Police Chief Completes FBI Executive Institute Leadership Session

On Friday, September 16th North Charleston Police Chief Jon R. Zumalt along with 40 other Law Enforcement Executives around the world successfully completed the FBI National Executive Institute (NEI) Leadership Session XXXIV.  NEI is the FBI’s premier executive training initiative where chief executives of the largest law enforcement organizations in the U.S., Canada, the U.K, and Australia attend three one-week training sessions throughout the year at the FBI Academy.  The focus of the training is strategic leadership development and current affairs for a diverse group of law enforcement professionals who bring immensely different levels of experience and perspectives.  Executives from the U.S. are nominated by the Special Agent in Charge of their local FBI field office.

During Session XXXIV, attendees completed numerous studies to include:  American presidents:  Leadership Lessons from Nixon to Obama” presented by journalist Bob Woodward; Southwest Border Issues:  International, Transnational and National Threats; Policing in a Divided Society; Media and the Police Executive; Lincoln on Leadership:  Executive Strategies for Tough Times; Crisis Leadership:  1996 Mt. Everest Tragedy Case Study; and “No Shortcuts to the Top” Inspirational Leadership.  In addition, attendees were involved in roundtable discussion with Attorney General Eric Holder and FBI Director Robert Mueller as well a visit to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.

More than 1,000 law enforcement executives graduated from NEI since 1976.  Following graduation, each executive is invited to join the NEI Associates (NEIA), a non-profit foundation that continues the education of these executives and sponsors various research projects.

About Chief Zumalt
Chief Zumalt began his career in law enforcement in 1980 when he joined the Wichita Kansas Police Department as a reserve officer.  This was the beginning of a 21 year career with the Wichita Police Department where he held command positions in Patrol, Training, Special Operations, Technical Services, Internal Affairs and Special Investigations.

In 2001 following a nationwide search, Chief Zumalt was hired by Mayor Keith Summey to lead the City of North Charleston Police Department.  Under his leadership, Chief Zumalt has reshaped the police department and brought back a "sense of pride" with his innovative management style he describes as "democratic police leadership."  Chief Zumalt leads his agency through an Executive Staff form where the Deputy Chiefs work along with him to problem solve, develop policies and plans, and manage the daily activities of the agency.  Chief Zumalt believes all employees should have the ability to be creative and bring solutions to the table for consideration. His philosophy is to treat employees as the department's number one customer with the belief that by doing so they will be happier, more productive and will treat external customers well.

Chief Zumalt credits the city's crime control success to the department's use of intelligence to monitor and track violent offender; adjusting resources daily to emerging crime trends; an attack on drug trafficking and drug related violence; educating the community on crime problems and crime prevention; creating problem-solving partnerships with the community; and improving traffic safety. In addition, the department works as a team member with other city departments focusing government resources in troubled neighborhoods improving livability and quality of life which has proven to be a sound crime reduction strategy.

Chief Zumalt holds a Masters Degree in Administration and is a graduate of FBI-LEEDS Seminar Session 47 and the FBI National Executive Institute Session 34.  In 2005 he was elected to the Executive Board of FBI LEEDA a national organization of 5,000 police leaders.  He is a member of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), South Carolina Police Chiefs Association, and Chair of the Regional Advisory Council for the NIJ National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center – Southeast Region. Chief Zumalt is Chairman of Charleston County 9-1-1 Consolidated Dispatch Board of Directors.