Deborah L. McMahon
Ms. McMahon is a retired Special Agent of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division. Prior to her retirement, Ms. McMahon was an Instructor assigned to Operations and Investigations Division, Advanced Law Enforcement Training, U. S. Army Military Police School, Fort Leonard Wood, MO. Ms. McMahon instructed advanced law enforcement subjects to criminal investigators who were assigned to municipal, state, and federal law enforcement agencies from throughout the world. In addition to her instructional duties, Ms. McMahon developed specialized advanced law enforcement training programs.
Ms. McMahon currently trains Crisis/Hostage Negotiation for the Midwest Counterdrug Training Center, Johnston Iowa, The Institute of Police Technology and Management at the University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, for Midwest Police Consultants, Columbia, Missouri, and for the Department of Defense.
In a variety of environments, Ms. McMahon has served as a member of a crisis response team, and has negotiated numerous hostage, barricade subjects and potential suicide incidents. In addition to her practical experience, Ms. McMahon has authored Crisis Response Plans, has planned, executed and supervised major crisis response training exercises, and has published numerous professional articles on a variety of law enforcement topics, including crisis negotiations and crisis negotiation training.
Some of Ms. McMahon's technical education and training includes: numerous Crisis and Hostage Negotiations courses, Countering Terrorism, Traffic Accident Investigation, Advanced Fraud Investigation, Protective Services, Child Abuse Prevention/Investigative Techniques, numerous advanced interview courses, gang training courses, and several Drug Enforcement Administration training courses. In addition to her technical training, Ms. McMahon has also attended more than twenty-six weeks of advanced leadership development and management. Ms. McMahon has earned Bachelors of Science degrees in both Criminal Justice and Psychology.
Andy Davis
Detective Davis is a native of Carlsbad, New Mexico. He is a retired noncommissioned officer in the Military Police Corps. Prior to his retirement, Detective Davis was the Operations Sergeant for the Military Police Command, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He was responsible for developing, implementing and controlling all operational and training aspects for two FORSCOM and one TRADOC Military Police Companies on the installation.
During his twenty-two years of military law enforcement experience, Detective Davis has performed a myriad of duties such as patrol, traffic accident investigations, desk sergeant, military police investigator, physical security investigator, protective services agent and physical security coordinator for the V Corps Headquarters. Operational assignments have taken Detective Davis throughout the United States, Europe, Cuba and the Middle East.
After military retirement, Detective Davis continued his law enforcement career and graduated from the Missouri Southern State College Police Academy in Joplin, Missouri. He was employed by the Rolla Police Department in Rolla, Missouri as a Senior Patrol Officer and Detective. His specialized duties included evidence technician and back up negotiator with their Crisis Negotiation Team. He is presently employed as the Senior Detective, Evidence Technician and Primary Negotiator with the Phelps County Sheriff's Department in Rolla, Missouri.
Some of Detective Davis's technical education and training includes numerous crisis and hostage negotiations courses, counter terrorism, traffic accident investigations, advanced evidence technician courses, and advanced interviewing and interrogation courses. In addition to his technical training, Detective Davis has also attended more than thirty weeks of basic and advanced leadership development and management courses.
In both military and civilian law enforcement environments, Detective Davis has served as a member of a crisis response team and has assisted and negotiated numerous hostage, barricade suspects and potential suicide incidents. In addition to his practical experience, Detective Davis has written a number of articles which have been published in the Mid-States Organized Crime Information Center Digest. He has written a number of crisis response plans, and has planned, executed and supervised major crisis response training for both military and civilian agencies.
He is a member of The International Association of Evidence and Property Handlers, National Tactical Officers Association and The Reid Institute.
Max Howard
Max Howard retired in 1999 from the Federal Bureau of Investigation at Dallas, Texas, after more than 33 years as a Special Agent. He worked as an investigative agent in Mobile, Alabama, New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Dallas, Texas, and dealt with a wide range of criminal matters. He also served as a Staff Instructor and Supervisor at the FBI Training Academy in Quantico, Virginia.
Beginning in 1975, Max became an instructor in several areas of law enforcement training but he ultimately specialized in Hostage /Crisis Negotiations. During the last five years of his career he supervised the negotiations and training programs of the Dallas Division of the FBI. During this time he taught many courses in Crisis Negotiations that provided training for more than 3500 federal and local law enforcement officers.
Max was on the FBI negotiating team at the Branch Davidian standoff in Waco, Texas, and was a negotiation team leader during the Freeman siege at Jordan, Montana. He regularly served as a consultant for other law enforcement agencies during local crisis situations such as the 1997 Rigsby Day Care hostage incident in Plano, Texas. While with the FBI and now in retirement he has designed many programs to exercise, evaluate and train law enforcement in crisis and hostage situations. He is frequently invited to evaluate and critique the crisis programs and exercises of other agencies.
He is an active participant and former office-holder in the Texas Association of Hostage Negotiators (TAHN) and for many years taught the basic hostage negotiation courses used to certify members within Texas. TAHN recognized his contributions with a Lifetime Achievement Award upon his retirement from the FBI, and in recognition of his ongoing involvement, a lifetime membership award in November 2004. He is a charter member of and assisted in organizing the Louisiana Association of Crisis Negotiators.
Upon retirement, Max formed his own business, Crisis Management Training (CMT) of Arlington, Texas through which he continues to provide training courses in negotiation related matters to U. S. and foreign law enforcement agencies. CMT specializes in structuring courses to meet the specific needs of clients. He also instructs classes in the U.S. and abroad in the Anti-Terrorism Assistance Training Program (ATAP) for the U.S. Department of State.
Jim McDonald
Jim McDonald is a 30-year veteran employee with the Florida Department of Corrections. Jim has held all correctional officer ranks through Colonel to Assistant Warden. Jim was formerly a team member and Team Commander for an Institutional CERT Team (Tactical Team).
Jim has worked in all level institutions with the department of corrections from Road Prisons, Medium- Minimum Custody Institutions, Work Release Centers, Close Custody Institutions with Special Housing Inmates and Reception Centers, as well as Central Office where Jim was instrumental in the creation of the Special Operations Unit with the Florida Department of Corrections and was assigned as the first Colonel responsible for the development, implementation and training of the Crisis Negotiation Unit. As the state-wide commander of the CNU, Jim trained staff in crisis negotiation and trained members of the law enforcement community from Sheriff’s Offices, local police departments and county jails. Jim also conducted training for the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Jim has served as the Training Director, Vice President and President for the Florida Association of Hostage Negotiators and currently serves on the Executive Board of the association. The Florida Association of Hostage Negotiators is the second largest association (number of members) of its kind in the United States and is a member of the National Council of Negotiator Associations. Jim is also a member of the Florida Council on Crime and Delinquency.
Jim received his education at Lake City Community College, the University of North Florida and the University of Central Florida.
Jim currently trains for the Institute of Police Technology and Management at the University of North Florida, The Midwest Counterdrug Training Center, Camp Dodge, Iowa, and the Florida Association of Hostage Negotiators. He resides in Jacksonville, Florida.
John Warren Van Ness
John Warren Van Ness currently works for the Iowa Department of Corrections as a psychologist and serves on his institution’s Crisis Negotiation Team.
Van Ness holds two Masters, one in Counseling and another in Psychology, and he is both a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a Licensed Master of Social Work. He has also obtained certifications in SCAN (Scientific Content Analysis) and as a nationally certified counselor and sports professional.
Prior to coming to work for the Department of Corrections, Van Ness was for fourteen years a private practice psychotherapist with Carroll Psychiatry and a behavior management consultant for several facilities, including Opportunity Living in Lake City. His career in mental health started in 1977 and has included clinical positions in the private and public sectors as well as administrative posts as a director of mental health units for a major hospital and assistant director of a community mental health center.
In addition, Van Ness has taught Counseling, Psychology, English, and Film Studies at seven different colleges and universities, most recently for Iowa Central Community College and Buena Vista University.
When not working for the IDOC or teaching, Van Ness writes (he has a Ph.D. in Writing Studies), golfs (in 2003, at age 53, he passed his Playing Ability Test—the first step in becoming a teaching professional—with the lowest score in the field that day), watches sports or movies, and spends time on the family ranch caring for the land and his wife’s several pet dogs and cats.
Tanya Zaglauer
Senior Police Officer Zaglauer is a native of Des Moines, Iowa. Officer Zaglauer currently works for the West Des Moines Police Department in the Special Operations Unit. She has been in law enforcement for eleven years. During her career she has been assigned to Patrol Division, Bike Patrol, Special Operations Division, and Crime Prevention/Community Relations.
Officer Zaglauer has been involved in many aspects of the police department, including eight years as a negotiator with the Crisis Intervention Team which is a part of the Special Emergency Response Team. She has been a liaison with the Mobile Crisis Response Team developing and maintaining relationships with citizens with mental health issues that increase their contact with law enforcement.
During her career in law enforcement she has developed and implemented various security and workplace violence programs for numerous business, civic groups, schools, and community members. She has developed her skills with many hours of hands-on experience in various settings. Tanya has earned a solid reputation for providing solutions that are practical, reasonable, and effective for all aspects of the community. She has assisted in developing crime prevention programs and legislation. She has received awards for her service in her profession.
Officer Zaglauer received her B.S. degree in Sociology from Iowa State University in 1996 and her M.P.A. in Public Administration from Drake University in 2005. She attended Iowa Law Enforcement Academy in 1998. She has also received training for basic and advanced Crime Prevention Specialist, CPTED—Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, Domestic Violence, Child Abuse, vice crimes, narcotics investigation, dependent adult abuse, TIPS, basic and advanced hostage negotiations, weapons of mass destruction, homeland security and terrorism and crime victim rights. She currently is an instructor with a local college for the Criminal Justice program.
Officer Zaglauer also volunteers as a critical incident stress management team member. In 2002 on the first anniversary of 9-11 she volunteered to go to New York City to provide services to the members of the New York City Police Department. Today, she volunteers for the Iowa National Guard in providing these services.
Officer Zaglauer is a frequent speaker on the subjects of crime, crime prevention, self protection, negotiations, and security. She has also written for the Des Moines Register since 2003 on crime prevention issues.
Center for Advanced Technical Law Enforcement Training, Inc. (CATLET)
Columbia, Missouri
800.636.9107
Website
Institute of Police Technology and Management
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
904.620.4786
Website
Midwest Police Consultants
Columbia, Missouri
573.424.3783
Website
Midwest Counterdrug Training Center
Johnston, IA
1.800.803.6532
Website
Rescue Phone®
Crofton, MD
1.800.737.2832
Website
