Police Captain graduates from Advanced Future Law Enforcement Executives Seminar

MEDIA RELEASE
August 26, 2013

Punta Gorda Police Captain Thomas Lewis graduated Friday from the Advanced Future Law Enforcement Executive Seminar in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. This new executive development course, sponsored by the Florida Police Chiefs Association (FPCA) and the Florida Criminal Justice Executive Institute (FCJEI), is a sequel course for graduates of the Future Law Enforcement Executives Seminar, or for those who have been in a command position for more than three years. Captain Lewis graduated from the prerequisite course in September 2012.

The Florida Police Chief’s Association established the Advanced Executive Development Seminar to provide advanced management and executive-level training to Florida Sheriff’s, Chiefs, and other command level leaders. The 40-hour program included training in branding your agency, effective use of social media, labor law, improving work environments, and a host of other contemporary topics.  

Chief Albert (Butch) Arenal, who currently serves as Chair of the FCJEI Policy Board, stated “This exceptional preparatory training is uniquely designed for both incumbent police career command officers, and for those commanders on the cusp of assuming roles as Chief Executive Officers of law enforcement agencies. This training is the result of a great partnership between the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Florida Police Chiefs Association in an effort to maintain the highest standards of executive level training in the country today.”

Captain Lewis joined the Punta Gorda Police Department in 1998. He serves as the agency’s Operations Commander and oversees Uniform Patrol, Criminal Investigations, and Employee Development. In 2010, Captain Lewis graduated from the 243^rd session of the prestigious Federal Bureau of Investigations National Academy and he was voted the 2012 Outstanding Command Officer of the Year by the Southwest Florida Police Chiefs Association. Captain Lewis also serves as a Team Leader for the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation, assessing law enforcement agencies throughout the State of Florida for compliance with accreditation standards.

“Captain Lewis’s outstanding management and leadership abilities are easily recognized in his daily work. This exceptional training provides him yet another opportunity to prepare for a bright future and continue to solidify relationships with police leaders throughout the State of Florida. I am proud to have him on my management team,” stated Chief Arenal.  

The course hosted students from all corners of Florida, and as far away as North Carolina.