The Southwest Florida Police Chiefs Association is a premier member organization; the purpose of which is to promote efficient law enforcement services through the cooperation and coordination of all law enforcement agencies within Southwest Florida. The non-profit association has been in existence since 1985.
Updated 2025 – Southwest Florida Police Chiefs Association Bylaws
Board of Directors
President
Chief Craig W. Kowalski
Florida Gulf Coast University Police Department
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Craig Kowalski serves as the Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety at Florida Gulf Coast University. He joined the university in April 2024 after a 23-year career with Broward County Public Schools, where he served as Police Chief and held multiple leadership positions. During his tenure, he led strategic efforts to improve safety operations, oversee complex investigations, and implement proactive, prevention-based policing strategies across a large and diverse educational system.
He began his law enforcement career in 1991 with the Parkland Public Safety Department, where he gained foundational experience in public safety operations. As a School Resource Officer, he developed strong partnerships with students, educators, and administrators, reinforcing the importance of trust, communication, and community engagement in effective policing.
Chief Kowalski is a certified law enforcement instructor and holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in public administration. He is also a recipient of the FBI-LEEDA Trilogy Award, having completed the Supervisor Leadership Institute, Command Leadership Institute, and Executive Leadership Institute, an integrated leadership program designed to develop well-rounded, principled leaders at every level of law enforcement. His diverse experience across campus, school-based, and public safety settings continues to shape his commitment to professional excellence, integrity, and service to the communities he protects.
In his role as Association President, Chief Kowalski is committed to strengthening collaboration among regional law enforcement leaders, advancing professional standards, and supporting initiatives that enhance public safety throughout Southwest Florida.
Vice President
Chief Jerry Connolly
Florida SouthWestern State College
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Jerry Connolly serves as the Chief of Police at Florida Southwestern State College Police Department. He joined the college in September 2019 after a 28-year career in law enforcement with four different agencies. Chief Connolly currently oversees all operational and administrative functions of the police department. The FSW Police Department is a recognized leader on the state and national level as the 6th safest academic institution. FSW State College serves a diverse population of approximately 18,000 students. The Department is responsible for four (4) campuses in four different county jurisdictions.
Upon appointment in 2019, the Department budget was analyzed and $500,000 in savings was identified and redistributed to purchase needed equipment, expand resource allocation and implement a take-home vehicle program among other administrative and operational needs. A Campus Community Policing philosophy was immediately practiced in concert with providing exceptional customer service to all students, faculty, staff and visitors. Streamlined emergency communications with three counties (Lee, Collier & Charlotte) by entering into emergency communications contracts for dispatching which saved the College $90,000 annually. Upon appointment, created 150 General Orders to ensure compliance with criminal justice standards, criminal procedures, best practices and transformational operations. On June 16th, 2024, the Department was successfully accredited with the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA).
Chief Connolly also served as a Deputy Chief of Police for the Haines City Police Department in Florida. He commanded all operational and administrative functions of the police department in Haines City. The Haines City Police Department is a recognized leader on the state and national level as a CALEA-accredited agency, and serves a diverse population of approximately 25,000 people. The Department is comprised of 57 sworn and 20 civilian multi-level employees that provide law enforcement and related services; simultaneously managing a budget of $7.4 million. The Department is responsible for 19.8 square miles of total land. During 2018, the Department achieved a 29% decrease in crime after appointment with a 2% increase.
For the majority of Chief Connolly’s career he also served as a Captain for the Bureau for Colleges and Universities for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in Florida. He commanded all operational and administrative functions of the safety and security services for Polk State College & Southeastern University. Both partnerships are a part of the Sheriff’s Office’s Safe Schools initiative that provides a system through which the security operations of contracted colleges and universities will be managed and coordinated to enhance the safety and security of students, faculty, staff, and campus visitors. Further, to ensure continual compliance with the Jeanne Clery Act, Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) and Title IV. Developed, implemented and commanded the Sheriff’s Sentinel Program which is a unique, innovative, and first of its kind program in the nation that provides comprehensive and professional law enforcement training to select university faculty and staff members that enables them to carry a concealed firearm, while serving as sworn Special Deputy Sheriffs, for the sole purpose of rapidly responding to an active assailant on campus to stop a potential deadly threat. In his role as Association Vice President, Chief Connolly is committed to transformational collaboration among regional law enforcement and judicial leaders, advancing professional standards, and supporting initiatives that enhance public safety throughout Southwest Florida.
Secretary
Chief Tracy Frazzano
Marco Island Police Department
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Tracy L. Frazzano was appointed the Chief of Police for the Marco Island Police Department in August of 2019 based on a national search. Prior to her selection, she was a 25-year member of the Montclair Police Department (New Jersey) serving as Deputy Chief. In that position, she oversaw the administrative and logistical functions of the department including policy, training, grants, purchasing and budget. She was tasked with bringing the Montclair Police Department to its first ever Accreditation status through the New Jersey Law Enforcement Accreditation Program and she also served as the Deputy Coordinator for the township Office of Emergency Management. Her police career includes varied assignments in patrol, investigative, and community policing. Within the Montclair Police Department, she made history as its first female Detective, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, and Deputy Chief.
Frazzano holds two Master of Arts degrees and a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and Sports Management from Rutgers University. She earned her first Master’s in 2003 in Human Resources Training Development from Seton Hall University; and her second, in 2010 in Security Studies (Homeland Security and Defense) from the United States Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense & Security (CHDS). Her award-nominated thesis on the active shooter, led to her appointment as a Visiting Fellow with the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Washington, DC. She was assigned to FEMA’s Office of Counterterrorism & Security Preparedness, working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC). Frazzano worked with a team in preparing and presenting FEMA’s Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series (JCTAWS), a nationwide initiative to assist local jurisdictions in preparation, protection and response to coordinated terrorist attacks against multiple targets. Her participation in the JCTAWS project afforded her the opportunity to brief the House Homeland Security Committee and the National Security Staff.
Chief Frazzano is a graduate of the FBI National Academy (Session 261) and received the distinguished graduate award, given to the top 1% of the class. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for the Southwest Florida Police Chiefs Association, she also serves on the board for The Shelter for Abused Women and Children and the Florida Criminal Justice Executive Institute Policy Board.
Treasurer
Chief Robert Taylor
Airport Police Department Lee County Port Authority
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Robert Taylor is the chief for the Lee County Port Authority (LCPA) Police Department and is responsible for planning, organizing and directing the Airport Police Department. In this role, he is responsible for the enforcement of laws and security regulations; traffic operations; airport security compliance and support; and the overall leadership and administration of airport law enforcement functions at both Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) and Page Field (FMY) in Fort Myers, Florida.
Taylor started his career in law enforcement training police dogs. After becoming a certified law enforcement officer, he served as a reserve officer with the Punta Gorda Police Department. Taylor joined the LCPA Police Department in 2007 and has served in several roles including firearms instructor, training coordinator, field training officer and as a member of the Hazardous Device (Bomb) Squad for more than 10 years.
Taylor holds a bachelor’s degree in public safety administration from Barry University in Miami, Florida. He was named Officer of the Quarter from the Punta Gorda Police Department and Officer of the Year from LCPA in 2010. He was promoted to deputy chief of police in 2021 and acting chief in February 2023. In February 2024 he accepted the position as chief of police.
Immediate Past President
Chief Pam Smith
Punta Gorda Police Department
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Chief Pam Davis joined the Punta Gorda Police Department on January 2, 2018. She has over 29 years of law enforcement experience. Just prior to beginning with the Punta Gorda Police Department, she served as the Director of the Professional Development and Training Academy for the Baltimore Police Department.
In 2016, Chief Davis retired from the Anne Arundel County, Maryland Police Department where she rose within the Department to achieve the rank of Deputy Chief. As the second in command, she led the Department’s three bureaus consisting of just over 700 sworn personnel and 240 professional staff.
Chief Davis completed a prestigious year-long fellowship with the Police Executive Research Forum in Washington, D.C., gaining national experience on best practices in law enforcement. She is a graduate of both the F.B.I. National Academy and the Police Executive Research Forum, “Senior Management Institute for Policing.” She also holds a Master’s Degree in Management from the Johns Hopkins University.
In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for the Southwest Florida Police Chiefs Association, Chief Davis is the Vice Chair of Drug Free Charlotte County, a Board Member for Drug Free Punta Gorda, Vice Chair of the Florida Region X Training Council, and the President of Do the Right Thing Charlotte County.