auglaize and Madison County Sheriff’s Offices.
Contact: Kerry.Curtis@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov
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Doug Daniels
Doug joined the OPOTA staff in 2000 as a full time instructor. Prior to joining the OPOTA staff, Daniels served 23 years with the Greenfield Police Department where he attained the rank of sergeant. His duties included patrol, investigations, juvenile and school truancy, shift supervisor, bike patrol supervisor/officer and in-service instructor. His teaching responsibilities include firearms, officer survival, chemical agents, and patrol tactics. He is a multi-certified Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission (OPOTC) instructor and basic commander in Basic Peace Officer Training. He has taught in numerous academies in Ohio and several court officer courses outside of the state. Daniels served on a Bailiff Curriculum Committee and a Use of Force Committee and is recognized as a subject matter expert by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission in several law enforcement disciplines. Daniels is a member in good standing with the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA), and the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors (IALEFI). He has taught at three IALEFI Annual Training Conferences and one IALEFI Regional Conference. Daniels serves as a Special Deputy with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office.
Contact: James.Daniels@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov
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Ron Davitt
Ron joined the OPOTA staff in August 2008 after serving 16 years with the Steubenville, Reynoldsburg and Columbus Airport Authority police departments. Throughout his time with those departments, he served as a member of the honor guard, SWAT team, bike patrol, contract negotiation team, and as the department Training Coordinator. Ron has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology from The Ohio State University, and served with the Army Reserve for 11 years. He also serves as a deputy with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office.
Contact: Ronald.Davitt@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov
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Jessica Didion
Jessica joined OPOTA in September 2010 as a legal instructor assigned to the Richfield campus. Jessica was previously an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Summit County where she handled all levels of adult felonies.
Jessica holds a Bachelor’s degree from Miami University (OH) in Political Science as well as a Juris Doctor from Ohio Northern University – Petit College of Law. While attending law school, Jessica was a national Moot Court competitor and was actively involved in the Street Law Program.
Contact: Jessica.Didion@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov
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Jeff Eggleston
Jeff oversees the driving programs at the academy. He began his law enforcement career in 1979, serving with the United States Marine Corps as a military police officer. He also served with the Urbana Police Department as a patrol officer, range officer and baton instructor. Eggleston owned driving schools in both Urbana and Marysville and joined the Marysville Police Department in 1990, where he has served as a patrol officer, range officer and in-service driving instructor. Eggleston has instructed and/or supervised numerous academy classes that include: Defensive and Pursuit Driving, Patrol, Stops and Approaches, Traffic Enforcement Technologies and Firearms. He was certified as a secondary career technical instructor through the University of Toledo and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the Mount Vernon Nazarene University. Eggleston has presented at the National Conference of High Schools that Work and was a law enforcement instructor with Tri-Rivers Career Center until 2003. Eggleston has completed the advanced driving instructor program presented by the Maryland Corrections and Police Training Commission, Precision Immobilization Techniques Instructor Course at the Fairfax County Virginia Police Academy, Off Road Emergency Vehicle Operations Instructor Course in Hollister, Calif. and the Vehicle Ambush Countermeasures Course at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC). Eggleston has also served as a curriculum review committee member with FLETC. Eggleston is a member of the Association of Law Enforcement Emergency Response Trainers (ALERT), and the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA). Jeff has worked as an expert in the field of Law Enforcement Vehicle Operations and has consulted on track facility design. He is a 2006 recipient of the Attorney General’s Innovation and Excellence Award (AGIE) and serves as an auxiliary officer with the Marysville Division of Police.
Contact: Jeff.Eggleston@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov
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John Foy
John served 14 years with the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office prior to joining the OPOTA instructional staff in 1985. Foy earned a Bachelor's Degree from Mount Union College in 1972. Foy’s training responsibilities at OPOTA include: firearms, tactical weapons, specialty munitions and special operations. Foy became a firearms instructor at the Belmont County Sheriff’s Department in 1974. He also serves as a trainer, investigator and supervisor. He held the rank of Lieutenant at the time of departure. Since joining OPOTA, Foy has completed training with: the Ohio National Guard, the Armor Holdings Training Division, Singleton International, Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II (USMC Ret.), the HK International Training Division, the Remington Law Enforcement Training Division, Sig-Sauer, Glock and Ruger Armorers courses, the Miami-Dade Special Response Team Training Section, the Practical Shooting Academy and the National Rifle Association. He is an active member of the National Rifle Association, the National Tactical Officers Association, the American Gunsmith’s Association, the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association, the Ohio Gun Collectors Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Law Enforcement Alliance of America, the International Defensive Pistol Association and the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors. Foy was awarded the Attorney General’s Spirit Award in 2007. Foy holds a deputy sheriff’s appointment with the Madison County Sheriff’s Department.
Contact: John.Foy@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov
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Melinda Kowalski
Melinda joined OPOTA in February 2012 as a legal instructor. Prior to joining OPOTA, Melinda began her career as a Cuyahoga County Prosecutor, before becoming a Special Prosecutor with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
Melinda holds a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University in criminology, as well as Juris Doctor from Cleveland State University – Cleveland- Marshall College of Law.
Contact: Melinda.Kowalski@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov
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Richard Meadows
Richard joined the OPOTA staff Advanced Training section in May 2012. He started his law enforcement career in 1996 with the Grove City Police Department. During his career he spent 10 years as a General Investigator. He conducted all types of criminal investigations but specialized in large scale “White Collar” crime investigations as well as crime scene processing and evidence collection. During his time assigned as an Investigator Richard spent 3 ½ years assigned to the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission as the Assistant Task Force Director for the Multi-Jurisdictional Counterfeit Check Task Force where he led the task force to a Group Law Enforcement Award from the Ohio Attorney General in 2008.
Richard completed is A.A.S in Law Enforcement at Columbus State Community College along with his Master Criminal Investigator and Master Evidence Technician certifications through OPOTA. He also holds a Diploma of Forensic Science from the American Institute of Applied Science.
Contact: Richard.Meadows@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov
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Drake Oldham
Drake joined the OPOTA staff in March 2008 after serving 11 years as a patrol officer with the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department. Drake served six years on the Special Response Team where he was an operator, sniper/observer and team trainer. His last two years with Cuyahoga Falls were spent as a full-time trainer assigned to the training unit, where he instructed firearms, chemical & less lethal munitions, rapid deployment and Taser. Drake has a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology/Criminology from Ohio University. Drake coordinates and instructs numerous training courses at the Richfield Campus and specializes in the areas of firearms and tactical operations.
Contact: Drake.Oldham@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov
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Lynnette Rodrigue
Lynnette joined the OPOTA staff in August 2009. She has 24 years of law enforcement experience. She has worked at Wittenberg University as a police officer, Clark State Community College as a Chief of Police and Lieutenant and Antioch College as a Deputy Sheriff. Rodrigue has a Master’s Degree in Technical Education, a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice Technology. Rodrigue was an adjunct faculty member at Clark State Community College teaching in the two year Criminal Justice Program and the Basic Police Academy. She also is certified as a Police Academy Commander.
Contact: Lynnette.Rodrigue@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov
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Ronald Thayer
Ronald retired from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and joined the OPOTA staff as a guest instructor in 2004. Thayer became a full time instructor in 2008 and teaches and coordinates courses in traffic crash investigation and commercial vehicle investigation and enforcement. Thayer graduated from Sinclair Community College in Dayton, with an Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice. Thayer is a certified and accredited Traffic Crash Reconstructionist and he has instructed courses in traffic enforcement and traffic crash investigation throughout the state of Ohio since 1998.
Contact: Ronald.Thayer@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov
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Wayne Wiggins
Wayne came to OPOTA in 1988 from the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority Police Department, where he served as a patrol officer. Wiggins is responsible for the facilitation of investigation, patrol and juvenile justice programs. He also coordinates the DARE program, the Victims Advocacy Academy (ADVANCE) and coordinates all teleconferences. He is a 1998 graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command. He is appointed by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office as a special deputy.
Contact: Wayne.Wiggins@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov
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Jerry Zacharias
Jerry joined the OPOTA staff in 2008. Prior to joining OPOTA, he served 15 years with the Marion City Police Department, in the patrol division and as a member the department SRT. Since 2000 he had taught self defense tactics and firearms at the Marion Technical College basic police academy. He also completed a civilian police training mission in Iraq in 2005. He received a Bachelor's Degree from The Ohio State University in 2008. He has attended advance training at OPOTA, FLETC and the H & K International training division. He is currently a member in good standing with the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors (IALEFI).
Contact: Jerry.Zacharias@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov
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