ART ACEVEDO
Art Acevedo serves as the eighth Police Chief in the 84-year history of the Austin Police Department and
is the first Hispanic to lead the City’s police force. With more than two decades of law enforcement
experience, he oversees a department that employs approximately 2,100 sworn officers and civilian
personnel. With the consolidation of the Austin Police Department and the Austin Public Safety and
Emergency Management Department in January 2009, Chief Acevedo is now responsible for all
municipal law enforcement in the City of Austin, including Austin-Bergstrom International Airport,
parks, and municipal courts.
Chief Acevedo began his professional career in law enforcement with the California Highway Patrol in
1986, bringing a well-established commitment to community outreach and coalition building to Austin.
He strives to establish strong community relationships throughout the city with the goal of strengthening
the relationship between the people of Austin and their Police Department. Chief Acevedo leads by
example with a strong sense of community involvement through his own personal time and resources.
Chief Acevedo has been a leader with the National Latino Peace Officers Association (NLPOA) for over
18 years. In his NLPOA capacity, he has been a champion for diversity by traveling throughout the
United States to assist qualified minorities in law enforcement secure entry-level and promotional
opportunities. In addition, he has raised monies to provide scholarships to young people. As NLPOA
California State Chapter President, he secured $200,000 in grant funding from State Farm Insurance
Company to provide car-seats to families in need. This funding has also been used to assist local NLPOA
Chapters.
Born in Havana, Cuba, Chief Acevedo migrated to the United States with his family in 1968 in search of
freedom and the opportunities to be found in America. He grew up in California, and earned his Bachelor
of Science degree, with departmental honors, in Public Administration from the University of La Verne.
He is married to Tanya and is the father of three children, Melissa, Matthew, and Jake.
Appointed Austin Police Chief in July 2007, Chief Acevedo believes in the spirit of our community and
the commitment to excellence demonstrated by the men and women he leads.
GUY BENSON
Guy Benson is the Director and lead facilitator of the Danger Without Intentions Alcohol and Drug
Awareness Programs, Student Behavior & Truancy Awareness Programs, and Boating and Water
Information. Danger Without Intentions is a nationwide non-profit educational organization designed to
reduce the number of alcohol and drug-related injuries and deaths in adults and teens. Mr. Benson is also
the CEO of Universal Systems Designs customized database design company.
Mr. Benson is retired with 30 years of service working as emergency medical personnel with Austin’s
Travis County Emergency Medical Services. He is an instructor in several areas, such as vehicle
extrication, search and rescue training, and scuba and water rescue. He has specialized training and
experience in emergency 911 communications, EMT Instructor training, and as the Austin Travis County
Public Education Coordinator and Public Information Spokesperson. Mr. Benson received several awards,
including EMS Employee of the Year and honors for 10 CPR saves. He has received over a hundred
appreciation letters along with many other awards.
512.320.8274 800.252.3718 fax 512.435.6118 2210 Hancock Drive, Austin, Texas 78756
Mr. Benson has served on the board of directors of the Travis County Underage Drinking Prevention
Task Force and as a member of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Star Flight DWI Awareness
Program, Texas Safe Riders-Child Safety Seat Program, Austin Safe Kids Coalition, Shaken Baby
Syndrome Coalition, Travis County Victims Impact Panel for DWI Offenders, Travis County Law
Related Education Program for juvenile offenders, Think Child Safety Program, Shattered Dreams
Alcohol Awareness Program, Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission (T.A.B.C.) "Cops in Shop" &
Minor Sting Program, National Night Out Coalition, Coalition for Safe Roads, "Triple Trailer Trucks,"
Travis County Retired Seniors Citizen Program (RSCP), "File Of Life Program", Seniors And Law
Enforcement Together (S.A.L.T.), Kars for Kids, Texas EMS Conference Committee, Austin Junior
Forum’s Teddy Bear Picnic, National Highway Traffic Safety Seat Technician / Inspector Program,
Brackenridge Trauma Council, Texas Department of Health Injury Prevention task force, Southwestern
Bell Telephone Pioneer Group (9-1-1 for Kids), Boy Scouts of America Explorer Post 360 Director,
Texas War on Aging Council, Texans Standing Tall, National Buckle Up America Program, Peer
Assistance & Leadership Students (PALS), Chisholm Trail Law Enforcement & Crime Prevention Task
Force, Texas Crime Prevention Association, Texas Association of Programs for Education (TAPE), Smart
Drivers Just Drive Coalition (NHTSA), and the Texas Association of Student Councils Officers
(TASCO). Mr. Benson has also served as Chairperson for Travis County Underage Drinking Prevention
and Texas Office of Prevention of Developmental Disabilities, on the board of directors for Texans In
Motion, as a member of Nobodies Waterproof Boating, Disaster Rescue Team for ASPCA, and the
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, as Vice Chair of the Central Texas Water
Safety Coalition, and as a Boater’s Education Instructor.
Mr. Benson has served as a Certified Fire Fighter and rescue team member of the Travis County Dive
Team and Travis County Fire Control Rescue Squad for over 15 years. He also served as a TCLEOSE
certified intermediate Reserve Police Officer with the Hutto Police Department and worked as a member
of the Hutto Fire Department for four years. He worked with the Travis County Medical Examiners’
Office for several years as an Investigator’s Assistant and has helped develop and train several State
offices and private first responder agencies around Texas. He served as a member of the Debriefing Team
for Task Force One and Travis County Search and Rescue.
MICHELLE BOVIS
Ms. Bovis has worked in the criminal justice field for over 20 years and provides substance abuse
treatment and driving safety education to people on probation. She is a Licensed Chemical Dependency
Counselor (LCDC) as well as a Department of Transportation Substance Abuse Professional, and is
focused on safety, not only on our roads, but within our communities as well and is obtaining additional
certifications in Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
JOHN BRADY
Mr. Brady is a former Emergency Room and Flight Nurse/Paramedic with over 30 years’ experience in
the Health & Safety Industry.
While currently employed by Travis County as a Risk & Safety Specialist he is also the Director of the
non-profit Texas Alive Team, a multi-agency team of law enforcement personnel offering the National
Safety Council’s “Alive at 25” to young drivers in Texas. This Team has seen first-hand the devastation a
young person’s crash death causes to their family, friends and communities and Team members
passionately pursue their mission of “Saving Lives Through Education”.
MARK BUSBEE
Mark Busbee is the Program Manager for the training programs “Focus on Reducing Impaired Driving
Among Youth” (FRIDAY)/”Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Training” (ADAPT) for the Texas
Municipal Police Association (TMPA). He was a full-time Texas law enforcement officer for over 35
years and worked in a number of different positions, including Patrol Officer, Traffic Officer/Accident
Investigator, Detective, Patrol Sergeant, Research and Planning Sergeant, Training Sergeant, Supervisor
of Criminal Investigations, and Assistant Police Chief. Mr. Busbee has worked for the Victoria, Balcones
Heights, Boerne, and Uvalde Police Departments.
He has a TCOLE Master Peace Officer license, Advanced Instructor certification, and has taught DWI
Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) to law enforcement for 18 years. Mr. Busbee
spent 12 years as a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) and taught the Drug Impairment and Behavioral
Recognition for the Education Professional (DIBREP) course for the Texas Engineering Extension
Service (TEEX). While with TxDOT/TMPA, he initially taught the Law Enforcement Advanced
DUI/DWI Report Writing System program (LEADRS), before becoming the Lead Instructor for the
Texas SFST Program. Mr. Busbee also developed and teaches the course “Fundamentals of DWI
Investigation” through TxDOT/TMPA.
He is a graduate of the Drug Enforcement Administration Drug Diversion training course in Quantico,
Virginia and the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas. While with the Boerne Police
Department, he testified for over ten years as an expert witness in DWI trials.
Mr. Busbee has a Master of Science in Criminal Justice and a Master of Science in Strategic Leadership.
MARY CELESTE
Judge Mary A. Celeste sat on the Denver County Court bench where she was the Presiding Judge in 2009
and 2010; the first woman to hold that position and was the co-founder of the Denver County Court
Sobriety Court. She is the current education co-chair for the IALGT Judges; chair-elect for the ABA
National Conference of Specialized Courts and Faculty for the National Center for DWI Courts (NCDC).
She has recently chaired the Criminal Justice Group for the Colorado Task Force for Drunk and Impaired
Driving and served as the NHTSA Judicial Outreach Liaison for Region 8. She sat on the Colorado
Advisory Committee for the United States Civil Rights Commission and served as the President of the of
the American Judge’s Association, the Colorado Women’s Bar Association Foundation and as Adjunct
Professor at the D.U. Sturm College of Law. She has also served as a board member of the Colorado Bar
Association’s Board of Governors, the Denver Bar Association’s Conciliation Panel and the Colorado
Women’s Bar Association Board of Governors. She has written many articles and is a national speaker
and expert on the topic of marijuana and alcohol impaired and drugged driving.
SUSAN CROTTY
Susan Crotty is the Program Development Executive for Driver Safety Education – Courts Division with
the National Safety Council. She previously worked for her local Chamber of Commerce where she was
named the top 1% of Membership Development/Business Partnerships with the American Association of
Chamber of Commerce Executives.
Ms. Crotty holds a Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University with dual degrees in Marketing and
Advertising. She also earned her Master Board of Education Certification and Open Meetings Act
Certification thought the Illinois Association of School Boards.
Ms. Crotty is a member of the American Bar Association (ABA) as an associate member of the Judicial
Branch. She also belongs to the National Association of Court Managers (NACM).
She has been elected to three terms for the Board of Education in Naperville, Illinois (with a population of
nearly 150,000) where she is currently in her 11th year where she has served as Vice President and has
been responsible for stewarding over $2 billion in community funds. She served on the State of Illinois
General Assembly Representative Darlene Senger’s Educational Advisory Committee, she is the liaison
for the Legislative Education Network of DuPage (LEND) for Educational Advocacy, a past member of
the DuPage Regional Office of Education’s Bullying Task Force, Diversity Committee Inaugural
Commission and a former Trustee of the Naperville Education Foundation.
The Daily Herald Business Ledger Awarded Ms. Crotty the Influential Woman In Business Award in
2015. She was selected at the Girl Scouts of DuPage Community Volunteer of the Year three times,
Winner of “Those Who Excel” Jeanine Nicarico Memorial Fund for Literacy for the multilingual “Born
To Read” program, and Newsweek Magazine named her the Top 100 Rising Media Stars in 1994.
Ms. Crotty has been married to her husband for 23 years and together have three children – two in college
and one in high school.
MATT DIXON
Matt Dixon is an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Arlington. Prior to joining the City of Arlington
in 2010, he served as an Assistant District Attorney for Nueces County and as a municipal prosecutor for
the City of Corpus Christi. While prosecuting for the Nueces County District Attorney’s Office, Mr.
Dixon won a state’s appeal concerning double jeopardy and animal cruelty prosecution. State v.
Almendarez, 301 S.W.3d 886 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 2009, no pet.). Mr. Dixon obtained his juris
doctorate from Texas Wesleyan School of Law (currently Texas A&M School of Law). While at Texas
Wesleyan School of Law, Mr. Dixon was a member of the Law Review.
ALEX EPSTEIN
Alex Epstein is the Senior Director of Digital Strategy & Content with the National Safety Council
(NSC). Mr. Epstein received his Interdivisional BA from Bennington College and his MBA in Marketing
from the Yale School of Management.
Mr. Epstein has over 25 years of digital and social media development and production experience. Prior
to joining NSC, he worked for a number of the Midwest’s premier video and digital media production
companies as chief creative and production executive - creating internal and external communications for
corporations, associations and TV broadcast outlets, on a wide range topics ranging from workplace
safety to investor relations to social advocacy, as well as instructional, training, sales and consumer-
focused content and messaging.
Mr. Epstein also has extensive broadcast TV news experience, having worked for the Gannett
Corporation in the L.A. Bureau of the USA Today On TV national television news program, as well as for
the Walt Disney Company as senior producer/special projects for KCAL-TV News Los Angeles, where
he wrote and produced television programs, series, specials and mini-documentaries. A native of New
York City, he got his start in broadcast television at the CBS affiliate in Fairbanks, Alaska.
He has received numerous national and local awards for his work, ranging from a Los Angeles Area
Emmy Award, to LA Press Club, Edward R. Murrow, AP, California Bar Association and others, to
recognition for executive producing PR Week's VNR of the year.
In his role as Senior Director, Digital Strategy & Content, Mr. Epstein serves as the creative, strategy and
management lead on multi-million dollar public education programs – managing creative teams that
develop digital content in all its forms, including social media, videos, websites, apps, games,
promotions, etc. in support of the NSC mission to reduce injuries and save lives. Mr. Epstein also
manages and directs the Market Research and Creative Services functions at NSC.
DIANE FAULKENBERRY
Dianna Faulkenberry began her career with the Texas court system in the Weatherford Municipal Court in
2002. In Weatherford, she attained her Level I and II Certification, which helped her as the Court
Administrator for the City of Mansfield, where she accomplished her Level III Court Clerk Certification
in 2007.
Ms. Faulkenberry continues to strive to increase her knowledge in Municipal Government and is currently
working on her TMRS certification and degree in Administrative Management.
Ms. Faulkenberry has been honored by TCCA with the Distinguished Service Award and recently in
2012 with the Extraordinary Achievement Award. Dianna now serves as the Administrative Services
Manager for the City of Decatur. Dianna has enjoyed serving on the TMCEC faculty since 2008 and
feels blessed to be a part of the staff.
JERMAINE GALLOWAY
Officer Jermaine Galloway is a nationally and internationally recognized presenter, national award winner
and author of several articles. Officer Galloway has been an Idaho law enforcement officer since 1997
and has more than 13 years’ experience in alcohol and drug education, enforcement and prevention.
Officer Galloway has dedicated hundreds of hours to community scans, research and substance abuse
identification in communities across the country.
Officer Galloway currently provides nationwide training to coalition members, law enforcement,
educators, youth, counselors, probation, treatment, health professionals, judges and community members.
Over the last three years, Officer Galloway has trained more than 75,000 people nationwide. Once in a
specific community, Officer Galloway conducts a community scan – working his way through several of
the local alcohol & drug promotion retail locations. He also interviews hundreds of individuals
nationwide at various festivals, events and retail locations. Galloway trains on several different alcohol
and drug topics, including: drug trends, alcohol and energy drinks, underage drinking, synthetic drugs,
marijuana concentrates / dabbing, popular culture music, EDM events, inhalants, substance abuse, party
patrols, fake ID’s, e-cigarettes and vaporizers, party drugs, over-the-counter drugs, cough medicines,
herbal drugs, designer drugs, physical signs and symptoms, popular culture phone apps, the influence of
drug legalization, marijuana edibles, stash compartments, drug concealment methods, alcohol and drug
clothing, logos, and identifiers.
Officer Galloway created his own alcohol and substance abuse prevention and identification program
called the “You Can’t Stop What You Don’t Know” program. Officer Galloway provides (and
purchased) over 125 visual aids for attendees to view, hold and become familiar with throughout each
presentation.
Along with creating and starting two non-profit organizations, Officer Galloway was also the Vice
President of the alcohol and drug free prevention coalition in Idaho and sits on Idaho statewide impaired
driving prevention and enforcement task force. Officer Galloway has had articles published in print and
online in American Police Beat Magazine, Campus Safety Magazine and many local area newspapers
during on-site presentations. In addition to other media stories and interviews, in 2011, Officer Galloway
was highlighted in a national video, produced by Human Relations Media, about the harms of “Spice - the
synthetic Marijuana.”
In 2007, Officer Galloway created the Northwest Alcohol & Substance Abuse Conference. This now
nationally recognized conference has quickly grown with attendees representing 28 different states and 2
countries.
In 2009, Officer Galloway received the national underage drinking law enforcement officer of the year
award from the OJJDP (Officer of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention) for his efforts and
strategies in underage drinking education and enforcement.
In 2010, Officer Galloway received the national “Mickey Sadoff” underage drinking prevention award
from MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) for his efforts in education and enforcement.
In 2015, Officer Galloway received the national and international award from AAMVA (American
Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators) for his efforts in Fake ID identification, education and
enforcement.
In 2015, Officer Galloway’s program, "You Can't Stop What You Don't Know", was highlighted in the
recently released book " Clearing the Haze" Helping Families Face Teen Addiction, by Dr. Christian
Thurstone and Christine Tatum.
Officer Galloway is also an Idaho POST certified instructor and holds a BA from the University of San
Francisco.
GARY GRABER
Justice Gary Graber has served as the town justice for the Town of Darien, New York, since January
1980. He is a past member of the Town and Village Court Education Curriculum Committee and has
taught criminal and administrative courses for the New York State Judicial Institute and the New York
State Office of Court Administration. Justice Graber has also been very active in the development and
training of topics relating to commercial motor vehicles, including the development of sentencing charts
which assist the courts with dispositions of commercial motor vehicle equipment violations. In addition to
many New York State seminars he has facilitated multiple national webcasts and conducted in live
training in nine states. Recently, he was appointed by the Hon. Gail Prudenti, Chief Administrative Judge
for the State of New York to sit as a member of the New York State Advisory Committee on Local
Courts.
In addition to active involvement in CDL/CMV issues, Justice Graber is also actively involved in
securing enhanced sentencing powers for New York, through legislation, in cases that involve
possession/consumption of alcohol by underage youth, which include insured completion of alcohol
awareness education. He is a past president of the Genesee County Magistrates Association and has been
a member of the New York State Magistrates Association for 35 years, and serves as a past president in
that association. He has received many awards, including the Leadership Award from the Genesee County
Magistrates, the 2005 Magistrate of the Year Award, the 2006 Criminal Justice Award from Genesee
County Alcohol and Substance Abuse, the 2006 Leadership Genesee Outstanding Alumnus Award and
the2013 Kevin E. Quinlan Award for Excellence in Traffic Safety. Justice Graber is an alumnus of The
National Judicial College and joined its faculty in 2008.
ERIN HOLMES
Erin Holmes is the Director of Traffic Safety at the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility
(Responsibility.org). She is responsible for managing Responsibility.org’s traffic safety portfolio and
partnerships, and is involved in the development of traffic safety and criminal justice policy. In this role,
Ms. Holmes endeavors to translate research into practice and provide thought leadership on impaired
driving issues.
Prior to joining Responsibility.org in September of 2014, she was a Research Scientist at the Traffic
Injury Research Foundation (TIRF). During her tenure at TIRF, Ms. Holmes published more than 40
reports and articles and delivered in excess of 50 presentations internationally on impaired driving,
criminal justice system improvements, alcohol monitoring technologies, remedial programs, risk
assessment, and drug policy. She also conducted process evaluations, developed online curricula,
education programs, and primers. Ms. Holmes was involved in TIRF’s international symposia series on
interlocks and served as the co-coordinator of the Working Group on DWI System Improvements, a U.S.
criminal justice coalition on impaired driving. In addition, she provided NHTSA-funded training and
technical assistance to jurisdictions to improve the delivery of interlock programs across the United
States. She has extensive professional experience working with practitioners and offender populations.
Ms. Holmes graduated summa cum laude with both an Honours and Master’s degree in Criminology from
the University of Ottawa and is a Junior Fellow at the Drug Policy Institute in the College of Medicine at
the University of Florida. She routinely serves as National Judicial College faculty on traffic safety issues.
KATE HUDDLESTON
Kate Huddleston has been Chief of Staff for the Office of Texas Representative Tom Craddick since
2009. During the past three Texas Legislative Sessions, Rep. Tom Craddick (Former Speaker of the Texas
House/current longest serving Texas Legislator) proposed failed legislation to enact a statewide ban on
texting while driving. Ms. Huddleston manages his legislative agenda, including distracted driving bills,
worked to organize advocacy days, engaged lobby efforts, and managed public relations campaign
surrounding the proposed distracted driving bill. Prior to serving as Chief of Staff, Ms. Huddleston
worked in the Office of Speaker Tom Craddick from 2003-2009 as assistant press secretary before
transitioning into a policy advisor position and finally promoted to assistant parliamentarian.
Ms. Huddleston graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in Government
and a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations.
ROBERT JOHNSON
Dr. Johnson graduated from The University of Oklahoma with a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry in 2004.
Certified as a forensic toxicologist by the American Board of Forensic Toxicology, he joined the medical
examiner's office in 2011. Additionally, Dr. Johnson is active in several professional societies including
the Society of Forensic Toxicologists, the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and the Southwestern
Association of Toxicologists. He has published over 50 scientific articles in his career all of which deal
specifically with forensic toxicology.
DALE KASPAREK, JR.
F. Dale Kasparek, Jr. is a Principal Court Management Consultant in the Research and Technology Services
Division of the National Center for State Courts (NCSC). He started his career as a criminal justice planner
in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He served as Deputy Court Administrator for the Court of Common
Pleas in Allegheny County, (Pittsburgh) Pennsylvania. He also served as a Judicial District Administrator
Minnesota and a Court Administrator in Ohio. Mr. Kasparek served as a law firm administrator prior to
joining NCSC in 1999.
Mr. Kasparek administrative competencies include governance; labor relations and human resource
management; court financial management; strategic planning; facility management, design, courthouse
build and remodeling project management; case management, and; technology planning and
implementation.
He has served on numerous state and national committees. He is a member of the National Association for
Court Management, the Ohio Association for Court Administration and the Mid-Atlantic Association for
Court Management. Mr. Kasparek is a past member of the Board of Directors of NACM and a past
President of the Ohio Association for Court Administration.
Mr. Kasparek previously held the position of Director of National Programs for the educational division of
the National Center for State Courts, the Institute for Court Management (ICM). He has serves as faculty
for ICM and has served as faculty for the National Judicial College, the Ohio Judicial College, and the New
Jersey Staff College. He has taught court management and criminology at colleges and universities in
Pennsylvania and Ohio. He has trained and consulted with state and local governments and with
international court officials. He has contributed to court-related publications such as NCSC’s Trend in State
Courts, The Court Manager, and the Ohio Judges Manual and served as editor of NCSC's Court
Technology Bulletin.
Mr. Kasparek holds a B.A. in Criminology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Master’s Degree
in Public Administration and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a Fellow of the
Institute for Court Management.
KEVIN MCGEE
Sergeant Kevin McGee is a Police Sergeant in the Patrol Division with the Prosper Police Department and
has served in law enforcement since June 1994. Sergeant McGee holds an Associate’s Degree in Applied
Science. He also holds a Master Peace Officers License.
Sergeant Kevin McGee also serves as the Departments SFST Instructor and Drug Recognition Expert
(DRE). Sergeant McGee also assists other Collin County Law Enforcement Agencies with DRE/DWI
evaluation when called upon. Sergeant McGee has also obtained his expert status as a DRE at the Collin
County DA’S Office. In 2015, Sergeant McGee was awarded the lead SFST Instructor’s position with
Collin College Law Enforcement Academy in McKinney, Texas.
Sergeant McGee trains his departments ‘Officers on DWI standards and education. In 2010, 2011, 2012,
2013and 2014, he was recognized by M.A.D.D (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) for his outstanding
efforts in keeping the streets of his community and surrounding communities safe.
PETER ODOM
Peter Odom is the Senior Attorney with the National Traffic Law Center of the National District
Attorney’s Association. He is also a former prosecutor.
DEBORAH PARSONS
Deborah Parsons is Co-Founder, Assistant Chief Executive Officer, and Coordinator of Danger Without
Intentions Education & Awareness Programs, Alcohol and Drug Awareness Programs, Student Behavior
& Truancy Awareness Programs, and Boating and Water Information. Danger Without Intentions is a
nationwide Non-Profit Educational Organization designed to reduce the number of alcohol and drug-
related injuries and deaths in adults and teens. Ms. Parsons is the CEO and Owner of Universal Stitching
Designs, a customized embroidery design company.
Ms. Parsons worked with the Austin Fire Department for ten years, and during employment, obtained her
Emergency Medical Technician certification along with several other areas such as search and rescue
training and scuba and water rescue.
Ms. Parsons has served as a member of the Travis County Underage Drinking Prevention Task Force,
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Austin Safe Kids Coalition, Travis County Victims Impact
Panel for DWI offenders, Travis County Law Related Education Program for juvenile offenders, Boy
Scouts of America Explorer Post 360 Scout Leader, Texans Standing Tall, National Buckle Up America
Program, Peer Assistance & Leadership Students (PALS), Chisholm Trail Law Enforcement & Crime
Prevention Task Force, Texas Crime Prevention Association, Travis County Underage Drinking
Prevention, Texas Association of Programs for Education (TAPE), Smart Drivers Just Drive Coalition
(NHTSA), Texas Association of Student Councils Officers (TASCO), Texas Office of Prevention of
Developmental Disabilities, Texans In Motion, and the Nobodies Waterproof Boating. Ms. Parsons has
served as Secretary/Treasurer of Central Texas Water Safety Coalition, and has served as an Honorary
Board Member for the Austin Police Department’s Operation Blue Santa.
Ms. Parsons is a survivor of an alcohol-related crash and provides a very powerful message to students
and adults about the Drunk Driving Crash that nearly took her life and the many life changing challenges
she has faced.
STACEY SOULE
Stacey Soule was appointed to serve as an Assistant State Prosecuting Attorney in October, 2011.
Ms. Soule is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and obtained her Juris Doctorate from the University of
Pittsburgh School of Law in 2001. After passing the Texas and Pennsylvania bar exams, she began her
career in the Post-conviction Litigation Division of the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
In 2003, Ms. Soule joined the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals’ central staff, where she handled Article
11.07 post-conviction writs of habeas corpus, as well as original writs and writs of mandamus and
prohibition. From September 2005 until October 2011, she served as the permanent staff attorney to
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals’ Judge Michael Keasler. In that capacity, she drafted proposed opinions
in death penalty cases, petitions for discretionary review, and habeas corpus matters.
With Judge Keasler, Ms. Soule co-authored an article published in the Texas Bar Journal on admissibility
of scientific evidence. Stacey M. Goldstein & Michael E. Keasler, Bad Science, Bad Law: Judging
Science on Appeal in Texas Criminal Cases and Related Ethical Issues, 74 TEX. BAR JOURNAL, 568-73
(July 2011). In April 2012, she authored an article on jury unanimity issues in Texas criminal cases.
Stacey M. Goldstein, Jury Unanimity in Criminal Cases, 75 TEX. BAR JOURNAL, 300-01 (April 2012).
From 2005 to 2011, she contributed to Judge Keasler’s annual Southern Methodist University Law
Review article titled: “Criminal Procedure: Confession, Search and Seizure.”
Ms. Soule served as a faculty member at the 2011 Texas Center for the Judiciary’s Criminal Justice
Conference and the 2007 and 2013 University of Texas School of Law’s Robert O. Dawson Conferences
on Criminal Appeals. She has served on the Texas District and County Attorney’s Publications
Committee for the past three years.
Ms. Soule is a former board member on the Austin chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
On the weekends, she enjoys participating in high performance driving events held at Texas’ various
racetracks, including Circuit of the Americas.
EDWARD SPILLANE
Edward Spillane is the Presiding Municipal Judge for College Station since May 2002. Prior to taking that
position, he served as an Assistant District Attorney for Brazos County for eight years and as an associate
for the law firm Fulbright and Jaworski for two years. Judge Spillane received his undergraduate degree
from Harvard University and his law degree from the University of Chicago. He is the current President
of the Texas Municipal Courts Association and represents Texas Municipal Courts on the Judicial
Conduct Commission.
CAMERON VANN
Cameron Vann has been licensed as an attorney since 1982. After graduating from the University of
Texas with a Bachelor of Science and from the University of Houston with a Master of Education, Ms.
Vann pursued a teaching and administrative career in Spring Branch Independent School District. She
then earned her Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Houston and joined a mid-size civil
litigation firm. In 1985, she opened her private practice in Houston, focusing on probate and elder law. In
2006, she moved to Austin to work at Advocacy, Inc. representing clients with mental health disabilities
until she joined the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program staff in July 2008.
While practicing in Houston, Ms. Vann served on several boards and received awards for her work from
Baylor College of Medicine, Alzheimer Association, Mental Health Association, Association of Women
Attorneys, and Rotary. While at Advocacy she served on the Mental Health Community Committee and
the Jail Diversion Committee. She is a past board member of the Travis County Women Lawyers
Association.
LAURA WEISER
Judge Weiser served as the County of Victoria as Judge of County Court at Law No. 1 in Victoria
County, Texas for 22 years. Judge Weiser retired from that position on February 28, 2013 and joined the
Texas Center for the Judiciary as the Judicial Resource Liaison. The responsibilities of the Judicial
Resource Liaison include assisting the DWI Curriculum Committee in developing and presenting
programs to the judiciary that include the latest information on changes to laws regarding impaired
driving, license suspension, alcohol monitoring technologies and conditions of probation and sentencing;
conducting training for DWI Court teams; maintaining the DWI Resources website; hosting the DWI
Court judges LISTERV; providing technical assistance to judges throughout the state in the area of
impaired driving; sitting as a visiting judge in DWI Courts or impaired driving cases and collaborating
with judges, TxDOT partners, other criminal justice professionals and the legislature.
Judge Weiser is the Past Chair of the Judicial Section of the State Bar of Texas and the Texas Center for
the Judiciary. She is also a past member of the Peer Review and Curriculum Committees for the Texas
Center for the Judiciary. She is a former board member of the Texas Judicial Council, the Texas Indigent
Defense Commission, the Texas Judicial Foundation, the Long Range Planning Committee for the Texas
Center for the Judiciary, the Juvenile Justice Committee for the Judicial Section of the State Bar of Texas,
the Advisory Board of the Police Academy at Victoria College, Victoria Women’s Crisis Center, the
Advisory Council for the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, Junior League of Victoria, Texas, Inc.
and the Criminal Justice Section of the Judicial Section of the State Bar of Texas.
Judge Weiser received the Friend of Education Award from the Victoria Classroom Teachers’
Association for 1991-1992 and 1992-1993 and was named as a South Texas Woman of the Year in 1998.
She was the recipient of the 2007 Clayton Morrison Award for outstanding service to the children of
Texas by the Texas Institute on Children and Youth. She received the Judicial Excellence through
Education Award from the Texas Center for the Judiciary in 2008 and the Chair’s Award of Excellence in
2013.
Judge Weiser is married to Judge Juan Velasquez III and has two children and two adorable
grandchildren.
CONSTANCE WHITE
Constance R. White is the Director of Court Services at the City of Burleson. Previously she was a Court
Administrator in McKinney, Court Supervisor in Plano, Case Manager at CASA of Collin County and
Legal Secretary at the Collin County District Attorney Office. Ms. White is a member of the TCCA;
North Texas Chapter.
TEXAS MUNICIPAL COURTS EDUCATION CENTER FACULTY ROSTER
Traffic Safety Initiatives Conference March 20 – 22, 2016
Art Acevedo
Chief of Police
Austin Police Department
715 E 8th St,
Austin, TX 78701
Guy Benson
Director
Danger Without Intentions
1207 Peach Creek Road
Waelder, TX 78959
512.924.9637
Michelle Bovis
Lone Star Driving Safety Education
Services
11301 Richmond Avenue, Suite K-105
Houston, TX 77082
John Brady
Risk & Safety Specialist, Sr.
Travis County HRMD
700 Lavaca Street, Suite 420
Austin, TX 78701
512.854.9586
Mark Busbee
Lead SFST Instructor
Texas SFST Program
6200 La Calma Suite 200
Austin, TX 78752
Mary Celeste
Retired Judge
Denver County Court
3569 East Virginia Ave.,
Denver, CO 80209
303.501.3242
Susan Crotty
Program Development Executive, Driver
Safety--Courts Division
National Safety Council
1121 Spring Lake Drive
Itasca, IL 60143
630.775.2258
Matt Dixon
Assistant City Attorney
City of Arlington
101 South Mesquite Street, Suite 300
Arlington, TX 76004
817.459.6878
Alex Epstein
Senior Director, Digital Strategy & Content
National Safety Council
630.775.2128
Diane Faulkenberry
Administrative Services Manager
Decatur
PO Box 1299
Decatur, TX 76234
817.645.0928
Jermaine Galloway
Tall Cop Says Stop
208.870.9868
Gary Graber
Town Justice
Darien, New York
10569 Alleghany Road
Darien, NY 14040
585.547.2274 ext. 23
Erin Holmes
Director, Traffic Safety
The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol
Responsibility
2345 Crystal Drive, Suite 710
Arlington, VA 22202
202.637.0571
Kate Huddleston
Chief of Staff
Office of State Representative Tom
Craddick
Capitol Building, Room 1W.9
Robert Johnson
Chief Toxicologist
Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office
200 Feliks Gwozdz Place
Fort Worth, TX 76104
817.920.5700 ext. 8396
Dale Kasparek, Jr.
Principal Court Management Consultant
National Center for State Courts
300 Newport Avenue
Williamsburg, VA 23185-4147
757.259.1547
Kevin McGee
Drug Recognition Expert
Prosper Police Department
110 W Broadway St,
Prosper, TX 75078
972.347.2226
Peter Odom
Senior Attorney
National Traffic Law Center of the
National District Attorney's Association
99 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 330
Alexandria, VA 22314
404.661.4990
Deborah Parsons
Assistant Director
Danger Without Intentions
1207 Peach Creek Road
Waelder, TX 78959
512.924.9637
Stacey Soule
Assistant State Prosecuting Attorney of
Texas
P.O. Box 13046
Austin, TX 78711
512.463.1660
Edward Spillane
Presiding Judge
College Station
PO Box 9960
College Station, TX 77842-7960
979.764.3683
Cameron Vann
Attorney
Texas Lawyers' Assistance Program
1414 Colorado Street
Austin, TX 78701
512.427.1457
Laura Weiser
Judicial Resource Liaison
Texas Center for the Judiciary
1210 San Antonio St,
Austin, TX 78701
512.482.8986
Constance White
Director of Court Services
Burleson
247 Elk Drive #114
Burleson, TX 76028
817.426.9223
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