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2027 Conference Speakers
Monday February 22nd, 2027:
Conference Opening Speaker:
Presented by: Mark Lamb
Sheriff Mark Lamb (Ret), the “American Sheriff,” is a nationally respected leader known for his bold leadership, resilience, and community trust. Twice elected in Pinal County, he blends patriotism, transparency, and innovation to inspire others with his motto: Fear Not, Do Right.
Conference Speaker:
Presented by: Dr. Adam Covach MD (Chief Medical Examiner - Fond du Lac County Medical Examiner’s Office)
Dr. Adam Covach is a forensic pathologist and the Chief Medical Examiner for Fond du Lac County, serving in that role since 2018. His education includes degrees from Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin, residency at the University of Wisconsin, and a forensic pathology fellowship at the University of Michigan. To date, he has performed over 3000 autopsies, with approximately 300 of those cases involving motor vehicle accidents. The way the human body is injured during a crash has always held a fascination for him, and he is happy to share his expertise on this topic.
Conference Speaker:
Human Trafficking
Presented by: Debbie Legue
Debbie started her law enforcement career in 2003, where she worked for the Juneau County Sheriff’s Office, in Juneau County, Wisconsin. Throughout her 20 years at Juneau County, Debbie enjoyed her role as field training officer; took special interest in sensitive crimes and investigations, forensic interviewing, scene processing, and served 16 years on the county tactical team. In 2023, Debbie furthered her career when she accepted a Special Agent position in the Human Trafficking Bureau of the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation.
This presentation highlights the complex nature of human trafficking investigations. You will be introduced to concepts related to understanding human trafficking crimes, identifying incidents of human trafficking and victims of human trafficking, contact with victims of human trafficking and suspected human traffickers, interviewing victims (roadside), the importance of victim support, and quality documentation related to incidents of potential human trafficking. Human Trafficking requires a collaborative approach between law enforcement agencies, victim service providers, and prosecutors to overcome the challenges involved with human trafficking cases and to provide justice for survivors.
Conference Speaker:
Two Methods, One Mission: "Weeding" Out the Truth of Cannabis Impairment
Presented by: Abby Houliston, M.S. Forensic Scientist - Toxicology II from the WSLH
As one of the few states that has not legalized marijuana for any use, Wisconsin continues to see it as the most common drug detected in impaired-driving cases after alcohol. As surrounding states legalize adult-use cannabis and further regulate cannabis products sold, the impairment landscape continues to change. Because of the nature of drug pharmacology, impairment is not dose-dependent, which can create a barrier to understanding impairment expectations at different concentrations and legal cutoffs. This presentation will review DECP evaluations in which toxicology results were positive for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol only, to better understand how observed impairment and toxicology results compare with expected impairment in cannabis-impaired driving cases.
Abby holds a Master’s of Science in Biomedical Forensic Sciences from Boston University School of Medicine. She is a forensic toxicologist with over 4 years of experience at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene where she conducts alcohol and drug testing. Abby has attended and audited the Drug Recognition Expert school along with SFST and ARIDE trainings. She is currently working on numerous projects with the Wisconsin DECP program looking at the relationship between impairment and toxicology of various categories of drugs. She has also provided over 100 testimonies along with trainings for prosecutors across the state of Wisconsin regarding impairment of THC and other drugs.
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2027:
Morning Presentation:
Wisconsin Department of Justice: OWI/Legal Update
Presented by: Tara Jenswold & Emily Thompson
TARA JENSWOLD has served as Wisconsin's Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor since 2003. In 2009, she joined the Wisconsin Department of Justice as an Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Litigation Unit. Prior to becoming an Assistant Attorney General, Ms. Jenswold served as the Assistant Director/Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor at the University of Wisconsin Law School’s Resource Center on Impaired Driving from 2001-2009. Prior to joining the Resource Center, Ms. Jenswold worked as an Assistant District Attorney in Walworth County; where she specialized in the prosecution of traffic offenses.
As Wisconsin’s Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor, Ms. Jenswold provides training and technical assistance to prosecutors and law enforcement officers. She gives numerous presentations on the impaired driving laws and vehicular crimes on the state and national level. Ms. Jenswold also serves as coordinator of various seminars and trainings in Wisconsin. In addition to her training responsibilities, Ms. Jenswold acts as a special prosecutor, specializing in complex vehicular homicide cases. She has served as a contributing author of the Wisconsin Prosecutor’s Manual for OWI Cases and the Wisconsin State Patrol’s OWI Enforcement Manual and serves on various traffic safety related committees and task forces.
EMILY THOMPSON is an Assistant Attorney General and Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor (TSRP) in the Criminal Litigation Unit at the Wisconsin Department of Justice. She joined the DOJ in April of 2016. Before that, she worked as a prosecutor in the Dane County District Attorney’s Office for nine years. As TSRP, Emily assists prosecutors and police with traffic-law-related issues and questions. She also prosecutes serious vehicular crimes throughout the State of Wisconsin. The two TSRPs travel the state providing trainings for police and prosecutors. They also host several stand-alone trainings each year for police and prosecutors, including an annual Prosecutors’ Seminar on OWI and a biannual Vehicular Homicide Training, among others. Emily is a graduate of Northwestern University, Boston University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School.
Luncheon Presentation:
Presented by: Angel Anderson
Angel Anderson is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor with eight years of experience working with trauma, anxiety, emotional regulation, relationships, and life transitions. Her integrative approach incorporates CBT, DBT, IFS and parts work, somatic practices, mindfulness, and nervous system regulation to help clients understand their patterns and create meaningful, sustainable change.
As a military spouse of 20 years, she also brings a deeply personal understanding of military culture and the unique challenges faced by service members, Veterans, First Responders, and their families. She is passionate about creating spaces where those who spend their lives serving others can feel supported, understood, and empowered in their own healing.
Afternoon Presentation:
Detecting the Impaired Driver in Under 60 Seconds
Presented by: Sergeant Aaron Botts (Denver Police Department)
Aaron Botts is currently assigned as a Patrol Sergeant in the Denver Police Department’s Downtown District. Prior to his current role, Sergeant Botts spent eight years in Denver’s DUI/DRE Enforcement Unit as both an officer and a corporal, where he led over 1,700 impaired driving investigations, trained officers statewide, and served as the department’s DRE Agency Coordinator. He is a certified Drug Recognition Expert Instructor, an SFST Instructor, and an Intoxilyzer I-9000 Instructor. He has taught impaired driving enforcement across Colorado and presented at conferences nationwide. In addition to his fieldwork, he is an adjunct professor at the Community College of Denver, a regular contributor to drugimpairment.com, and an active leader in Scouting America.
Detecting the Impaired Driver in 60 Seconds is a field-proven training designed to help officers quickly and accurately identify impaired drivers. Drawing on over 8 years of real-world suspect data and 17 years of DUI enforcement experience, this course blends advanced questioning techniques with face-to-face observational strategies. Using actual Body Worn Camera footage, the training demonstrates how officers can detect subtle signs of impairment. Attendees will leave with a clear, actionable technique they can apply on their very next shift to improve both efficiency and courtroom effectiveness in impaired driving investigations.
Afternoon Presentation:
Presented by: Captain Ryan Lee (Appleton Fire Department)
Ryan is a Captain and Paramedic with the Appleton Fire Department and has been on the department for 22 years. He has been a member of the HAZMAT team, Confined Space Team, and is also serving as a TEMS medic with the Appleton Police
Department’s SWAT Team.
Ryan is an Adjunct Fire Instructor at FVTC, the former Battalion Chief of Training at the AFD and also served in the Army ‘s 101st Airborne division as an Infantry team leader from 2000-2004 with combat deployments to Iraq and Kosovo.
Ryan holds an Associates Degrees in Fire Science and General Resource Management, a Bachelors Degree in Fire and Emergency Response Management, and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.
Wednesday, February 24th, 2027:
Closing Presentation
Presented by: Mike Brazil
Michael Brazil began his law enforcement career in 2005 and is currently serving as a Patrol Supervisor for the City of Crown Point. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army, where he served in the Military Police Corps and was deployed for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Brazil recently graduated from the Valparaiso University School of Law in 2019 with a Juris Doctor. Since then, he has been admitted to practice law in both the State of Indiana and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana. He excels at legal research, and he is often sought out by fellow officers to locate case law pertinent to their situation. Mike strongly believes that every officer should have a working knowledge of case law because it is the foundation of being a proactive cop.
