Law, Public Safety and Security

After high school Kevin worked several minimum wage jobs, "with no future or job security." He realized that more education was necessary to achieve those things and enrolled at age 27.

Kevin decided on a career in law enforcement to help young people to make the right decisions and to have a profession he could be proud of.

"After 22 years as a police chief in Wisconsin, I know I’ve had a positive impact on the community I serve and am proud of what I’ve accomplished in my career," he says. "I would not have had this opportunity without the education I received from Western Technical College. I continue to support Wisconsin technical colleges by hiring staff with technical college degrees and by attending ongoing professional development education through the same system."

Tom has had a distinguished career with the Green Bay Police Department, including six years as Assistant Police Chief. He was the first recipient of the Wisconsin Attorneys General Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award. In addition, the police department gave Tom a Medal of Valor after he jumped into the Fox River to save a woman.

He left the police department in 1996 to serve as Brown County Sheriff. In 2000, he retired and began teaching at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) as an adjunct faculty member. Soon afterward, he was hired as NWTC's first Security Manager. In April of 2007, he took office as Brown County Executive.

"I just think NWTC is really a jewel in our community," Tom states. "Whether you're looking for economic development, welding, marketing, or law enforcement, NWTC can respond a lot faster than some other institutions and stay contemporary."

While enrolled at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College (Southwest Tech), Heather knew she wanted to work in law enforcement and also with service dogs. Her instructors encouraged and helped her gain valuable experience while attending college.

"Attending Southwest Tech allowed me to continue my job as a dispatcher while getting my degree since the college is so close to home," Heather says.

As David reflects on his 20 years in law enforcement, he credits his Criminal Justice associate degree from Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC) as the foundation for his career. He was originally attracted to technical college because he wanted an affordable education taught by instructors with real-life experience. To his surprise, the Pewaukee Police Department hired him even before he completed his degree, so he re-enrolled in evening classes. When his new department sent him to WCTC Police Academy, he excelled. His peers voted him class president, and he won the class Leadership Award. "WCTC gave me a strong work ethic and education to help me proceed in my career," Funkhouser says.

Karla began her career when she enrolled at Northcentral Technical College (NTC) in the Police Science program. During her internships with the Wausau Police Department and the public defender’s office, Karla realized that even though she wanted to work with people, it probably wasn’t going to be in police work. “NTC helped me find the direction I wanted to go,” she states.

After graduating from NTC, Karla went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in administration of justice from Marian College in Fond du Lac, and has since completed her master’s degree in business administration from Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee.

"Always remain focused on what makes you happiest, utilizing the strengths and qualities that you already have," she advises. "You grow, you learn, you have the opportunity to meet people—instructors and peers—who have an impact on you for the rest of your life. I received a great education, learned life lessons, and became the individual I am today because of the solid foundation NTC provided."

Tiffany chose fire fighting because she wanted to prove she could be just as good if not better than a man in a physically demanding job. She feels her training at Madison College prepared her and helped her understand what she was getting into.

"My instructors told stories about their personal experiences and gave us insight into certain situations," she says.

Although breast cancer temporarily took her away from the career she loves, Tiffany is glad to be back answering fire calls. "I will be in it until they say ‘you’re too old to do this'."

Tim’s education at Fox Valley Technical College opened the door to a life of exciting work. It was the technical college that provided him with a good knowledge base and allowed him to progress in his career — all the way to the City of Oshkosh Fire Chief.

"The combination of the mentorship I received from my instructors and being placed into an internship early in my program ignited passion for my vocation that I still have today," he says.