Overcome with emotion as he began to speak, the college’s new police chief, Jay Tillerson, stood at the podium as he introduced himself to the college at the Jan. 22 board meeting.
“I’m honored to be your chief of police,” he said with his hand across his heart. “I approach this role with the clear understanding that campus safety is the foundation to student success.”
The initial focus to his work is listening. He said by engaging with the broader campus community, college leadership and department members, he aims to understand the perspectives, priorities and opportunities of the college.
“Your police department exists to advance the college’s strategic plan, providing a safe, supportive and confident learning and working environment,” Tillerson said.
His first day was Jan. 12, and since then he said he’s met more helpful people than he could ever imagine.
“It almost feels like I’ve been here for a while, because everybody’s so welcoming and attentive,” Tillerson said. “So, I’m enjoying my time here.”
An FBI National Academy graduate with a master’s degree in criminology and criminal justice, Tillerson spent 30 years in higher education law enforcement at UTA. Now, as chief of police for a community college, he said he’s prepared for the change.
“Although some of the challenges are similar, they’re far different, which I find challenging and rewarding,” he said. “It mirrors what I tell cadets and in fact experienced officers, you never stop learning in this career.”
Admitting she contributed to some of Tillerson’s learning, Board President Jeannie Deakyne said she met him many years ago when she was an assistant professor of military science at UTA.
“The reason we would interface so often was because I had cadets with cannons who would randomly fire cannons,” Deakyne said. “It made me think that you, more than any other higher education police officer I know, is very prepared for the unexpected.”
General Counsel Antonio Allen presented at the meeting a short list of the many events Tillerson unexpectedly experienced in his first two weeks.
Between the hours of compliance training and employee orientation, Allen said Tillerson also tended to a serious off-campus law enforcement matter while also preparing the campuses for a winter storm.
“I think it’s fair to say he is already drinking from a fire hose,” he said, chuckling.
While Tillerson has had a lot of hands-on experience outside the classroom, he’s also spent a portion of his professional career inside it too as an adjunct professor of criminology and criminal justice at UTA.
“That commitment to education is deeply personal for Jay and is due in no small part to the influence of his father, a lifelong educator who instilled in him a respect for learning, service and the role education plays in shaping lives,” Allen said.
Through learning, building trust and engaging with others, Tillerson said his goal for the department is to reflect the values and expectations of the institution for both students and faculty.
“I’m at the peak of my career right now, and I haven’t stopped learning,” Tillerson said. “So, it’s a great experience.”
